Released September 14, 2004 Label Rough Trade
Merge | Format 7"
CD | |
Recorded 2003–04 at Hotel2Tango (Montreal, Quebec) Length 5:33 (album version)
3:45 (radio edit) Writer(s) Arcade Fire (William Butler, Win Butler, Régine Chassagne, Tim Kingsbury, Richard Reed Parry) | ||
"Wake Up" is an indie rock song by Canadian rock band Arcade Fire. It was the fifth and final single released from the band's debut album, Funeral. The single was released as a one-sided 7" vinyl record on November 14, 2005.
Contents
Reception
In 2009, NME ranked "Wake Up" as the 25th best song of the 2000s, and in 2014 ranked "Wake Up" as the 25th greatest song of all-time. Rolling Stone ranked "Wake Up" as the 42nd best song of the 2000s. In October 2011, NME placed it at number 22 on its list "150 Best Tracks of the Past 15 Years".
As of November 2016, "Wake Up" holds the #17 spot on Rate Your Music's Top Singles of the 2000s.
In popular culture
A live version of the song performed with David Bowie appears on the 2005 Live EP (Live at Fashion Rocks).
This song was played during the beginning of the U2's Vertigo Tour shows, usually followed by "City of Blinding Lights". A brief snippet of the song's pre-concert appearance opens U2's concert film Vertigo 2005: Live from Chicago.
"Wake Up" was played as the pre-game intro song at New York Rangers games during the 2006–2007 season. It is currently used as the intro song for Premier League club Burnley, EFL Championship club Aston Villa and, since 2005, by Irish Premier League champions Linfield.
A new version of the song was recorded for and featured in the trailer for the 2009 film Where the Wild Things Are.
Arcade Fire licensed "Wake Up" to play in commercials during Super Bowl XLIV. All proceeds from airing the song were donated to Partners in Health for relief efforts related to the 2010 Haiti earthquake.
In 2010, the song was used on the Best Bits for Big Brother UK when the series ended after an 11 Year run.
The song was covered by Macy Gray on her 2012 release Covered.
The song concludes every Friday's episode of talk radio's The Dan Patrick Show. and also opens the Garage Logic show on 1500 ESPN in Saint Paul, Minnesota
The song is in the film The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty.
The song is covered in the bed music for the 2014 SNHU commercial.
The song played during the cold open of the November 5th 2016 episode of Saturday Night Live, where Alec Baldwin and Kate McKinnon - after breaking character during a political sketch where they play Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton respectively - decide to go out and hug New Yorkers in the streets.
Track listing
- "Wake Up" - 5:33
Personnel
Additional musicians