The 007 series hasn’t been afraid to get melancholic. So why was the song “Spectre” rejected from the film “Spectre?”Īllegedly it was deemed “ too melancholy ” for the final product, which I find painfully ironic. That parting shot before it fades from view - its mission accomplished. Lastly, that final, Bond-esque flourish at the end. There’s the melodic dichotomy in the notes of “Listening In”’s video: the merging of the classic with the current, much like what “Spectre” did with the reintroduction of Blofeld and the sinister, eponymous organization. Or perhaps it’s the way the lyrics bemoan the hollowness of Bond’s soul, having lost everything he’s held dear by this point, “my hunger burns a bullet hole, a spectre of my mortal soul,” as well as his inner insecurities, “fear puts a spell on us, always second-guessing love.”

It’s in the way the strings lurch as guitarist Jonny Greenwood’s film scores tend to do, almost like it’s melting in and out of the shadows. “The only truth that I could see, is when you put your lips to me.” It’s a fitting image the more I think about it: this track is dark, mysterious, mournful, romantic and fatalistic.

There’s a mental image that appears when I hear “Spectre” - that of a Victorian Gothic couple slow dancing as their manor burns down around them. I could say that but for me, it’s about what I see. That much is true and it really does sound like the sexy, spy cousin of “ Pyramid Song ” or the equally forlorn spouse of “ Exit Music (For A Film). I could repeat what others have said: that it sounds at home in both a Bond film and a Radiohead album. I was bewildered - how in the world was this song cut? The hair on my arms didn’t just stand on end, they seemed to sway while chills ran over me in waves. I immediately paused it, hunted “Spectre” down on Spotify and sat there as its melody washed over me. As soon as I heard Thom Yorke’s unmistakable voice cut in, the rest of the video cut out. With this knowledge, I hit play and the song began.The piano kicked in and the narrator began to speak about chords and bars, but all I could hear was the piano.

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