Background
"The Requiem" is the opening track of A Thousand Suns, and features samples from some of the tracks on the album. The components of the song feature the keys from "Waiting For The End", lyrics from "The Catalyst", the Juno pad from "Jornada del Muerto", and pads from "Blackout".[1] The song builds up with ambience, transitioning directly into "The Radiance". Mike sings through a vocoder on this song, the first time in a Linkin Park song that features prominent use of a vocoder.
Versions
Note: Only the date of the very first release of each version is listed.
Studio
| Title | Album | Length | Recorded | Released | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Requiem | A Thousand Suns | 2:01 | 2008-2010 | September 8, 2010 |
|
| The Requiem / The Radiance | A Thousand Suns Instrumentals | 3:19 | 2008-2010 |
| |
| The Requiem / The Radiance Acapella | The Requiem / The Radiance Acapella | 3:27 | 2008-2010 |
|
Live
| Title | Album | Length | Recorded | Released | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Requiem | Live In Madrid | 1:37 | November 07, 2010 | April 1, 2011 |
|
| The Requiem (Live From London, 2010) | A Thousand Suns - Live Around The World | 2:30 | November 10, 2010 | June 19, 2012 |
Live
"The Requiem" was debuted at the New York City A Thousand Suns release show, and was used to open most performances throughout the A Thousand Suns cycle, some exceptions being in Set B-1 in 2010, where "Fallout" and "The Catalyst" opened the show, and two one-off setlists in Moscow and Singapore, with "New Divide" opening the show. When performing the song, Mike would sing with a vocoder off stage over the album vocal track.
After disappearing from the sets entirely during the Living Things era, the band brought back parts of "The Requiem" for The Hunting Party touring cycle in the form of "Mashup Intro #1", which debuted at KFMA Day 2014, and "Mashup Intro #2", which debuted at the private production rehearsal in West Palm Beach. "Mashup Intro #1" featured the vocoder from "The Requiem" being played over the bridge instrumental of "The Catalyst" and the synth of "1stp Klosr". "Mashup Intro #2" featured only a small bit of "The Requiem" vocoder before giving way to the bridge vocals of "The Catalyst". Once "Mashup Intro #2" was dropped at Rock In Rio USA, the last surviving piece of "The Requiem" was dropped with it.
Personnel
Lyrics
Oh, oh
Oh, oh
God save us every one
Will we burn inside the fires of a thousand suns
For the sins of our hand
Sins of our tongue
The sins of our father
The sins of our young
God save us every one
Will we burn inside the fires of a thousand suns
For the sins of our hand
Sins of our tongue
The sins of our father (4, 3)
The sins of our young (2, 1)