How Muse created Plug In Baby

📌 EDIT: At around 1:30 and 4:08 I had to cut a few seconds from the video due to copyright issues, sorry for the confusing cuts!

‘Plug In Baby' is one of Muse's most iconic songs, and often cited amongst the best guitar riffs ever.
~
0:00 An iconic Muse song
0:30 The origins – a 1997 demo
0:55 Cutting out an old chorus
1:20 Finding a guitar solo
2:00 Turning the solo into the main riff
2:30 A different outro in early versions
3:00 Lyrics
4:45 From the demo lyrics to the final version
5:11 Song title origin 1
5:30 Song title origin 2
5:54 A combination of Classical & Rock inspirations
6:35 Music Video
7:47 Singing falsetto vocals
9:14 1st American label requesting to re-record the song
9:38 Friendship & Brotherhood
~

DJ Shadow’s “Organ Donor” snippet used in the video is a cover by IntroducingLive

[althejazzman]

Matt is hilarious. I hadn't realised how honest he is. People expect songs to all have some complex deep meaning or message, but naa, it's just random words that stick.

[randombruh]

I dont know why but i ve always thought its about his guitar; the guitar being his "plug in" baby, making him forget ab reality, crucifing his enemies, and all of this stuff. Like the guitar was his saviour

[michaelv]

Early Muse was really something else. Citizen Erased is a masterpiece.

[Clive]

I was sat in a GCSE English class and a mate pulled out his cassette player, listen to this "Plug In Baby", what an eargasm that was!
I listened to Plug in Baby again whilst in detention.

[ReeAndreas]

I've always imagined Plug-in baby refrencing his guitar :) "Crucifies my enemies". Great video mate!

[siegedoyle]

The falsetto at the end is why i still think their first 5 albums are peak . They are still good now but nothing compares to those earlier albums. You cant fubd anything else like them.

[soapboxparishrecordings]

Showbiz, symmetry and absolution are perfect albums. 1999-2003 muse 🫡

[bilberry]

They are the best band! The lyrics, melodies, the skill in playing, the voice, just perfection!

[BK-lxmo]

As a guitarist, I always thought it was about his guitar— his “plug in baby” that crucifies his enemies (bullies, authority figures). There is something about a loud guitar that makes you feel invincible when performing…then horribly naked when you’re without it.

[LeonStrifeVIII]

I see a Clockwork Orange which is one of my favourite films, I see Squall Leonhart from Final Fantasy VIII which is one of my favourite games... And I see Muse, which is a terrific band in one thumbnail? How often can you say you now have a favourite thumbnail?

[reyasem]

Dude's probably the best riff writer I've ever seen, and definitely one of the best song writers ever.

But mannnn, their lyrics and music video seriously are too random

[Utorak]

That final fantasy 8 line from the battle theme is a connection to plug in baby that I have never clicked on and must have listened to both tracks thousands of times. Kudos to you for hearing that, even though, as you said, their similarities are most likely coincidental.

[alicebagli]

I honestly appreciate the demo lyrics of this song more because I think they tie in perfectly with the whole "fear and hope of technology" Matt was talking (well, rambling), about in an interview: "I never meant to love these machines/But they obey my commands adeptly" in particular. It's something that pops up in some of the b-sides written around that period as well (Pink Ego Box, anyone?), and in general it's just such a common theme around the turn of the millennium (the advent of the Internet, Y2K and so on).
A bit less nonsense than magic mushrooms, at least.

[hhhhhh-ml]

it's been a while since i've watched a video this interesting, its helluva good job mate. and your sponsor transition was incredible

[Spida]

The riff is basically from JS Bachs Toccato and Fugue, been around long enough to be public domain tho which is why My Chemical Romance also use at the 2 minute mark in the song To The End. Got to hand it to Johann Seb, he wrote some pretty awesome stuff!

[Sharon-iv]

Marc thank you so much for this video. Great that you put the extracts from interviews, concerts, .Im a.huge Muse fan so its much appreciated

[Manzanahh]

greatest guitar rift in recent recorded history

[sander-wit]

I love this, great script, editing and wonderful clip selection. My first video of yours I've seen, here's a sub.

[FERNSTREAM_MUSIC]

The coolest and most unique thing about this song is that the chord pattern consists of three chords being looped in a 4/4 song.
This means that starting point moves all the time, so first it is:
|| F# | G | D | F# ||
Next turn would then be:
|| G | D | F# | G ||

And so on. Super cool and creative way of writing!

Awesome video! :)

[reylui]

really loved your video, I hope you keep making muse content!!!