When I saw Jim’s prompt, I had no particular song in mind but I wanted one that had bones in it. Something for the listener to gnaw on when they heard it. Doing a YouTube search with bone, this one popped up. Have you ever listened to an album and apprehended it via the musical aspect without knowing the titles and lyrics. It is a first step in my process of engraving albums onto my soul. I heard The Killers’ first studio album, “Hot Fuss” through older son and fell in love with it, so when, “Sam’s Town” was released I was all over it. Like its predecessor, it was love at first listen and every time after. When I saw the band and the song on the search, I honestly had no idea what the song was until it started playing. It’s a winner on an album of winners.
“Bones” is from The Killers’ second studio album, “Sam’s Town,” released in September 2006.
From wiki:
Background: The album takes its name from Sam’s Town Hotel and Gambling Hall, a hotel and casino in Las Vegas, the band’s hometown. Sam’s Town was also a huge sign that was visible to band member Mark Stoermer through his room window when he was young.
The album cover: features model and singer Felice LaZae. It also features a Desert bighorn sheep, the state mammal and popular symbol of Nevada, where the Killers are from.
Production: Flowers (lead singer) later said of production techniques used on the record,
We didn’t use too many vocal effects. On the first album, we used auto-tune, and I didn’t even realize what was going on with these machines and the computer. I was adamant about not using it this time. You really hear what my voice sounds like, for the first time.
At one point, Flowers was told that Brian Eno had passed over the chance to produce the album, a rejection that affected Flowers greatly. However, when working with Eno for Wonderful Wonderful, Eno told him that he was never offered the project in the first place.
Bones was written by Brandon Flowers, (bassist) Mark Stoermer, and (drummer) Ronnie Vannucci Jr. It is the eighth track on “Sam’s Town.” The song was released as the second single from it.
The lyrics are on the video.
The music video for the song is the first directed by filmmaker Tim Burton, who would again collaborate with the band on their video for the 2012 single “Here with Me”.
Clips of the band were shot August 17 and 18, 2006, and were edited together along with CGI backgrounds and characters, including a Burton staple: skeletons. Actors Michael Steger and Devon Aoki star in the video.
Scenes from the films Lolita, Creature from the Black Lagoon, and Jason and the Argonauts, more specifically the scenes with Ray Harryhausen’s skeleton-men, are shown behind the band. There is a sequence where Flowers’ hand is replaced with that of a skeleton. The beach scenes from From Here to Eternity and 10 are recreated with skeleton figures. The leading couple are seen driving onto the beach where the girl removes her hair to reveal her skull and the man pulls off his shirt to reveal his skeleton. The two leading skeletons are later seen running across the beach to embrace, only for them to crash into one another and shatter to pieces. Then, on the beach, a wave comes over to reveal the two skeletons kissing. At the end of the video, the entire band are skeletons, and they all fall apart at the song’s final note.
The drive-in depicted unofficially is that of the West Wind Las Vegas Drive-In Theater located in North Las Vegas, NV. The clothing worn by the band in the video was preserved in an exhibit at the Las Vegas Hard Rock Hotel and Casino’s entrance cafe before the cafe was demolished in late 2019. At the 2007 Shockwaves NME Awards, it won the award for best video.
Jim Adams is the host of Song Lyric Sunday. This week Jim wants a song that mentions bones, sticks, stones or words.
Tao Talk 
The killers are an amazing band, and I love this song! It is definitely a winner! ✨👍
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Glad you like them, yes they are :)
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Hahaha! “From Here To Eternity” meets “10”! This video cracked me up! I love The Killers, especially their song Mr. Brightside. Brandon Flowers is a performer with a commanding presence when he sings, especially his eyes which sadly, we cannot see in this video. 😎
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Love your comment, Nancy. I was delighted by the video also, and to learn it was directed by Tim Burton. I love Mr. Brightside also, and every other song on Hot Fuss. Andy, You’re a Star is my favorite on it. Brandon is HOT AS HELL but seems to have no awareness of it, which is the hottest thing of all :)
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I almost forgot …. Great pick, Lisa!
