Cracker Island is the title track and the first single of Gorillaz' eighth studio album, Cracker Island. The song features American bassist, singer and songwriter Thundercat.
Background[]
Cracker Island was recorded sometime in 2021 and was co-produced by Remi Kabaka Jr. and Greg Kurstin. Thundercat provided bass and vocals for the track. It was first played live on the Gorillaz World Tour 2022, on April 30th, 2022, and a snippet of the studio version of the song was revealed on TikTok a few days later. The track was released on June 22nd, 2022 along with a visualizer.
A snippet of 2-D sitting inside of a Police car was released alongside the track. Then on July 28th, 2022, the Cracker Island music video was released.
Lyrics[]
[Verse 1: 2-D & Thundercat]
On Cracker Island it was born
To the collective of the dawn
They were planting seeds at night
To grow a made up paradise
Where the truth was auto tuned (forever cult)
But itās sadness I consumed (forever cult)
Into my formats everyday (forever cult)
In end I had to pay (what world is this)
In the end I had to pay (I purged my soul)
In the end I had to pay (I drank to riot)
Nothing more to say (I drank to riot)
[Chorus: 2-D]
They taught themselves to be occult
They didnāt know itās many strategies
They taught themselves to be occult
They didnāt know itās many strategies
Fantasies
[Bridge: Thundercat]
What world is this?
What world is this?
[Verse 2: 2-D & Thundercat]
On cracker island it was raised
By the collective from the grave
It only came out at night
It ate up their paradise (paradise)
Where the truth was auto tuned (forever cult)
And itās sadness I consumed (forever cult)
Into my formats everyday (forever cult)
In the end I had to pay (what world is this)
Out there on my silverlake (I was not there)
In the end it will be great (beneath the hills)
Iām like a ship between the tides (I saw myself)
I held on I survived (there in the void)
[Chorus: 2-D]
They taught themselves to be occult
They didnāt know itās many strategies
They taught themselves to be occult
They didnāt know itās many strategies
Fantasy
[Verse 3: 2-D & Thundercat]
On cracker island It will die (forever cult)
Join the collective in the sky (forever cult)
And on a shining boat of light (forever cult)
Go up to paradise (what world is this)
Where the truth is autotuned (I purged my soul)
And itās sadness I consume (I drank to riot)
Into my formats everyday (I drank to riot)
In the end I had to pay (forever cult)
In the end Iāll have to pay (forever cult)
In the end Iāll be ok (forever cult)
[Outro: 2-D]
Nothing more to say
Nothing more to say
Nothing more to say
Music Video[]
Lyric Video[]
Visualizer[]
Trivia[]
- Cracker Island is the first song that was performed live on the Gorillaz World Tour 2022 before its official release, with the others being Silent Running, New Gold, Skinny Ape, Possession Island and Oil.
- Cracker Island has a Live Intro, a speech recited by Ben Mendelsohn before a performance of the song on the Gorillaz World Tour 2022 on June 2nd in Paris.