Every Planet We Reach Is Dead

The atmosphere of _Every Planet We Reach Is Dead_ envelops you from the first moment with a pulsing organ sound, creating a melancholic feeling. The lyrics speak of a broken connection, a lost relationship with the figure of "Mother Nature," a girl mentioned in the track. This message resonates with other pieces from the album Demon Days, such as O Green World and Fire Coming Out of the Monkey’s Head, as the album as a whole explores the idea of human self-destruction and how natural things become distorted. The vision of Mother Nature, though still beautiful, is now overshadowed by the advancement of civilization. The title itself, _Every Planet We Reach Is Dead_, suggests a fatality: every new place we reach is not that it is dead, but that it is condemned to die; it seems we are destined to end everything we touch.

This track, the eighth on Gorillaz's second studio album, Demon Days, was recorded at Studio 13 in London, United Kingdom. The album was released in May 2005, first in Japan on May 11, followed by the United Kingdom on May 23, and the United States on May 24, under the Parlophone and Virgin Records labels respectively. The main production was handled by Danger Mouse, with collaboration from the band, Jason Cox, and James Dring. A musically significant detail is the participation of Ike Turner, one of the last contributions from this legendary musician, who recorded a piano solo for the song before his passing in 2007. The mixing of the track was handled by Jason Cox, Danger Mouse, and Gorillaz themselves.