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Pompeii
Bastille
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- Album
- Bad Blood
- Released
- 2013
- Genres
- Length
- 3:34
- Tempo
- 127 BPM
- Label
- EMI (Virgin)
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About this song
Pompeii was the fourth single released from Bastille's debut album Bad Blood. It reached number 2 on the UK Singles Chart, topped the Scottish charts, and reached number 5 on the Billboard Hot 100. According to the Official Charts Company, it was the UK's most streamed song up to June 2014.
What it's about
The song imagines a conversation between two people from Pompeii as the smoke comes down, inspired by the way the victims' body shapes were discovered in the poses in which they died. Lead singer Dan Smith has said it is essentially about fear of stasis and boredom, and his worry that his life might get stuck.
Fun facts
- Sampled in 11 other songs, like “No Heroes, Only Demons by Jazzw4ve”.
- Covered 17 times, including “Shake It Off / Pompeii by Mike Tompkins”.
- Written by Dan Smith.
- Produced by Dan Smith and Mark Crew.
- Recorded at Unit 24 & Abbey Road Studios.