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:) <3
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so glad you went for this one – I almost did, like you I wanted to choose one with ‘bones’ – not too sure why 😀 great post Lisa 🙌
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Ange, that’s awesome :)
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A great choice for today, and a brilliant video. I played that album to bits!
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Clive, I did also. It was my first time seeing that video. It made my night.
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I usually play the video while I am reading the text- but today I am so glad I saw Tim Burton’s name in the text. Glad I did! You know what else? from 00:25 to like 00:52 i think Nikki Sixx might have ‘nicked’ an inspiration for part of the melody for his Life is Beautiful- or maybe it’s just me…..
https://youtu.be/UJIDbxGrRqc?si=mxMQvQA98nYeWW-T
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V, I just listened to Sixx, but it might take a few more listens for me to pick up on it. Happy you liked the Burton aspect of the post :)
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What a fantastic choice Li! I absolutely loved this song and video. I always think it is special when our kids share their music with us and we actually like it. 🥰
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Christine, so happy you loved the song and video :) Agreed on music shared by kids. Although my sons are about 2 years apart in age, their musical tastes are very different, so I get a wide range of offerings from them.
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I loved your song and the video, Lisa. I know some of the Killers music, but this was new to me.
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Cool, Jim. It was a good prompt.
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Great choice Li
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I enjoyed the skeletons shaking their bones/
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I’ve always thought this was a sexy song — until I saw the video. Now I’m traumatized. (just kiddng)
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Thanks, Paul. His voice is simply celestial. Laughing at the sound engineer(s) choice to use auto-tune on the first album.
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Great video and I loved that it started with Ray Harryhausen’s “Jason and the Argonauts” scene to show its inspiration. It also reminded me of the Grateful Dead’s “Touch of Grey” video where they are replaced by skeletons.
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Steve, *thank*you* for reminding me of The GD’s video. I have seen it and I adore that song. For those who haven’t seen it:
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Probably my favorite current band of all, and Sam’s Town is a great album of theirs. I love Brandon Flowers’ solo stuff as well.
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Bruce, I’m not familiar with Brandon’s solo work. Will you please say more? I know I just heard him doing a duet with Chryssie Hynde on a cover of “I’m Not in Love” by 10cc.
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Lisa, I will suggest to you his second studio album from 2015, “The Desired Effect.” He had a very nice hit from it with “Lonely Town,” and the video for that song is really intriguing. Kinda retro-looking, very much open-ended. He had an earlier studio album, “Flamingo,” back in 2010. I love his voice, so pretty much anything he does is interesting to me.
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Am listening to Lonely Town and watching the video right now. Good stuff and that dancer has a lot of energy :) The latest album I have listened to on repeat from The Killers is Pressure Machine, which is a concept album around hard times, drug addiction, etc. in the region around where Flowers grew up. I wrote a review on it awhile back here: https://tao-talk.com/2021/09/23/new-music-review-pressure-machine-by-the-killers/
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Thanks for the link to the Pressure Machine review!
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You’re welcome. It’s the kind of album you listen to late at night, when everybody else has gone to sleep.
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😄🎧
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thank you to the introduction to this song. Mr. Brightside is the only song I know of theirs. This one sure fits the theme great share today
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You are very welcome on the intro, J :)
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Their second album had many cool tracks on it Lisa
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Yes it does, Glyn. It’s big and glammy like LasVegas :)
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Cool song choice, thanks for introducing me to it, Lisa. I like the purity in the recording of Brandon’s voice. Clever video!
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Steve, happy to introduce it to you. Yes, I love the video, clever is a good word for it.
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I never really thought about what this song was about either. I stopped engraving lyrics in my psyche in my 30’s. My mind is too full I guess.
I love that video. (K)
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I don’t do it as often as I used to, but when a song or album hits right, I do it. Yes, the video is sooooo cool! Tim Burton Rulz!
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Cool video and song. I had an old boss (couldn’t stand him) but he recommended this band…the only good thing that man ever reccomended!
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LOL. Even the worst heel…
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YES…an IQ of no telling what but would not say Hi to you in the hallway….smart but no common sense.
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