On Melancholy Hill

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Lore & Background

The narrative behind the single is deeply rooted in Murdoc Niccals' explanation of the song's emotional core. He described Melancholy Hill not just as a location, but as that sinking feeling you get when your spirit is drained. Yet, the track was deliberately crafted to provide a necessary contrast within the album's darker themes, offering a lightness amidst the storm. This sentiment is visually realized in the music video released worldwide on 14 June 2010. The story opens with Noodle aboard the massive ocean liner M. Harriet as it comes under attack by two Vought F4U Corsair fighter planes. A ship attendant attempts to escort her to safety, but Noodle ignores the offer, instead retrieving a Thompson submachine gun from a briefcase. She single-handedly engages the enemy, shooting down one plane before the other drops a bomb that sinks the vessel.

In Their Own Story

Surviving the sinking of the M. Harriet, Noodle escapes in a lifeboat with only her guitar and supplies. The narrative takes a surreal turn when a gigantic Russel Hobbs rises from the depths beneath her boat. The scene shifts to Murdoc Niccals, 2-D, and Cyborg Noodle traveling through the deep ocean alongside a fleet of submarines crewed by album collaborators including Lou Reed, De La Soul, Snoop Dogg, Mick Jones, Paul Simonon, and Gruff Rhys. As they navigate the depths, a swarm of Superfast Jellyfish is seen being inadvertently sucked into the submarines. The journey culminates when the vessels rise to the surface near a tall sea stack topped by a large manatee. Murdoc spots the Boogieman leaning over the creature and orders Cyborg Noodle to attack. She fires a pump-action shotgun, missing the Boogieman but hitting his clothes; he grabs the manatee and dives into the ocean. As the fog clears behind the plateau, it reveals Plastic Beach.

Reader's Guide

Fans seeking to experience On Melancholy Hill can explore its extensive promotional history and multiple versions. The single was supported by an internet scavenger hunt where finding various images of the band unlocked an exclusive Josh Wink remix. The music video, originally an iTunes exclusive on 14 June 2010, was uploaded to YouTube days later, following a teaser released on 9 June and stills published on writteninmusic.com on 11 June. Musically, the track has been performed in almost every Gorillaz concert since the Escape to Plastic Beach Tour. In recent years, it appeared in the third episode of the video game Life Is Strange 2 in 2019 and featured prominently in British supermarket Tesco's Christmas adverts in 2024. For collectors, various editions exist: a Digital download includes remixes by The Japanese Popstars (7:35) and She Is Danger (4:21), plus the Labrinth SNES Remix of "Stylo". Promotional CDs feature radio edits as short as 2:58 in the UK, while the 2011 scavenger hunt release offered a Baby Monster Remix lasting 4:02.

Did You Know?

• The song was originally written by Damon Albarn during the production of The Good, the Bad & the Queen's self-titled album.
• In the music video, Noodle uses a Thompson submachine gun to shoot down one of two attacking Vought F4U Corsair fighter planes.
• A gigantic Russel Hobbs appliance rises from the ocean to lift Noodle's lifeboat after her ship sinks.
• The submarines in the video are crewed by real-life collaborators including Lou Reed, Snoop Dogg, and De La Soul.
• Murdoc Niccals described Melancholy Hill as a feeling where it is "like someone's let your tyres down."