In Cold Blood

Alt-J

About In Cold Blood

"In Cold Blood" is a song by British indie rock band alt-J. It is the second track and second single from their third studio album, Relaxer, and was released as a digital single on 29 March 2017 by Infectious Music and Atlantic Records. The song was written by Joe Newman, Gus Unger-Hamilton, and Thom Sonny Green and produced by Charlie Andrew. It features a brass section recorded at Abbey Road Studios in London and a Casiotone the band purchased for £1.05 on eBay. The song's title is a reference to the novel of the same name by American novelist Truman Capote. The song's composition dates back to when the band started during their studies at the University of Leeds. 


Year:
2017
3:26
590 
#1

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01110011
Crying zeros and I'm hearing 111s
Cut my somersaults and my backflip
Pool, summer, summer, pool, pool summer
Kiss me
Hair the way the sun really wants it to be
Whiskey soda, please, your G&T is empty
Chairs, inflatables have sunk to the bottom
Pool, summer, summer, pool, pool summer
Kiss me

Callie, let's dive, dive down
To the pool's bottom where we belong
Callie, we're sinking like a bleeding stone
All above crowd around so fucking loud

Mister
Caspian's killer told me so
Lalalala-la-la
Heard it now on the radio
Lalalala-lalala
My pool summer, summer, pool, summer vibes killed
In cold blood

01110011
Crying zeros and I'm hearing 111s
Lifeless back slaps the surface of the pool
Pool killer, killer, pool, pool killer
Kiss me

Mister
Caspian's killer told me so
Lalalala-la-la
Heard it now on the radio
Lalalala-lalala
Pool summer, summer, pool, summer vibes killed
In cold blood

Lalalala-la-la
(In cold blood, in cold blood)
Lalalala-la-la
Lalalala-la-la
(In cold blood)
Lalalala-la-la
(Caspian's killer told me so)
Lalalala-la-la
Lalalala-la-la
(Caspian's killer told me so)
Lalalala-la-la
Lalalala-la-la
In cold blood

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Alt-J

∆ (pronounced Alt-J) are a British alternative indie rock quartet, formed in 2007. Their debut album An Awesome Wave was released in May 2012 in Europe and September 2012 in the United States, eventually winning the 2012 British Barclaycard Mercury Prize. more »

2 fans

Written by: Joe Newman, Thom Green, Gus Unger-Hamitlon

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind


20 facts about this song

Album Information
"In Cold Blood" is a song from Alt-J's third studio album "Relaxer", which was released in 2017.
Lyric Relevance
The song is narrated from the point of view of a person who drowns at a pool party, making the title "In Cold Blood" a literal reference to his death in cold water.
Reference Count
The lyrics contain 2000 unique binary codes, which when converted to the hexadecimal system, spells out 2cf0d70f. This was tweeted out by the band as a promotional clue before the single was released.
Music Video Features
The music video for "In Cold Blood" was narrated by Iggy Pop and directed by Casper Balslev. It was released on June 12, 2017.
Live Debut
The song was first performed live on March 3, 2017 on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon." Inspired by brass bands, "In Cold Blood" features blaring trumpets and energetic vibes.
Reception
Critical reaction to "In Cold Blood" was generally positive, with many critics praising the song's infectious rhythm and hook, as well as the band's unique approach to songwriting and arrangement.
Chart Performance
"In Cold Blood" peaked at number 36 on the Billboard Alternative Songs chart, and it reached number 98 on the UK Singles Chart.
Writing Technique
Joe Newman, the band's vocalist, explained in an interview that "In Cold Blood" was written by creating a rhythm first and then ad-libbing over it.
Music Style
Unlike many of the band's other songs which are known for their intricate layers and calm demeanor, "In Cold Blood" is noted for its immediate impact and is often considered a "party" track.
Spotify Achievement
As of February 2021, the song has over 100 million streams on Spotify.
Artistic Inspiration
"In Cold Blood" is the second single from the album "Relaxer". Like all songs on the album, it demonstrates Alt-J's ability to draw inspiration from various sources - in this case, reimagining a pool party described in Truman Capote's true crime masterpiece "In Cold Blood".
Innovative Songwriting
The song starts with binary code. The sounds '01110011' at the beginning of the song are binary for 's', and can be seen as a hidden message, which reflects Alt-J's innovative and avant-garde approach to songwriting.
Collaboration
The band collaborated with a brass band for the first time in this track to create a unique, bombastic, and energetic sound unlike anything they had done before.
Cinematic Music Video
The music video for "In Cold Blood" was directed by Casper Balslev and filmed in Hareskoven Forest near Copenhagen. It follows a wood mouse's deadly confrontation with nature, while humans are seemingly oblivious to its struggle.
Intricate Lyrics
Typical for Alt-J, the lyrics to "In Cold Blood" are heavily layered and filled with intricate symbolism. The song's haunting narrative is reminiscent of the non-fiction novel it's inspired by.
Success and Popularity
Following its release in 2017, "In Cold Blood" managed to peak at #50 on the UK Singles Chart and has become one of the band's most well-known and popular songs.
Live Performances
During live performances, "In Cold Blood" is often accompanied by a spectacular light show that enhances the song's powerful nature and the band’s overall concert experience.
Album Reception
Although the album "Relaxer" received mixed reviews, "In Cold Blood" was largely praised for featuring an expanded sound palette and glorious brass sections.
Unique Writing Process
According to interviews, the individual band members created parts of "In Cold Blood" separately, only bringing them together later in a collaborative process, showcasing their unique and democratic writing approach.
Augustus Figure’s Role
Keyboardist Gus Unger-Hamilton provides vocals for the chorus of "In Cold Blood", giving the song a distinct harmonic contrast - a rarity in Alt-J songs where lead vocalist Joe Newman is typically the focus. This combined usage of vocals again points towards their experimental nature.

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