| “ | And the rings I am breaking, are making you a personal day | „ |
Saturnz Barz is the lead single and fourth track from Gorillaz' fifth studio album, Humanz. The song features Jamaican dancehall artist Popcaan.
Information[]
On 19 March 2017, Saturnz Barz (alongside the tracks Andromeda, Busted And Blue, Charger and Submission) was leaked online, after Reddit user omegapro200 searched for Saturnz Barz on Google and found a password-protected VimeoW video titled "04 Saturnz Barz Demo 04.03", which had been uploaded by Dylan Byrne, the band's touring lighting technician. After a short while, user mrmoosechill cracked the password (which was "2017") and the leak spread. Soon after, the band took notice and Byrne's Vimeo account was deleted.[1]
Saturnz Barz officially premiered worldwide on MistajamW's BBC Radio 1W show on 23 March, alongside Andromeda, before subsequently being released on streaming platforms along with the aforementioned Andromeda, We Got The Power and Ascension.[2]
Recording[]
In an interview with MistajamW on BBC Radio 1, Damon Albarn revealed that the collaboration with Popcaan had almost fallen through, stating:[3]
| “ | He [Popcaan] came with quite a few of his friends. The session started about midnight, 1:00 in the morning… We worked all into the night but at the end of it I wasn’t really feeling it, I don’t know why. Next day, we had a chat, communicated and he came in and he did this. I think this is quite different to anything else he’d ever done. It’s very personal. It tells a kind of alternate narrative to a lot of the ideas within modern dancehall. So I’ve become quite a diplomat haven’t I? | „ |
Later on, he also commented on the nature of Gorillaz' collaborations, saying that they were not a "random selection", but people with whom he would connect.[3]
| “ | After spending a few studio sessions together in Jamaica, we became fast friends. Necessity is the mother of invention… and he came out with this. It just fitted perfectly… And we've got this crazy tune. I mean it doesn't sound like anything else! | „ |
Music Video[]
- Main Article: Saturnz Barz (Music Video)
The music video for Saturnz Barz (subtitled "Spirit House") was released on YouTube concurrently with the single. It was directed by Jamie Hewlett and produced by Cara Speller of Passion Pictures in collaboration with Google Spotlight Stories and YouTube.
The band members drive to their new house while Ascension plays on the radio. As Murdoc rings the doorbell, a thunderstorm starts. When they enter, 2-D goes to the kitchen, Noodle goes to the basement, Russel Hobbs goes to sleep and Murdoc takes a bath. Noodle finds a record and plays it, starting Popcaan's rapping.
A snake-like creature with an arm sticking out of its eyesocket grabs Russel and constricts him. A cycloptic, blue worm wraps around Noodle. 2-D, in the kitchen, gets food stuffed down his throat by a flying pizza slice. Murdoc sinks into the tub and starts to fly through space. 2-D then begins to sing the chorus. The final verses of the song are sung by all four band members. At the end of the video, they walk back to their car and talk about breakfast, with 2-D just wanting a peppermint tea, transitioning to the visualiser for We Got The Power.
Lyrics[]
[Intro: Popcaaan]
Haha, woii yoii!
Done know how di ting go, a the Unruly boss doh
Ha ha ha
-Press the button to begin-
[Chorus 1: Popcaan]
Cho
All my life
Mi ever have mi gun suh mi affi move sharp like mi knife
All my life
Mi pray say when mi get wealthy a ma a mi wife
All my life
The system force mi fi be a killer just like Rodney Price
All my life
No, all my life
[Verse: Popcaan]
Aa happen to you Cobe, some bwoy doh know mi
To how me ruff dem cah believe a grandma grow mi
Know few Popcaan song doh, and feel dem know mi
Four mile mi used to walk guh school, dem know man story?
Ha! Now mi gain up all those glory
The world is mine, the whole a it mi taking slowly
Happy days mi call it now mi bunn sad story
Anyway mi deh inna the world mi dawgs dem round mi
Ha ha ha mi laugh and collect those trophy
Because mi deserve everything weh music gives mi
Bwoy, unruly nuh light like Frisbee
The dream, family live that wid me
Oh, oh, oh, oh
All my life mi dream fi own house, land, cars, and bikes
[Chorus 2: 2-D & (Popcaan)]
(All my life)
I'm in the stakin bar
I got debts and I'm a debaser
(All my life)
Saturnz about to make love
And I'm just a heartbreaker
(All my life)
And I won't get a take in
Coz I'm out when I'm stakin
And the rings I am breaking
Are making you a personal day
[Bridge: 2-D]
With the holograms beside me
I'll dance alone tonight
In a mirrored world
Are you beside me
All my life
Distortion
[Chorus 2: 2-D & Popcaan]
(All my life)
I'm in the staking bar
I got debts and I'm a debaser
(All my life)
Saturnz about to make love
And I'm just a heartbreaker
(All my life)
And I won't get a take in
Cause I'm out when I'm stakin
And the rings, I am breaking
Are making you a personal day[4]
Videos[]
Trivia[]
- Although not mentioned in the liner notes, the sample "press the button to begin" in the intro of the song is taken from the Interactive Planetarium toy board.[5]
References[]
- ↑ Cook, James (21 March 2017). "Tracks from the new Gorillaz album leaked online because someone found them on Vimeo and guessed the password". Business Insider. Retrieved on 4 January 2026.
- ↑ Young, Alex (23 March 2017). "Gorillaz premiere FOUR songs from their new album Humanz, plus 360 video — watch". Consequence. Retrieved on 3 January 2026.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 @noodlewashere7093 (24 March 2017). "Damon Albarn Interview on BBC radio 1 - 02/23/2017 - GORILLAZ IS BACK !". YouTube. BBC. Retrieved on 4 January 2026.
- ↑ Smogmonster71 (7 October 2025). "HUMANZ LYRICS: Gorillaz". Internet Archive, p. 5-6. Retrieved on 14 October 2025.
- ↑ @akmct9 (26 March 2017). "Gorillaz - Saturnz Barz Sample Origin". YouTube. Retrieved on 13 October 2025.