Die Another Day

Lyrics

I'm gonna wake up, yes and no
I'm gonna kiss, some part of
I'm gonna keep this secret
I'm gonna close my body now

I guess I'll die another day
I guess I'll die another day
I guess I'll die another day
I guess I'll die another day

I guess I'll die another day (another day)
I guess I'll die another day (another day)
I guess I'll die another day (another day)
I guess I'll die another day

Sigmund Freud
Analyze this
Analyze this
Analyze this, this, this,...

I'm gonna break the cycle
I'm gonna shake up the system
I'm gonna destroy my ego
I'm gonna close my body now

Uh! Uh!

I think I'll find another way
There's so much more to know
I guess I'll die another day
It's not my time to go

For every sin I'll have to pay
A time to work, a time to play
I think I'll find another way
It's not my time to go

I'm gonna avoid the cliché
I'm gonna suspend my senses
I'm gonna delay my pleasure
I'm gonna close my body now

I guess I'll die another day
I guess I'll die another day
I guess I'll die another day
I guess I'll die another day

I think I'll find another way
There's so much more to know
I guess I'll die another day
It's not my time to go

Uh! Uh!
(laughs)
(I need to lay down)

I guess I'll die another day
I guess I'll die another day
I guess I'll die another day
I guess I'll die another day

Another day, another day
Another day, another day
Another day, another day
Another day

Credits

Written by Madonna and Mirwais Ahmadzaï
Produced by Madonna and Mirwais Ahmadzaï
Programming by Mirwais Ahmadzaï
String arrangement by Michel Colombier
Mixed by Mark -Spike- Stent

Album

Single

In March 2002 it was officially announced that Madonna would record the theme song for the Bond movie Die Another Day. Originally a track titled 'Can't You See My Mind?' was also recorded, but later got scrapped. Late September - two weeks before the planned radio release - NY radio Z100 premiered the song, after which it was leaked onto the Internet. The single was released on October 22, 2002, nearly 18 months after her previous single What It Feels Like For A Girl.

It debuted on the Billboard charts at #41, making it the highest debut of the year. It peaked at #8, her 35th top 10 hit, surpassing the Beatles who had 34 US top 10 hits. On the Hot Dance / Club Play chart it hit #1, her 28th #1 dance single! In the UK it debuted at #3, falling down to #12 in its second week. Fortunately it did get to #1 in some countries such as Canada, Italy, Japan, Lebanon, Spain and Slovakia. In Australia it went Gold, after peaking at #5.

Video

The Swedish director team Tractor directed the video, which was filmed in the Hollywood Center Studios at the end of August 2002, with a budget of $6,1 million (more than the original budget for Express Yourself, making it her most expensive video, and the 2nd most expensive music video ever, right after Michael & Janet Jackson's 'Scream'. Though when taking inflation into account, Express Yourself is the still her most expensive).

It doesn't contain imagery of the Bond movie, but it refers to Madonna's cameo as a fencing instructor: the video shows a 'Good Madonna' (dressed in white) and 'Evil Madonna' (dressed in black) in a fencing duel. The fight happens in a museum, filled with Bond collectibles. In a second story line, the wounds from the duel between the two ego's are inflicted on a battered and bruised Madonna, who's being tortured by Korean guards. She keeps on kicking, spitting and laughing, so the guards decide to put her in the electric chair. But Madonna wraps phylactery (leather strips) around her left arm to make her immune from the ego's desire. Before she sits in the electric chair she fights against her own ego. The Hebrew letters "Lamed-Alef-Vav" (burned in the chair and tattood on her arm) can be translated as 'shall not do' or simply 'not' ("it's NOT my time to go" - maybe a tongue-in-cheek remark to her critics who predicted her retirement). The Hebrew signs also symbolize the certainty and lack of doubt; she truly believes that she can disappear from the chair and as you can see in the video, she does.

MTV premiered the video simultaneously worldwide on October 10, 2002. During the day MTV blurred out some of the blood in the video.

Tour

The Die Another Day performance is certainly another highlight of the Re-Invention Tour. It's a high energy performance, in which Madonna dances a tango with four of her gorgeous dancers. The symbols of the video are used again: the Hebrew signs appear on the screens, and the dancers wrap the phylactery around their arms. In the end they tie Madonna in an electric chair. And - just like in the video - Madonna takes a huge spit towards one of her guards! To mourn her own death, she then sings the hauntingly beautiful Lament.

The American Life album only made a brief comeback on the Sticky & Sweet Tour with an interlude of Die Another Day. The Bond theme got re-invented into a fast-tempo boxing anthem, visualized by a strong & dark video, made by Tom Munro. While two dancers get into a real fight in a boxing ring, Madonna represents their psyche in the video (much like the theme of the original clip). Among the punch sound effects, Scorpion from the video game Mortal Kombat can be heard with his signature shout-out "Get over here!". Images of the video can also be seen in the official tourbook.