The Fallen (song)

Composition

The lyrics for "The Fallen" borrow heavily from New Testament miracles; with references to the feeding of the five-thousand, the Virgin Mary, Mary Magdalene and the turning of water into wine. Biblical references can also be seen in the song "Auf Achse", from Franz Ferdinand's first album, which references crucifixion; this interest in the Bible and Christianity appear to stem from Kapranos' brief study of theology at the University of Aberdeen before he dropped out.

Music video

The video for "The Fallen" has been criticized by some fans for being too simple and not as entertaining as some of the band's previous videos. However others have praised the effects used in the video, such as the lyrics appearing as they are sung (this effect was also used in Franz Ferdinand's videos, "Take Me Out" and "This Fire").

Track listings

All tracks written by Alex Kapranos and Nick McCarthy, except where noted.

1. "The Fallen" (album version) – 3:42
2. "L. Wells" (Alex Kapranos) – 3:31

1. "The Fallen" (Remixed by Justice) – 3:55
2. "L. Wells" (Alex Kapranos) – 3:31
3. "Brown Onions" (Franz Ferdinand) – 3:02
4. Instrumental

1. "The Fallen" (radio edit) – 2:49
2. "The Fallen" (Remixed by Justice) – 3:55
3. "L. Wells" (Alex Kapranos) – 3:31
4. "Jeremy Fraser" (Nick McCarthy) – 3:57
5. Vocals performed by Nick McCarthy.
6. "The Fallen" (video) – 2:49

1. "The Fallen" (Remixed by Justice) – 3:55
2. "The Fallen" (album version) – 3:42
3. "Do You Want To" (Max Tundra remix) – 4:35
4. "Do You Want To" (Max Tundra remix – instrumental) – 4:22

1. "The Fallen" (album version) – 3:42
2. "Sexy Boy" (Jean-Benoît Dunckel, Nicolas Godin) – 3:40
3. Air cover, released in the UK on the "Walk Away" single.
4. "The Fallen" (acoustic version) – 2:44
5. "Do You Want To" (Erol Alkan remix) – 7:41
6. Errors in the liner notes stating that all tracks were written by Franz Ferdinand and omitting that track number three is an acoustic version.