Background
Robert DeLeo spoke to NoiseCreep about the song on October 16, 2013:
"It’s special for me. I just bought and found a rare bass that I had been looking for for years. I got a chance to use it on that song, so that meant a lot too. To do that from a gear geek kind of perspective.
I’ve been looking for this certain Rickenbacker 4001 Bass. That’s a very rare 1971 Rickenbacker Bass. There were only 20 of those made in ’71. It’s very rare and very collectible. Growing up on Paul McCartney and Chris Squire from YES, Geddy Lee. You dream of instruments of that. Then when you find one, it’s like, ‘Well this is going on the song.’ That means a lot, man. Dreaming about those instruments as a little kid and actually having one and using it on a song that you put together. It means a lot."
About how the song came together, he said, "That was an idea I had. I just wanted to have something. I started out on guitar and went to bass out of necessity. I always write on guitar. I just wanted to come up with something that kind of had everything — had great power chords, great stringy chords and parts to it. I was just feeling that one."
Eric Kretz also spoke about it in an interview with SongFacts on November 20, 2013, saying, ""Black Heart," which is the single we have out right now hitting radio, that one's so great because it has such a great porch stomp feel to it. When Robert was presenting that on guitar, it was just like you start smacking your foot on the floor [stomps foot]. We were all feeling where the groove was going. So when I hopped behind the kit, I was riding the floor toms in the verse of it with a very straight ahead beat, just to really get the energy across of where those hits were. Then it was just a matter of where to take it, especially for the kind of bridge and the ending of the song. That one was a really exciting start, and then it took a lot of work to make it seem seamless like that."
Tracklist
Music Video
Versions
Note: Only the date of the very first release of each version is listed.
| Title | Album | Length | Recorded | Released | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black Heart | Black Heart | 3:09 | May 2013-October 2013 | September 18, 2013 | |
| "Black Heart" Alternate Pre-Chorus | memo:demo | 3:21 | 2013 | February 3, 2015 |
|
Live
"Black Heart" was performed throughout the band's 2013 and 2014 tours. It debuted mid-way through their 2013 Fall U.S. Tour in Lake Buena Vista, Florida after it debuted on iHeartRadio's website earlier that day, replacing "Sour Girl" in the mid-set. The song was performed mid-set at the band's 2014 shows, but was dropped completely from all setlists in 2015.
Promotion
Personnel
Lyrics
Black heart's comin', he's a cold machine
Cuts like a knife, gentle and clean
Face like an angel, mind of a killer
Nobody else gonna love her better
Lay down now, stay down
Took her life with a quick pull trigger
(Yeah, yeah, yeah)
Well I don't mind, I don't mind
(Yeah, yeah, yeah)
Said I don't mind if you don't mind
The color is all but faded
Out of a dead man's eyes
Down to his blackened heart
Black heart's kickin' like a beating drum
Shooting her down, the sound of his gun
No compassion, hard as an assassin
Falling deeper still in that reckless fashion
Lay down now, stay down
Deeper and deeper
With a blind man's passion
(Yeah, yeah, yeah)
Well I don't mind, I don't mind
(Yeah, yeah, yeah)
Said I don't mind if you don't mind
The color is all but faded
Out of a dead mans eyes
Down to his blackened heart
Rescue me
(If you don't mind)
Rescue me
(If you don't mind)
Rescue me
(If you don't mind)
If you don't mind
The color is all but faded
Out of a dead man's eyes
Down to his blackened heart
(Yeah, yeah, yeah)
(Yeah, yeah, yeah)
External Links
- Black Heart (Lyric Video): STP YouTube
- Black Heart (Fan Video): STP YouTube | Genero.Tv [winner of [1] fan video contest.]
- Black Heart (KROQ's Kevin and Bean Show 2013) - KROQ