#117 (of 365) "The Sad Mafioso" Godspeed! You Black Emperor

One of the original two tracks, or "Movements" on their debut album F♯ A♯ ∞, from way back in 1997. Here's some Wikipedia about it:

The original recording of F♯ A♯ ∞ took place in 1997. By this time, the band had reached an unwieldy 15 members. In preparation of the album, they trimmed their numbers to ten. The culmination of material spanning back to 1993 resulted in two lengthy songs, each about 20 minutes in length. After the record's release, the Canadian band became interested in touring the United States. In order to make headway, they sent a copy of their album to the Chicago-based record label Kranky. Impressed by the recording, Kranky offered to re-release the album on compact disc. The re-worked version of the album included several new sections, resulting in three movements instead of two and slightly over an hour of music, nearly doubling the previous runtime. This new version was released in June 1998.

The overall theme of the album is often pinned as apocalyptic. Indeed, English director Danny Boyle was heavily inspired by the album during the making of 28 Days Later. The second track, "East Hastings", is named after East Hastings Street in Vancouver's blighted Downtown Eastside. It begins with bagpipes reprising the theme of "The Dead Flag Blues" and backing the shouts of a street preacher. The sermon slowly quiets, and is replaced with the movement "The Sad Mafioso...", an edited version of which appeared in 28 Days Later.

"The Sad Mafioso" - Godspeed! You Black Emperor // F# A# ∞ (1997)