"Cleopatra"
Single by the Lumineers
from the album Cleopatra
ReleasedMarch 25, 2016
Recorded2015
Genre
Length3:21
Label
Songwriter(s)
  • Wesley Schultz
  • Jeremiah Fraites
  • Simone Felice
Producer(s)
  • Simone Felice
The Lumineers singles chronology
"Ophelia"
(2016)		 "Cleopatra"
(2016)		 "Angela"
(2016)

"Cleopatra" is a song recorded by American folk rock band the Lumineers. The song serves as the title track to their second studio album of the same name.

"Cleopatra" was released as the album's second single on March 25, 2016.

Background and composition

According to Wesley Schultz, lead vocalist of the Lumineers, "Cleopatra" tells the life story of a female taxi driver, named Manana, in the Republic of Georgia.[1][2] While Schultz's wife was working on her college thesis in the country, the couple came across Manana, who became the first female taxi driver in Georgia.[3] He describes her as a "badass lady - she’ll pick you up at the airport with a cigarette hanging out her mouth and a beer can between [her] legs."[2] Schultz was inspired by her realism, in contrast to the false imagery of contemporary Instagram culture.[2] He also admired her lack of self-pity and "willingness to confront life."[2][3]

The song opens with the line "I was Cleopatra, I was young and an actress,", which is meant to refer to the archetype of the Egyptian queen.[3] The lyric reflects the "destiny idea of greatness" that comes with youth, and how she aspired to be a "force of nature".[3] It was meant to capture the "overflowing" confidence that the Manana possessed, and how in retrospect, it became merely a mask of identity.[4] The song outlines Manana's ill-fated love, which ended after her father's death.[3] At sixteen, she withheld an answer to her lover's proposal in the midst of grief, and he promptly departed from their small village.[5] The lyrics also mention the lover leaving on a rainy day, tracking mud into the room, which the driver refused to wash off.[4] [5] The ballad concludes tragically, with the narrator alluding to her eventual death from old age after being "forever late to her own life.[6][7] Musically, "Cleopatra" contains hand-claps and "mounting harmonies," as well as strumming guitar and an "easy, natural flow".[8][7] The titular track is the third on Cleopatra, and was described by Schultz as the "bedrock of the album".[9][2]

Release and reception

On March 24, 2016, Zane Lowe premiered the song on Beats 1 Radio.[10] "Cleopatra" reached number one on Billboard's Alternative Airplay chart, and reached number three on the Mainstream Rock chart.[11]

Renowned for Sound dubbed "Cleopatra" a suitably named titular track, writing that it was the "perfect taste of the material" on the album "with its slow building beat, infectious chorus and an intriguing tale".[12] The Daily Texan thought the female-perspective lyricism "riveting" and labelled the song the "record’s standout".[13] Consequence opined that "Cleopatra"'s "melody is Billboard-friendly, but the wistful tale of a bitter, aging woman looking back on her life and loves isn’t usually Billboard’s style."[14]

Music video

The official music video was directed by Isaac Ravishankara,[15] and uploaded to the Lumineers' YouTube and VEVO account on July 7, 2016. It acts as the conclusion to the storyline that began with Sleep on the Floor music video and continued in the video for Angela. Since being uploaded, it has garnered over 54 million views.

The Ballad of Cleopatra

The Ballad of Cleopatra is a compilation of the story in the music videos for "Ophelia", "Cleopatra", "Sleep on the Floor", "Angela" and "My Eyes", all songs from the album Cleopatra.[16][17] The video was released on the Lumineers YouTube channel on April 27, 2017.[18]

Live performances

The Lumineers performed the song live at the iHeartRadio music theater in LA. The performance was officially aired on Audience Network at 9pm on April 8, 2016. Although, a video for the performance was uploaded to the Lumineers' YouTube and VEVO account beforehand.[19]

Track listing

Digital download
No.TitleLength
1."Cleopatra"3:21

Covers

The song has been covered numerous times since its release, by many upcoming artists which include: Daniel Robinson,[20] Ellysse Mason,[21] Josh Brown,[22] Natalie Del Carmen,[23] and Shayna Adler.[24]

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (2016–17) Peak
position
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[25] 80
Canada Rock (Billboard)[26] 14
Scotland (OCC)[27] 56
UK Singles Downloads (OCC)[28] 90
US Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles (Billboard)[29] 21
US Hot Rock & Alternative Songs (Billboard)[30] 11
US Rock Airplay (Billboard)[31] 3

