Released March 28, 2005 Length 3:29 | Format 7″, CD Label Rough Trade Records | |
Genre Indie rock, Post-punk revival Writer(s) William Butler, Win Butler, Régine Chassagne, Tim Kingsbury, Richard Reed Parry | ||
"Neighborhood #2 (Laïka)" is the second single by Canadian rock band Arcade Fire from their debut album Funeral. Released on 28 March 2005, the single reached number 30 on the UK Singles Chart, and was released on the Rough Trade Records record label. The single also contains the song "My Buddy" by Alvino Rey, the grandfather of Arcade Fire members Win and William Butler.
Contents
When the song is performed at live shows, band members Will Butler and Richard Reed Parry usually take on percussion duties, often engaging in eccentric and sometimes violent acts while the rest of the band continue to perform.
Interpretation
The song, the second track on Funeral, is (according to Win Butler) about the Russian space program sending the dog Laika into space. Laika was the first living creature to orbit Earth. Butler told Pulse, a Minneapolis publication, "It’s a great story about a dog being the first living creature in space. Doing this spectacular thing, but not having food and watching itself fall back into the earth."
The song's dark lyrics complement its catchy melodies. The lyrics first tell the story of "Alexander" being sent out on an adventure. The adventure, for the "good of the neighborhood", will ultimately end in the death of "Alexander".
The accordion melody bears a significant resemblance to the riff from 1963 single 'The Sultan' by fellow Canadian Neil Young's early band The Squires.
Track listings
Personnel
Additional musicians