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Who's Gonna Save My Soul
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Wikipedia article
{{Infobox song
| name = Who's Gonna Save My Soul
| cover = Gnarls Barkley Who's Gonna Save My Soul.jpg
| alt =
| type = single
| artist = Gnarls Barkley
| album = The Odd Couple
| B-side = Mystery Man
| released = September 4, 2008
| recorded = 2008
| studio =
| venue =
| genre = Soul
| length = 3:17
| label = Warner Music
| writer =
| producer = Danger Mouse
| prev_title = Going On
| prev_year = 2008
| next_title =
| next_year =
| misc =
}}
"'Who's Gonna Save My Soul'" is the third and final single taken from soul duo Gnarls Barkley's second studio album, 'The Odd Couple', released in late 2008. The song's official music video was directed by Chris Milk and was released on July 25, 2008. The video featured work by character animator Keith Sintay and mostly features dialogue from actors Jorma Taccone and Aasha Davis. The single was only released physically in America, in a special limited edition CD + DVD single package.
Track listing
'Disc 1 (CD)'
# "Who's Gonna Save My Soul" (Original Mix)
# "Who's Gonna Save My Soul" (MTV Live 52 Version)
# "Who's Gonna Save My Soul" (Demo Version)
# "Mystery Man"
# "Neighbors" (Live From The 40 Watt)
# "Who's Gonna Save My Soul" (Instrumental)
'Disc 2 (DVD)'
# "Who's Gonna Save My Soul" (Video)
# "Who's Gonna Save My Soul" (Subtitled Version)
# "Who's Gonna Save My Soul" (MTV Live 52 Version)
# "Mystery Man"
# "A Little Better" (MTV Live 52 Version)
# "Who's Gonna Save My Soul" (Making Of The Video)
# "Neighbors" (Live From The 40 Watt)
Music video
A couple sits at a booth in a diner, while the woman (Aasha Davis) breaks up with her boyfriend (Jorma Taccone). After receiving the plate he requested from the waitress, the man stabs himself in the chest, and pulls out his heart, places it on the plate and gives it to the woman. He explains that his heart "is actually [hers] now," that he will never be able to get over her, and says "from now on every girl that I meet will be meticulously compared to the false memory of what you and I once 'had.'" The woman offers to return it after keeping it temporarily for a "shitty day" or when she needs to move something heavy, but the man insists that he is now "heartless" and thus will passively/aggressively ruin all his future relationships. The heart then comes to life, growing arms, legs and a mouth, and begins to sing the lyrics to the song on the counters of the diner using a piece of broccoli as a microphone before finally stabbing itself with a knife and pulling the man's head out of its body. The head looks around, staring off into space. The scene cuts back to the man staring out the window as the woman speaks. The woman finally asks, "Are you even listening to me?" The man simply replies "No." Cee-Lo and Danger Mouse also made cameos as chefs in the diner.
Reception
The song found popular acclaim: 'Entertainment Weekly' put the video on its "Must List" and 'Rolling Stone' on its "Hot List" in August 2008.No byline (August 8, 2008), "The MUST LIST". 'Entertainment Weekly'. (1005):74No byline (August 21, 2008), "HOT LIST". 'Rolling Stone'. (1059):22 On December 3, 2008, the video was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Short Form Music Video. Sintay won a 2009 D&AD Yellow Pencil Award for Music Video Animation.
Critical reception
'Billboard' magazine said of the single, "Cee-Lo scorches the vocal hook--"Who's gonna save my soul now?"and it stops the moderately paced dance cut dead in its tracks."Martens, Todd (July 14, 2007), "CRAZY TRAIN". 'Billboard'. '119' (28):1618 The magazine also said it "might be his finest performance to date."Vrabel, Jeff (March 22, 2008), "THE DARK SIDE OF GNARLS". 'Billboard'. '120' (12):1921 'Entertainment Weekly' called the song "dolefully paced: and "nearly dirgelike,"Greenblatt, Leah (March 28, 2008), "Less'Crazy'". 'Entertainment Weekly' (984):65 while 'People' called it "a gritty, gospel-infused plea."Arnold, Chuck (April 14, 2008), "Gnarls Barkley". 'People'. '69' (14):41 'Performing Songwriter' praised the song as "a stark song with plucked strings and bass so heavy and distant it could be a psychic echo."No byline (May 2008), "The Odd Couple". 'Performing Songwriter'. '15' (109):28 'USA Today' said of the single, "Nobody lays bare their broken heart more painfully or more plaintively than Cee-Lo," and named the tune its "Pick of the Week" in late January 2009.Jones, Steve (January 27, 2009), "Pick of the week". 'USA Today' It was featured in the closing scene of the final episode of the first season of the AMC original series 'Breaking Bad'[http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/1046526/second-gnarls-barkley-disc-due-april-8 Second Gnarls Barkley Disc Due April 8] and 'Detroit 1-8-7' in its 17th episode.
References
Category:2008 singles
Category:Gnarls Barkley songs
Category:Song recordings produced by Danger Mouse (musician)
Category:Music videos directed by Chris Milk
Category:Soul ballads
Category:2008 songs
Category:Songs written by CeeLo Green
Category:Warner Music Group singles
Category:Songs written by Danger Mouse (musician)
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