Manchester Orchestra's "The Silence": The Story Behind the Song

On the way to Manchester Orchestra's latest album, The Million Masks of God, the track "The Silence" off their previous LP, A Black Mile to the Surface, started gaining traction on KZbin. Though never formally released as a single, the song did get a music video in December 2018 -- a visual that now boasts over 111 million views.
In this bonus ninth episode of The Story Behind the Song podcast, host Peter Csathy interviews Manchester Orchestra's Andy Hull about "The Silence" phenomenon, touching on why the artist believes this particular track blew up around the world with such resonance. He also discusses the remarkable "Angel of Death" from Million Masks, the latest single from the gorgeously complex album.
Find out more about The Story Behind the Song here: bit.ly/3vK3xca
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[@cherylc827]

One of the most underrated bands. They are incredible and deserve the recognition

[@matthewbeers4888]

Strong agree

[@stephenryan1912]

Strong agree again

[@user-ow2rs3hp1n]

Hey you should know the gal this all forested from ...

[@emilyramoundos7527]

I accidentally heard The silence one day while laying next to my husband who was (and still is) fighting endstage cancer. I also was sick at the time and working through so many things mentally and the song hit me sideways and I remember sobbing and waking my husband up to hear it and he had the same reaction. MO quickly became one of our favorite bands, and actually Keel Timing became one of my husbands fight songs. Unfortunately we got tickets twice to see MO but my husband was coming out of the ICU one time and was too sick the second time. We are happy to just have the ability to watch live videos. Thank you for becoming a wonderful soundtrack to a sometimes overwhelming life.

[@spridle]

It's taken a while but I'm glad they finally got the exposure they deserved with The Silence video. 112 million views and still climbing up.

[@northernbelle715]

They deserve so much more

[@sefsufisefsufi5684]

Yeah but whats the reason why theyve been so overlooked? Is it having a bad pr team , is it failing to tap into KZbin algorithms, is it outright Industry Blackballing?

[@saltedfigs7325]

I cannot express how grateful I am that Andy writes music. I’ve cried to his words many times

[@patricstandley]

I feel a bit like a member of an exclusive club to have discovered the beauty of Andy's songwriting and Manchester Orchestra.

[@jenniferritter3183]

I would love to hear that version of the silence where he is breaking down while singing it.

[@gladdenhandymanllc962]

The Silence changed my life, and that is not hyperbolic. Andy has found exactly what he was meant to do in this life and we are all the better for it.

[@maureenwoodard9588]

I just recently heard the band and the silence was the first song I’ve ever heard from them ! That and the song way are my new religion,

[@gladdenhandymanllc962]

@@maureenwoodard9588 we are kindred spirits in our wonderful taste in music!

[@lauradeeisme]

My partner overdosed a little over a year ago. That line, "let me watch you as close as a memory" gets me every time. Always loved this band. I have "i'll always be my best flaw" tattooed on my arm. Love you guys

[@LouisTheBassman]

When I first began listening to MO, they had two albums. Two. I'm so happy they have finally begun to be recognized as the amazing band that they are by a larger audience. I will personally lament never getting to see them when their audience was smaller and they played the more intimate settings though.

[@lucyroderick6515]

This babd is new to me. The Silence is so intense it burrows deep into my soul. I wake with it running on my head. And I play it when I run. And, yes, I'm sobbing while I run. I don't understand the lyrics but love this song soo much.

[@nancyz3755]

Great insight. Thank you. The Silence hit my you tube mix & i dug deeper & deeper. Now, im all the way devoted to this band & these lyrics. They speak to me in ways i can barely explain in words. Ive been watching/listening the old stuff. So real & relatable to everyone. Therapeutic beyond description.

