"Number City"

Art by Nathan Spoor.

## Music Video

Official Video on Vimeo

**"Number City"** is a song by the American rock band Coheed and Cambria. It is the fourth track on their 2013 album *The Afterman: Descension*. A demo version of the song was released on *The Afterman: Descension* (Big Beige Demos) album.

## Lyrics

**[Verse 1]**

Attention, we have got

A medical emergency

The patient's condition

Is critical and fading

Oh, I've got this under control

But there is no guarantee

Now, should you question this professional opinion

It's time we'll spend wasting

**[Pre-Chorus]**

And oh, if you wanted to see

Go on and tear it out of me

**[Verse 2]**

This case is possibly the worst

That I have ever seen

I see how vulnerable

We, as a people, can truly be

**[Pre-Chorus]**

And oh, if you wanted to see

Go on and tear it out of me

And oh, if you wanted to see

Go on and tear it out of me

**[Chorus]**

Honey, release my heart, if you

Honey, release my heart, you let me go

Release my heart, if you, honey

Do not let me, do not let me go

**[Post-Chorus]**

A radio transmission

Sent to get the heart to listen

*(Defibrillate, Defibrillate)*

A radio transmission

Sent to get the heart to listen

**[Bridge]**

Oh, this is love from a gurney

Oh, this is love from a gurney

Believe in Number City

**[Chorus]**

Honey, release my heart, if you

Honey, release my heart, you let me go

Release my heart if you, honey

Do not let me, do not let me go

**[Hook]**

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9

1, 2, 3, 4, 5

## Music Video

An official music video was released for the single on July 29, 2013. It was directed and animated by Jonathan "Dropbear" Chong.

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## Story Context

Our first lines clearly outline what is happening in the song: "Attention, we have got / A medical emergency / The patient's condition / Is critical and fading." There's been a terrible accident and someone is in critical condition. The next set of lines shows someone is questioning the process taking place here, but a paramedic attempts to reassure the person, and basically says that if he wastes their time arguing, they'll end up losing these critical moments to stabilize someone.

It continues that this accident is probably the worst they've ever seen, allowing the paramedic to contemplate the fragility of human life. In the pre-chorus and subsequent chorus, we get another perspective, possibly from the accident victim(s). If it is just from one person, we see the delirium and confusion they experience ("Honey, release my heart" and "Do not let me go.") Then in the post-chorus, we are taken back to the paramedic's perspective as they use a defibrillator to resuscitate the victim.

The line "Oh, this is love from a gurney" hints at the victims being a couple, and then "Believe in Number City," which includes the title of the song. This last line becomes more relevant as the song ends with the hook listing numbers 1 through 9 until suddenly cut off at 5.

This is clearly the result of Sirius conversation with Meri where she reveals that she has moved on, believing he was dead. He is delirious and confused and argues with the paramedics yelling after Meri's status. The paramedics are focused on saving lives, not on entertaining all his inquiries. The lines related to the chorus are actually Meri's words before they crashed continuing to ring in his head. "Sirius, you left me, so now that I've moved on, you need to let me go."

The pair are both lifted on to gurneys and transported to a hospital. Sirius, losing conscious, begins to recite calculations and numbers. The figures ultimately mean nothing to him but the passing of seconds and eventually fade as he passes out.

## Background

The concept for this song was quite simple: Sanchez wanted to write a song about a group of EMTs responding to an accident. Originally, the dialogue was going to be delivered in an over-the-top musical fashion, but Stever vetoed the idea, saying it sucked.

## Trivia

* Eppard played Keyboards for the track, and the Horns were played by Dan Levine, Stan Harrison & Steve Bernstein.
* "Number City" was actually the last song to be written and it was written in the studio.

## References

1. ↑ https://www.nme.com/news/Coheed%20and%20Cambria/68450
2. ↑ Coheed and Cambria. Booklet. *The Afterman: Decension*, Everything Evil Records, 2013.
3. ↑ https://vimeo.com/71271260
4. ↑ https://genius.com/Coheed-and-cambria-number-city-lyrics
5. ↑ https://lasvegasweekly.com/ae/music/2013/aug/28/weekly-interview-coheed-and-cambria-frontman-claud/