Everybody's Changing

2003 single by Keane

"Everybody's Changing" is a song performed by English alternative rock band Keane. It was released as the second single from their debut studio album, Hopes and Fears (2004). After a single release on Fierce Panda in May 2003, which peaked at number 122 in the UK Singles Chart, it was re released on Island on 3 May 2004 after the success of "Somewhere Only We Know" and reached number four. It is also used in the TV series, In Plain Sight and can also be heard in the final moments of One Tree Hill episode "Truth Doesn't Make a Noise" and Scrubs episode "My Day at the Races". In August 2006, the song was rated No. 79 from the top 100 greatest songs of all time by The Sun. That same year, English singer Lily Allen recorded a cover of the song, released on her single "Littlest Things" (a version later appeared on the 2007 compilation album, The Saturday Sessions: The Dermot O'Leary Show).

"Everybody's Changing" was composed in 2001 by Tim Rice Oxley, just after guitarist Dominic Scott had left the band. Recording took place at the Helioscentric Studios, Rye, East Sussex. The version appearing on the Fierce Panda release was a home recorded song, supposedly recorded in a single room. "Everybody's Changing" uses similar instrumentation as is used throughout Hopes and Fears. The style of "Everybody's Changing" has been described as "piano rock", a style of rock in which the piano is the main instrument instead of the guitar. Throughout the song, a synthesizer is played in the background.

The Fierce Panda release of "Everybody's Changing" was both Keane's first commercial release, and their first release after the departure of guitarist Dominic Scott. The release arose as a result of Simon Williams attending a Keane gig at London's Betsey Trotwood in December 2002, and liking what he heard so much that he immediately offered to put out a single for the band. Legend has it that when recording the song for this release, the band recorded it in a back room of the house of Tim Rice Oxley's parents, on borrowed equipment – which broke, thus meaning the band had to go to another house in order to mix it. It went on to be selected by Steve Lamacq as his single of the week on Radio 1 on 19 April 2003. This in large part led to the bidding war surrounding the band that led to them being signed to Island. The CD single was released on 12 May 2003. During the first week 733 copies of the 1500 released were sold, reaching No. 122 in the UK Singles Chart. However, this release was so limited that nowadays copies can be expected to sell on eBay in the region of £90. The cover art, designed by Alex Lake, represents Tom Chaplin's shadow filled with the photography of two boats. The typeface used in the cover is different from that used in both the Hopes and Fears and the Under the Iron Sea publicity campaigns.

The 2004 version of "Everybody's Changing", re recorded during the Heliocentric sessions of winter 2003, is Keane's second major label release during the Hopes and Fears campaign. The single was released on 3 May 2004, a week before the album, and it reached number four on the UK Singles Chart, selling about 25,000 copies. The song also reached the top 10 in Denmark, France and Italy; it is the band's highest charting song in all three countries. There were also pocket CDs with two songs and polyphonic ringtones, as well as alternative versions for France, the Netherlands and Germany. The enhanced CD includes the UK videoclip and wallpapers. This single was only released in Europe and Australia.

There are three videos for this song.

Keane are playing in a white room, and proceed to change into other persons. Most of the persons they change into are easily recognizable archetypes from cultures around the world. These include a basketball player, a Japanese geisha, a military soldier, a doctor in a white lab coat, a female bodybuilder, a young female gymnast, an Aboriginal Australian tribesman, a British policewoman, a Girl Guide, an Inuit man, a Ballet dancer and a homeless man.

Keane appear on a scene representing a sunset – their performance is broken up with clips of gigs in London, Mexico City and United States.

This video was directed by Mark Pellington, but was shelved after the band apparently (according to rumour) decided it didn't fit with the tone of the song. This video has since been released and has gained some popularity on the internet. Running at seven minutes long, the video is in the style of "verbatim theatre", with people talking directly to camera. It primarily focuses on people retelling their experiences of losing a loved one – including Pellington, who discusses losing his wife, and how the song helped him cope with his loss. During the course of the song, we then witness the people who have retold their stories, remembering their experiences while apparently listening to the song.

Originally appeared on Fierce Panda release only. See "Bedshaped" main page for composition details.

An acoustic piano track that appears only on the Fierce Panda single. It also appears on Strangers, though is not credited. It was played live during late 2003

cquote|"The Way You Want It" is definitely a white album influenced

cquote|"Fly To Me is possibly my favourite Keane song. Maybe that's just because it still feels quite secret and stuff, I don't know. But I was listening to it on a ferry the other day and it really brought a tear to me eye. I don't even know why I think it just captures a feeling of missing people and wondering why life can't just be a bit simpler sometimes. Reminds me of the song "So Far Away" by Carole King." – Tim Rice Oxley

This song was featured in the NBC sitcom Scrubs in the fifth season episode "My Day at the Races." It was also used in Flight 29 Down in "See Ya." An instrumental version of it was used as background music for a Telekom Malaysia advertisement announcing its rebranding as 'TM' in 2005. The song was also used in the promos for the second season of In Plain Sight. The song was featured in the second season episode "Truth Doesn't Make a Noise" of the TV series One Tree Hill and also appears on its first soundtrack, One Tree Hill – Music from the WB Television Series, Vol. 1. On 13 April 2010, at the launch of the United Kingdom's Conservative Party election manifesto, the song was used by the party despite not having sought permission from the band for its use. Band member Richard Hughes later stated on Twitter that he was "horrified" to hear the song being played, and said he would not vote for them.

RegionVersionDateFormat(s)Label(s)Ref(s). (Reference(s))United KingdomOriginal2003 5 12Fierce Panda20042004 5 37 inch vinyl, CDIslandUnited States2005 2 22Adult album alternative, Triple A, alternative radioInterscope