From Yesterday

Infobox Single
Name = From Yesterday
Type = Single


Artist = 30 Seconds to Mars
from Album = A Beautiful Lie
Released = (re-release)
Recorded = 2006
Genre = Alternative rock
Length = 4:08
Label =
Producer = Leah Gragham
Misc = Extra musicsample |filename=From_Yesterday_-_30_Seconds_To_Mars.ogg |format=Ogg |title=From Yesterday |Type=single
Chart position =
* #1 (US Modern Rock Tracks, Portugal)
* #4 (Latin America)
* #6 (Mexico)
* #11 (US Mainstream Rock Tracks)
* #13 (New Zealand)
* #34 (Australia)
* #45 (Italy)
* #50 (Argentina)
* #76 (US Hot 100)
Last single = "The Kill"
(2005)
This single = "From Yesterday"
(2006)
Next single = "A Beautiful Lie"
(2008)

"From Yesterday" is the third single released from 30 Seconds to Mars's second album, "A Beautiful Lie".

Music video

"From Yesterday" was filmed using 1000 Chinese soldiers (they are seen holding flags at the beginning of the video). The film starts with a young boy, presumably the Emperor Puyi, being asked what he would like for his birthday. He simply states "The Sound of Tomorrow." The action then cuts to a plain white room with the band members, clad in white outfits similar to those worn in fencing, each doing their own thing. A woman enters and tells them that it is time. She leads them out into the hall and disappears. They walk down to the end of the hall where they attempt to open the door. They are unable to. The lights start to flicker and they go out, leaving the band puzzled.

It then opens to another scene where the band is walking through giant gates into the row of Chinese soldiers. As they are all walking down, Jared notices a woman wearing a white mask walking on the exterior of the row, unnoticed by the others.

The band are then taken to the hall where the Emperor is situated, and are given scrolls. Jared then says to his brother, Shannon Leto (the band's drummer): "This is a gift?"

Each band member is then led to a different part of the kingdom, encountering various Chinese traditions. Matt Wachter encounters the butler whipping himself; Tomo Milicevic finds a dead woman lying on her bed, and someone proceeds to put a small black ball (A ball of mercury, which is a Chinese custom) into her mouth; Shannon sees a grown man being breast-fed by his mother or wife; and Jared accidentally walks in on a group of men sacrificing three young women.

The band is then shown putting on traditional Chinese armor before meeting in an alleyway for a battle against four others, dressed in identical armor. This scene is mixed with scenes of the band walking through the palace, encountering many peculiarities such as the tradition of leaving the dead in the bed for prolong periods and beheading of criminals. In the end, 30 Seconds to Mars are shown performing in the courtyard, with fireworks in the background.

At the end of the video, the band members end up fighting each other and four warriors. They wear masks, and thus cannot see who is who. The warriors are slain, and the 30 Seconds to Mars wind up in a stalemate. They slowly remove their masks, revealing to each other that they are all alive. The video then samples "A Beautiful Lie" released as the band's next single.

For a very brief period of time during the butler's whipping scene, an image of some sort of false rabbit appears (it appears to either be a person in a rabbit suit or a rabbit puppet). It does not seem that this image has anything to do with the story.

Track listing

*US (CD)
#"From Yesterday" (Radio Edit) - 3:52
#"The Story" (Live @ AOL Sessions Under Cover) - 3:59

*UK (CD)
#"From Yesterday" (Radio Edit) - 3:52
#"Stronger" (Radio 1 Live) - 6:01
#"From Yesterday" full directors cut video (enhanced CD) - 13:40

*UK (7" Vinyl 1)
#"From Yesterday" (Chris Lord-Alge Mix) - 4:14
#"The Kill" (Radio 1 Live) - 3:47"This limited edition vinyl is clear, and comes in a gatefold case"

*UK (7" Vinyl 2)
#"From Yesterday"This is also limited edition, but is red, and has the band members' signatures etched into the back"|align="center"

Chart positions

*"From Yesterday" reached #1 on "Billboard"'s Modern Rock Tracks chart, making it 30 Seconds to Mars' first #1 on any "Billboard" chart. "From Yesterday" is therefore even more successful than "The Kill", a song considered to be the band's breakthrough single.
*This song was #6 on "MTV Mexico"'s list of the "TRL 2007 Top 100". [ [http://www.atrl.net/forums/showthread.php?t=52182 "TRL 2007 Top 100"] . Retrieved 2007-12-28]
*This song was also #79 on "MTV Asia"'s list of Top 100 Hits of 2007. [MTV Asia. [http://www.mtvasia.com/Funstuff/Contests/MTVTop100Hits2007/top100.html "Top 100 Hits List"] . Retrieved 2007-12-27]

In popular culture

*Portions of the song were used in the promo for FOX's Fall 2007 series "New Amsterdam".
*The song is played at Shea Stadium when New York Mets' pitcher Scott Schoeneweis comes in to pitch.

References