Flashbulb Eyes

Album: Reflektor (2013)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This meditation on the dangers of a high public profile features Calypso-type Ska guitar, Dubby downbeats and steel drums. It was penned during a trip that Arcade Fire took to Jamaica with producer Markus Dravs where the band wrote and recorded in an abandoned castle, named Trident. Win Butler recalled to Rolling Stone: "The castle was built in 1979, or something, by this eccentric Jamaican dude who just wanted to hang out with royalty. And it kind of worked. After about five years he couldn't afford to pay the bill, so it had been sitting empty for many years. I met a dude who was planning on turning it into a hotel, so we just rented it off him for cheap and there was nothing in there. We brought in some beds and a piano and some gear."
  • This song has been widely interpreted as a Rock Star complaining about being photographed. "I don't feel bad if Régine and I are in a restaurant and someone asks for a photo and I say 'no,'" Win Butler told Mojo magazine. "I don't feel a celebrity responsibility to not be a human. I talk to them: 'Nice to meet you.'. Sometimes I come across as a little intense to people, and it's just trying to preserve a genuine relationship, for myself."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Artis the Spoonman

Artis the SpoonmanSong Writing

Even before Soundgarden wrote a song about him, Artis was the most famous spoon player of all time. So why has he always been broke?

The Evolution of "Ophelia"

The Evolution of "Ophelia"Song Writing

How five songs portray Shakespeare's character Ophelia.

N.W.A vs. the World

N.W.A vs. the WorldSong Writing

How the American gangsta rappers made history by getting banned in the UK.

Martin Page

Martin PageSongwriter Interviews

With Bernie Taupin, Martin co-wrote the #1 hits "We Built This City" and "These Dreams." After writing the Pretty Woman song for Go West, he had his own hit with "In the House of Stone and Light."

David Clayton-Thomas of Blood, Sweat & Tears

David Clayton-Thomas of Blood, Sweat & TearsSongwriter Interviews

The longtime BS&T frontman tells the "Spinning Wheel" story, including the line he got from Joni Mitchell.

Boy Bands

Boy BandsFact or Fiction

From NKOTB to 1D, how well do you know your boy bands?