"Hostage of Love" is the second single from Razorlight's third studio album, Slipway Fires. Released on 12 January 2009, it has not received much commercial success or notice. In terms of critical reception, there have been mixed reviews; particularly harsh comments appeared in The Times and The Guardian newspapers. However, some of the more unsympathetic reviews misinterpreted songwriter Johnny Borrell's intended themes and lyrics, a fundamental aspect being the biblical imagery running throughout the song, not a result of some presumed messiah complex, but rather because during the songwriting process for Slipway Fires, Borrell "was learning a bit about Catholicism [and] was very interested in the concept that we’re ordinary sinners."
The music video is in black and white and depicts the band playing the song in a studio, though an alternative version has more recently appeared, with scenes evoking the religious themes mentioned above and also showing band travelling on the Paris Métro, ending at the station Boissière, whose name originates from the custom of remembering the crucifixion by hanging up boxwood on Palm Sunday. In spite of the band's efforts to promote the single, it failed to enter the charts. As a result, a planned third single release was cancelled.
Track listing[]
"Hostage Of Love" - 3:44
"Wire To Wire" (WDR2 Acoustic Session Version) - 3:04
