"The Quiet Things That No One Ever Knows" is a song by American rock band Brand New. It served as the first single from their second album Deja Entendu and was released on October 6, 2003 in the United Kingdom on 7" vinyl.
| "The Quiet Things That No One Ever Knows" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Single by Brand New | ||||
| from the album Deja Entendu | ||||
| Released |
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| Recorded | 2003 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 4:01 | |||
| Label |
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| Songwriter(s) |
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| Producer(s) | Steven Haigler | |||
| Brand New singles chronology | ||||
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| Audio sample | ||||
| Music video | ||||
| The Quiet Things That No One Ever Knows on YouTube | ||||
Described by Stereogum as likely "Brand New’s most enduring contribution to the mainstream," the song became the band's first charting single, peaking at No. 39 on the UK Singles Chart[2] and No. 37 on the US Billboard Alternative Songs chart.[3] However, as Brand New's sound evolved and became less accessible, the band stopped playing the song regularly during concerts, only adding it to the setlist occasionally.[4][5]
Background
editFrontman Jesse Lacey said about the song's meaning: "The song's a little bit about regret. How there can be problems in a relationship and they get ignored. And how that often ends up as a broken home or some kind of bad situation down the road. It's kind of something that if it wasn't overlooked in the first place, you can kind of get through it."[6]
Despite its popularity, the band was known for not playing the song frequently live during their later years.[5]
The band performed the song on Jimmy Kimmel Live! on October 24, 2003. Lacey wore a suit and taped the words "Hi Moz" to his guitar during the performance, a reference to British singer Morrissey and his influence on the band.[7][8]
Release
editThe single was sent for adds on rock radio on July 9, 2003.[6]
The single was originally released commercially on 7" vinyl in the UK on October 6, 2003. It was re-released as a CD, DVD and 7" vinyl single set to promote their UK tour with Incubus on May 17, 2004.
The song is featured in both the soundtracks to the video games NHL 2004 and Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2004.[9][10]
Reception
editStereogum named "The Quiet Things That No One Ever Knows" as Brand New's ninth-best song in 2015, recalling how "it was damn near inescapable during its reign, and it’s come to represent all the best qualities of that era of alternative rock" but also admitting that "if it were the only Brand New song you’d ever heard, you would have a lot different impression of the band than what they actually were, and it would probably be a lot easier to sweep them under the rug as just another emo band."[11]
The Arizona Republic named it Brand New's ninth-best song in 2015.[12]
Brooklyn Vegan contrasted its "pop punk chorus" that "made that album famous" with the "post-rocky intro song 'Tautou'" when discussing Deja Entendu's role in Brand New's musical maturation.[13]
Music video
editA music video for the song was filmed in Boston, directed by Kurt St. Thomas and Mike Gioscia. In the video, Jesse Lacey crashes his car while driving with his girlfriend (played by Alison Haislip). He is fatally wounded, but cannot die until he knows that his girlfriend has survived the accident. The other band members are seen in the waiting room, presumably to check whether or not she is alive.[12]
Lacey said, "The video is about death or losing someone and it's those moments that you kind of look back on your life and realize all the regrets that you had, and all the things you wish you could change ... We didn't want to do a video where we're playing in a living room and the lights are going out and the walls are falling apart, or we're riding around the street in low-riders. That's been done a zillion times. When we play the lights don't really go out and the building doesn't really shake."[6]
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "The Quiet Things That No One Ever Knows" | 4:04 |
| 2. | "Car" (Built to Spill cover) | 2:36 |
| 3. | "Moshi Moshi" (Acoustic) | 3:23 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "The Quiet Things That No One Ever Knows" | |
| 2. | "The Boy Who Blocked His Own Shot" (Acoustic Session - Audio) |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "The Quiet Things That No One Ever Knows" | |
| 2. | "Jude Law and a Semester Abroad" (Early Recording Session) |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "The Quiet Things That No One Ever Knows" | |
| 2. | "The No Seatbelt Song" (Live at CBGB's) |
Personnel
edit- Brand New
- Jesse Lacey – vocals, rhythm guitar
- Vincent Accardi – lead guitar
- Garrett Tierney – bass
- Brian Lane – drums, percussion
Charts
edit| Chart (2003) | Peak
position |
|---|---|
| UK Singles (OCC)[14] | 39 |
| US Alternative Airplay (Billboard)[15] | 37 |
References
edit- ^ "15 emo classics that helped to shape the genre". don't bore us. December 9, 2021.
- ^ "Chart Log UK: Darren B - David Byrne". The Official Charts Company. Retrieved January 23, 2011.
- ^ Rutherford, Kevin (2017-08-29). "5 Brand New Chart Facts After Band's First No. 1 Album". Billboard. Retrieved 2022-12-30.
- ^ Gorman, Cory Garcia, Jack. "ACL Fest Weekend 2: The Good, the Bad & the Weird". Houston Press. Retrieved 2022-12-30.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ a b Payne, Chris (2017-10-20). "Brand New's 'Science Fiction' Tour Is a Must-See For the Uninitiated: New York Live Recap". Billboard. Retrieved 2022-12-30.
- ^ a b c "MTV.com - News -Already Heard Of Underground Upstarts Brand New? Consider Yourself Lucky". MTV. 2003-12-04. Archived from the original on 2003-12-04. Retrieved 2024-09-16.
- ^ Crane, Matt. "25 Bands Who Totally Rocked Jimmy Kimmel Live". Alternative Press Magazine. Retrieved 2024-09-16.
- ^ Campbell, Rachel. "21 times bands referenced other artists in their songs". Alternative Press Magazine. Retrieved 2024-09-16.
- ^ Staff, BarDown (2017-08-13). "Ranking the top 5 EA Sports NHL video game soundtracks of all-time - Article". BARDOWN. Retrieved 2022-12-30.
- ^ "Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2004 | Mike Sapone". 2008-03-21. Retrieved 2022-12-30.
- ^ "The 10 Best Brand New Songs". Stereogum. 2015-04-28. Retrieved 2022-12-30.
- ^ a b Dominic, Serene. "10 best Brand New songs topped by a brand new single". The Arizona Republic. Retrieved 2024-09-16.
- ^ Sacher, Andrew (7 September 2017). "A Brief History of Emo Bands Making Art Rock". BrooklynVegan. Retrieved 2022-12-30.
- ^ "Brand New: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 7 August 2017.
- ^ "Brand New Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved August 7, 2017.