Thom Yorke’s Suspiria Title Track is a Haunting Dance
Thom Yorke’s first single from the Suspiria album is a hypnotic gem. Following the film’s premiere at Venice Film Festival this weekend, the Radiohead singer/songwriter released a song from the original soundtrack. The song is titled ‘Suspirium’ and is presumably the title track.
The music is soft, haunting, and infectious. Made for Luca Guadagnino’s dance studio horror remake, the rolling piano line demands movement. Even this least flexible among us will be compelled to find a quiet space to break into interpretive dance. Yorke’s voice is like fuel to find the liberating movement you’ve denied your body. I don’t know much about the brain chemistry, but I feel mine lighting up with beauty when I hear this tune.
‘Suspirium’ is a surprising match for a film that is reportedly grisly, disturbing, and gruesome. Yorke’s music is soothing and entrancing, which is probably the point. Chloe Grace Moretz’s character declares in the trailer, “At the beginning, she gave me things. Perfect balance, perfect sleep. Now she wants to get inside of me. I can feel her. She can see me.” Creepy. It sounds like whatever is haunting the young dancers is manipulative and knows how to lure them in. This song certainly does just that in lulling and peaceful tones.
Here are the lyrics to the best of my ear’s ability to interpret Yorke’s soaring vocals:
This is a waltz thinking about our bodies
What they mean for our salvation
With only the clothes that we stand up in
Just the ground on which we stand
Is the darkness ours to take?
Bathed in lightness, bathed in heat
All is well, as long as we keep spinning
Here and now, dancing behind a wall
When the old songs and laughter we do
Are forgiven always and never been true
When I arrive, will you come and find me?
Or in a crowd, be one of them?
Wore the wrong sign back beside her
Know tomorrow’s at peace
The full album will drop in tandem with the movie’s release on October 26.
Featured Image: Mia Goth as Sara and Dakota Johnson as Susie star in Suspiria. Photo Credit: Alessio Bolzoni; Courtesy of Amazon Studios
