David Byrne has written a song for Alex Gibney’s upcoming feature-length documentary about Elon Musk, using lyrics composed entirely of public statements made by the world’s first trillionaire, according to an interview with Variety. The track, titled “Let Me Sell You A Dream,” was co-written by the film’s composer Daniel Pemberton, as reported by Variety.
David Byrne Sources Musk Quotes for Documentary Track
The process of gathering lyrics proved straightforward for the former Talking Heads frontman. According to Variety, Byrne stated, “I asked for good quotes from the Martian, and found more of them online.” Byrne added, “I’m sure he loves dropping these wild statements, and those became the lyrics. All his own words. No editorializing. Straight from the man’s mouth to mine,” as quoted by Variety.
Did you know?
Director Alex Gibney’s wife attended the filming of the famous 1984 Talking Heads concert film Stop Making Sense at the Pantages Theatre, according to statements given to Variety.
Director Alex Gibney Discusses the Collaboration
Director Alex Gibney expressed enthusiasm about securing Byrne for the project’s closing music. “I was thrilled when David agreed to write (with our composer Daniel Pemberton) and perform the final song in the film,” Gibney told Variety. Gibney added, “I am a huge fan of his. My wife and I were at the Pantages for the filming of Stop Making Sense, so I sensed that he would find a musical way into what the film is trying to say. And he did.”
Describing the resulting track, Gibney noted to Variety that “‘Let Me Sell You A Dream’ is kick-ass,” and stated that Byrne “dug deep into the sayings of Musk himself to get to ‘extremely hard core,’ foot-tapping sardonic poetry.”
Documentary Premiere and Prior Reactions
The documentary is scheduled to premiere at the Venice International Film Festival and will debut in cinemas in October, running for a duration of 235 minutes, according to reporting by Variety. The film represents an extended examination of Elon Musk.
Musk previously expressed skepticism about the project. When news of the documentary broke, the Tesla chief executive posted on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) predicting the project would be a “hit-piece,” as reported by Variety. In response, Gibney stated, “How would you know?”, according to Variety.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who wrote the song for the Elon Musk documentary?
David Byrne wrote the song “Let Me Sell You A Dream” for the documentary, co-writing the track with the film’s composer Daniel Pemberton, according to Variety.
What are the lyrics of the song based on?
The lyrics are composed entirely of public statements and quotes made by Elon Musk, sourced online by David Byrne without editorializing, as reported by Variety.
When and where will the documentary premiere?
The film is set to premiere at the Venice International Film Festival before releasing in October, with a total runtime of 235 minutes, according to Variety.
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