Today, A Perfect Circle released "So Long, And Thanks For All The Fish" — a very different sounding song from anything we have ever heard from the group.
The band's ominous rock sound is there, but the upbeat rhythm with orchestral elements bring this closer to a pop radio song than anything the band has released in their nearly 20 years. Fans will recognize the distorted guitar sound, heavy drums, and Maynard's evocative vocals, but "So Long, And Thanks For All The Fish" has an uptempo beat that feels more experimental and operatic than the other singles we have heard from the new album so far, "The Doomed," "Disillusioned," and "TalkTalk."
The lyrics suggest an atomic catastrophe while referencing lost idols Gene Wilder, David Bowie, Muhammad Ali, Carrie Fisher, Marilyn Monroe, and Prince. Guitarist and co-songwriter Billy Howerdel spoke about what inspired the song in an interview with Revolver:
I just said the death of heroes was one of the things that was hitting me hard. It just feels like we lost so many important influential people in such a short period of time... Bowie's death hit me particularly hard and, yeah, it shakes you up and it's what we do. We're emotional and try to get that on paper or on the guitar. I didn't have words for it.
The track will be on A Perfect Circle's upcoming album Eat The Elephant, scheduled for release on April 20, 2018. Pick it up on Amazon.
The band is currently touring North America. For concert tickets and more, check out A Perfect Circle's Zumic artist page.