Mr. Brightside

"Mr. Brightside" is the debut single by Las Vegas-based rock band The Killers. The song is featured on the group's debut album Hot Fuss and was written by Brandon Flowers and Dave Keuning. It was named "Song of the Decade" by UK radio stations Absolute Radio and XFM, and in April 2010 Last.fm revealed that it was the most listened to track since the launch of the online music service, with over 12.2 million plays scrobbled; it still maintains this record to this day. In October 2010, it was voted ninth in the Greatest Guitar Riffs of the 21st Century so far by Total Guitar magazine. It is The Killers' best-selling song in the US where it has sold over 3 million copies. Lyrically, "Mr. Brightside" depicts the jealousy and paranoia of a male who suspects his significant other is deliberately cheating on him. The song is inspired by an unfaithful ex-girlfriend of frontman Brandon Flowers. Dave Keuning composed the verses to this song before meeting Flowers, Flowers wrote lyrics and composed the chorus after hearing Dave's ideas. In the November of the year 2001, the group had recorded "Mr. Brightside" along with three other demos including "Desperate", "Replaceable", and "Under the Gun" at Mike Sak's Kill the Messenger Studio in Henderson, Nevada. They handed out this demo for free during their shows in the year 2002. The song was first officially released in 2003, and achieved more success when it was re-released in 2004.

[Verse 1] Coming out of my cage and I've been doing just fine Gotta, gotta be down because I want it all It started out with a kiss, how did it end up like this? It was only a kiss, it was only a kiss Now I'm falling asleep and she's calling a cab While he's having a smoke and she's taking a drag Now they're going to bed and my stomach is sick And it's all in my head, but she's touching his [Pre-Chorus] Chest now, he takes off her dress now Let me go I just can't look, it's killing me And taking control [Chorus] Jealousy, turning saints into the sea Swimming through sick lullabies, choking on your alibis But it's just the price I pay, destiny is calling me Open up my eager eyes, 'cause I'm Mr. Brightside [Instrumental] [Verse 2] I'm coming out of my cage and I've been doing just fine Gotta, gotta be down because I want it all It started out with a kiss, how did it end up like this? (It was only a kiss), it was only a kiss Now I'm falling asleep and she's calling a cab While he's having a smoke and she's taking a drag Now they're going to bed and my stomach is sick And it's all in my head, but she's touching his [Pre-Chorus] Chest now, he takes off her dress now Let me go 'Cause I just can't look, it's killing me And taking control [Chorus] Jealousy, turning saints into the sea Swimming through sick lullabies, choking on your alibis But it's just the price I pay, destiny is calling me Open up my eager eyes, 'cause I'm Mr. Brightside [Outro] I never I never I never I never