Year-end charts

Chart (2016) Position
US Hot Rock Songs (Billboard)[32] 39
Chart (2017) Position
US Hot Rock Songs (Billboard)[33] 38
US Rock Airplay Songs (Billboard)[34] 18

Certifications

Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[35] Platinum 80,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI)[36] Silver 200,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. ↑ "The Lumineers - About". thelumineers.com. Archived from the original on May 21, 2017. Retrieved May 21, 2017.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Romano, Nick. "The Lumineers: No. 1 Billboard 200 album chart debut for Cleopatra". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved June 19, 2021.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 "The Lumineers explain story behind number-one single "Cleopatra"". ABC News Radio Online. Archived from the original on June 24, 2021. Retrieved June 19, 2021.
  4. 1 2 "Cleopatra: Verified Annotations". Genius. Retrieved June 19, 2021.
  5. 1 2 Sariyan, Danielle. "An Interview With The Lumineers: Wesley Schultz Unveils The Stories Behind The Band's Intimate Lyrics And Irresistible Sing-A-Long Songs". The Aquarian. Retrieved June 19, 2021.
  6. ↑ LIm, Ellsya. "Album Review: "Cleopatra" by The Lumineers". UCSD Guardian. Retrieved June 19, 2021.
  7. 1 2 Allen, Tracy (May 19, 2016). "Cleopatra (Album Review)". Cryptic Rock. Retrieved June 19, 2021.
  8. ↑ Fletcher, Alexandra (April 15, 2016). "The Lumineers: Cleopatra". Pop Matters. Retrieved June 19, 2021.
  9. ↑ "Cleopatra". AllMusic. Retrieved June 19, 2021.
  10. ↑ "The Lumineers". m.facebook.com. Retrieved May 21, 2017.
  11. ↑ Rutherford, Kevin. "The Lumineers' 'Cleopatra' Climbs to No. 1 on Alternative Songs Chart". Billboard. Retrieved June 19, 2021.
  12. ↑ Thomas, Jessica. "Album Review: The Lumineers – Cleopatra". Renowned For Sound. Retrieved June 19, 2021.
  13. ↑ Hix, Megan. "The Lumineers take listeners on a journey with 'Cleopatra'". The Daily Texan. Retrieved June 19, 2021.
  14. ↑ "Album Review - Cleopatra". Consequence. April 5, 2016. Retrieved June 19, 2021.
  15. ↑ "The Lumineers - Cleopatra - Music Video - CMT". cmt.com. Retrieved May 21, 2017.
  16. ↑ Bards, Avid (April 15, 2018). "The Story of The Ballad of Cleopatra". AvidBards. Retrieved December 11, 2018.
  17. ↑ "The Lumineers' "The Ballad of Cleopatra," a Life Story Filled with Wisdom - Atwood Magazine". May 18, 2017. Retrieved December 11, 2018.
  18. ↑ LumineersVEVO, The Lumineers - The Ballad Of Cleopatra, retrieved December 11, 2018
  19. ↑ LumineersVEVO (March 25, 2016). "The Lumineers - Cleopatra (Live At iHeart Radio)". Retrieved May 21, 2017 – via YouTube.
  20. ↑ Daniel Robinson cover on YouTube
  21. ↑ Ellysse Mason cover on YouTube
  22. ↑ Josh Broen cover on YouTube
  23. ↑ Natalie Del Carmen cover on YouTube
  24. ↑ Shayna Adler cover on YouTube
  25. ↑ "The Lumineers Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved October 18, 2016.
  26. ↑ "The Lumineers Chart History (Canada Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved October 27, 2021.
  27. ↑ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 13, 2020.
  28. ↑ "Official Singles Downloads Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 13, 2020.
  29. ↑ "The Lumineers Chart History (Bubbling Under Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved October 27, 2021.
  30. ↑ "The Lumineers Chart History (Hot Rock & Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved October 18, 2016.
  31. ↑ "The Lumineers Chart History (Rock Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved March 3, 2019.
  32. ↑ "Hot Rock Songs – Year-End 2016". Billboard. Retrieved September 6, 2018.
  33. ↑ "Hot Rock Songs – Year-End 2017". Billboard. Retrieved September 6, 2018.
  34. ↑ "Rock Airplay Songs – Year-End 2017". Billboard. Retrieved September 6, 2018.
  35. ↑ "Canadian single certifications – The Lumineers – Cleopatra". Music Canada. Retrieved October 27, 2021.
  36. ↑ "British single certifications – Lumineers – Cleopatra". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved October 21, 2022.
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