Extreme Ways…

The cover art for Moby’s 2002 album 18

Extreme Ways is a song known more for the movies it’s featured in, than for its chart success. American Electronic artist Moby composed and recorded the song for his sixth studio album, 2002’s 18. The song’s lyrics speak of the destructive allure of a chaotic life. According to Moby himself, the song “is a reflection on debauchery and excess–how dangerous lifestyles feel seductive and adventurous in the moment, but ultimately lead to emptiness when things inevitably fall apart.” The song is most famous for appearing in all five of the Jason Bourne films. The original version of the son appeared in 2002’s The Bourne Identity, then again in 2004’s The Bourne Supremacy. Moby created a new version of Extreme Ways for 2007’s The Bourne Ultimatum, then again for 2012’s The Bourne Legacy, and again after that for 2016’s Jason Bourne. Extreme Ways has become an anthem for the modern American spy genre of movies, arguably becoming the anthem of the character that forced James Bond to get a little more serious with 2006’s Casino Royale and 2009’s Quantum of Solace.

Why this song is important to me…

I absolutely love this song. I’ve been listening to it regularly since I first heard it at the end of the Bourne Ultimatum. This song has been a regular listen for my writing efforts for years and has often been an inspiration when writing somewhat ambiguous or unresolved endings. That’s likely because the song was in the Bourne films, but I digress. Either way, this song is one of those moody, easy listens that really gets my creative juices flowing.