Tsunami (Manic Street Preachers song)

"Tsunami" is a song by Welsh rock band Manic Street Preachers, released as a single on 5 July 1999 through Epic Records. It was the fourth and final single released from their fifth studio album, This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours (1998). All three members of the band—James Dean Bradfield, Sean Moore and Nicky Wire—share the writing credits. The single peaked at number 11 on the UK Singles Chart.

Background

"Tsunami" is the Japanese word for "big wave". The song was inspired by The Silent Twins, June and Jennifer Gibbons, who gave up speaking when they were young, became involved in crime and ended up being sent to Broadmoor Hospital.<ref name="Power">Template:Cite book</ref> The song is unique in the band's catalogue in that it is largely built around an electric sitar and strings.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Release

The single peaked at number 11 in the United Kingdom, remaining on the UK Singles Chart for eight weeks. Of all four singles from This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours, "Tsunami" spent the fewest weeks on the chart.<ref name="UKchart" /> In Finland, the song peaked in number 13, spending three weeks on Finnish Singles Chart.<ref name="fin"/>

The B-side "Buildings for Dead People" appears on the enhanced CD 1 along with the video for "A Design for Life".<ref name="cd1"/> CD 2 includes a remix of "Tsunami" by Cornelius and a mix by Electron Ray Tube.<ref name="cd2"/> The cassette version includes a live recording of "Motown Junk" from the Tivoli in Utrecht in Holland on 29 March 1999.<ref name="cs"/> "Tsunami" was also included on the band's Forever Delayed singles compilation.

Track listing

All music was composed by James Dean Bradfield and Sean Moore except where indicated. All were lyrics written by Nick Jones except where indicated.

UK CD1<ref name="cd1">Template:Cite AV media notes</ref>

1. "Tsunami" – 3:50
2. "Buildings for Dead People" – 5:29
3. "A Design for Life" (video version) – 4:20

UK CD2<ref name="cd2">Template:Cite AV media notes</ref>

1. "Tsunami" – 3:50
2. "Tsunami" (Cornelius remix) – 4:04
3. "Tsunami" (Electron Ray Tube mix) – 6:43

UK cassette single<ref name="cs">Template:Cite AV media notes</ref>

1. "Tsunami" – 3:50
2. "Motown Junk (Medley)" (live at Muziekcentrum Vredenburg in Utrecht, Netherlands, on 29 March 1999) (lyrics: Richey James, Jones) – 4:02

Charts

Template:Single chartTemplate:Single chartTemplate:Single chartTemplate:Single chart

Weekly chart performance for "Tsunami"

Chart (1999)	Peak position
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>	39

External links

• Article on "The Silent Twins" from the New Yorker