Revol (song)

"Revol" is a song by Welsh alternative rock band Manic Street Preachers. It was released in 1994 by record label Epic as the second single from their third studio album, The Holy Bible, which was released later in the month.

For other uses, see Revol (disambiguation).

"Revol"
Single by Manic Street Preachers
from the album The Holy BIble
Released1 August 1994
GenreHard rock, punk rock, post-punk
Length3:04
LabelEpic
Songwriter(s)James Dean Bradfield, Nicky Wire, Sean Moore, Richey Edwards
Manic Street Preachers singles chronology
"Faster"
(1994)		 "Revol"
(1994)		 "She Is Suffering"
(1994)

It reached number 22 in the UK Singles Chart on 13 August 1994.[1]

Music and lyrics

"Revol" has been categorized under the genres hard rock,[2] punk rock[3] and post-punk.[4] The song's lyrics were written by rhythm guitarist Richey Edwards and bass guitarist Nicky Wire. The verses list famous and controversial names in history, each being dismissed one-by-one in short and often insulting staccato lines (such as "Chamberlain, you see God in you", "Pol Pot, withdrawn traces, bye-bye", "Che Guevara, you're all target now" and "Gorbachev, celibate self-importance").[5]

The track may be considered an autobiographical account of Edwards' attempts to hold down any meaningful relationships.[6] "Revol" is "lover" spelt backwards. The lyric also places the names of famous political figures next to images of failure in sexual and emotional relationships. Wire, however, has said not even he knows exactly what the song is about.[7]

James Dean Bradfield has previously been critical of the song, saying that he hates the UK version. He is, however, a fan of the "US Mix" by Tom Lord-Alge, which can be found on the 10th Anniversary re-issue edition of The Holy Bible.[5]

Release

"Revol" was released on 1 August 1994 by record label Epic as the second single from their third studio album, The Holy Bible. It reached number 22 in the UK Singles Chart.[1]

Track listing
CD single 1
  1. "Revol" – 3:07
  2. "Too Cold Here" – 3:35
  3. "You Love Us" (Original Heavenly Version) – 4:27
  4. "Love's Sweet Exile" (Bangkok Live) – 3:05
CD single 2
  1. "Revol" – 3:07
  2. "Drug Drug Druggy" (Live) – 3:27
  3. "Roses in the Hospital" (Live) – 4:46
  4. "You Love Us" (Live) – 3:04

Charts
Chart (1994) Peak
position
UK Singles Chart 22[1]
UK Top 40
Week 01 02
Position
22
26

Personnel
Manic Street Preachers

References
  1. "Manic Street Preachers". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 18 March 2015.
  2. "Long live the Manics' almighty racket". Herald.ie. Retrieved 21 December 2015.
  3. Mayer Nissim (17 December 2014). "Manic Street Preachers live review: The Holy Bible in full is worth the wait". Digital Spy. Retrieved 21 December 2015.
  4. "Review: Manic Street Preachers". Retrieved 21 December 2015.
  5. Price, Simon (1999). Everything (A Book About Manic Street Preachers). London: Virgin Books. p. . ISBN 0-7535-0139-2.
  6. Power, Martin (17 October 2010). Manic Street Preachers. Omnibus Press.
  7. "14 British songs about Russia". Russia Beyond the Headlines. Retrieved 21 December 2015.
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