[@Robert.broden]

Like he said, the silence popped up in my feed one day, the song touched me somehow, and now I fee that MO is one of my to to bands

[@gisburnroad]

remarkable band on record and live... GREATS

[@alyssagruber2146]

Ur words Andy Hall inspired me to pick up instruments to my poems and I don't even play. Well I didn't. But I will now! Thanks for ur shared gift 🎉

[@karinkittinger1800]

Even I cannot understand all of the words in your songs I'am always reached by your music directly into my❤. Thank you for being so close to your fans

[@scottlund4562]

Just found out my 15-year-old daughter is a huge fan of Gold which is surprised me she likes my music independent of me. We earlier sat and listened to The Silence and she got to see me with tears in my eyes thinking of when she was small. Thanks for the feels. :)

[@beardedPIERCE8]

So the story behind "The Silence" is what I thought it was in regards to the first part being a prayer and then his daughter toward the end. It's a beautiful piece!! The music and the lyrics are very piercing and intimate for sure!!

[@jesperfuglsang]

I love the Black Mile album and it's still one of my favorite. I wonder if the song "I Know How to Speak" was suppose to have been on the Black Mile album, but was just not finished? The reason why is that I feel like the album have a beginning, a middle and an ending. The album begins with "The Maze" and the lyrics... "I notice you when you're noticing me Breaking the habit, you're watching me sleep Oh, give me some time, let me learn how to speak I'm a maze to you..." But the album ends with probably my favorite track "The Silence". I get that, until I heard the song "I Know How to Speak". It then hit me, that should have been the closing song on the album. It's in the lyrics and it all comes full circle... "I know how to speak And I know where I’m going I wanted to seek But I got distracted..." The phrase "...let me learn how to speak" leads in to "...I know how to speak". It rhymes like George Lucas would say...

[@GuyzLikeMe]

Awesome interview!!

[@themorninsttar]

I don’t really know if I’ve got any explaining about the song The Silence hahahaha

[@pnwsaylorcolumbia8572]

Please come back to Portland,OR And bring those Foxing fellas again. Loved them. You all put on a great show.

[@christinedenisealford3119]

I just caught this couple weeks ago also last night was the 1st time I searched lyrics. How provoked and not quite sad or angry. I feel like this story is how a huge event forever changed and twisted this soul.😔

[@coreydunlap5260]

Really cool interview

[@tiredofit4761]

I adore this band.

[@javasrevenge7121]

Great interview, greetings from a dutchy.

[@maricelamartinez6710]

Los Amo a M O y me encanta su música,tiene una voz maravillosa

[@caprossi4774]

It’s funny how much people feel like they love their children as if their children love them that way too. You can’t not adore your kids as they are young and it will sustain you when they grow into their own people. Typically they do not look at us that way.

[@maxrisky]

So I’m hearing that you don’t write your song anymore?

[@gilbertosaborito5578]

Alguém traduza para português por favor

[@ricardoibarra6455]

❤️

[@user-ow2rs3hp1n]

Hi Kenny!! Vlove u kenneth

[@user-ow2rs3hp1n]

Jennifer says hello!

[@alisonbeveridge4001]

No comment 7:40

[@daviddaniels8]

do your research, catherine marks is an amazing producer with an impressive catalog of worg, ignorant of you to cop out and say you don't know her work, prep for the interview then, get educated.

[@workaccount3872]

"...and they have a chance to have a closer connection.." Via NFTs? That's the dumbest thing I've heard in a long time. At this point we've seen more than enough evidence that NFT's as they currently exist aren't where it's at. The only, MAAAYBE, use for them in the music industry is to cut out the ticketmasters and resellers of the world by using them for tickets, and then there needs to be a way to cap the price so there's no flipper market.

[@user-ow2rs3hp1n]

😂😂😂😂😂😂❤😮😢😢😢😢😊

[@user-ow2rs3hp1n]

Icup

[@user-ow2rs3hp1n]

Wtevet😂😂

[@michaelmaririce1924]

This guy got to he Rhnegative most of all the Rock bands and are a hit are Rhnegative ❤❤❤

[@michaelmaririce1924]

I dont think he did the song he dont make scence