Nine Million Bicycles is arguably Katie's most popular and successful song, lifted along following her massive success with single "The Closest Thing to Crazy". The second track on her Piece by Piece album, it combined peculiar, and scientifically-unsound lyrics, a sensual voice and Asian-inspired flute melodies made it unique enough to land #5 on UK's singles chart and #1 in Taiwan.

The first time I heard this song, I fell in love with it. "It’s a thing we can’t deny
, Like the fact that I will love you ‘til I die" sends a chill up my spine, and I imagine for a lot of people too. I believe how she sings this particular verse was instrumental in the song's phenomenal success.


Video:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=DTy3WA0Pq8M


Lyrics:
There are nine million bicycles in Beijing
That’s a fact;
It’s a thing we can’t deny
Like the fact that I will love you ‘til I die.

We are twelve billion light years from the edge
That’s a guess;
No one can ever say it’s true
But I know that I will always be with you

I’m warmed by the fire of your love every day
So don’t call me a liar
Just believe everything that I say…

There are six billion people in the world
More or less
And it makes me feel quite small
But you’re the one I love the most of all

Instrumental

We’re high on a wire with the world in our sight
And I’ll never tire
Of the love that give me every night

There are nine million bicycles in Beijing
That’s a fact;
It’s a thing we can’t deny
Like the fact that I will love you ‘til I die
And there are nine million bicycles in Beijing
And you know that I will love you ‘til I die.


Written by Mike Batt
Published by Dramatico / Sony / ATV Music Publishing (UK) Ltd
From the album 'Piece By Piece'

Is this a song from Katie? Never heard of it before...

As for many people, 9MB made me really discover Katie, so I have to thank her and Mike for that!

It was watching the video in a hotel room in Italy were I officially discovered/coverted to Katie's music. A simple and beautiful pop song that stood out from everything else.
Still can't believe such a lovely voice and lyricscan come from such a beautiful woman!!!
Thank you Katie.

I heard the song the first time in 2006 in the radio when italian radio stations for one month played it every hour. A that time I was already a huge Katie fan, I had the Call off the Search album from the moment it was released. Nobody here knew the first album, but everyone spoke about Nine Million Bicycles, and some people I know still today are convinced that it would be a Norah Jones title.

On the actual Live Tour 2008 Katie sings it as the last "official" song before the encores, and that shall mean that it's important to her. The live version is somehow softly dancing. Very touching. When I saw her in Strasbourg she had some tears in her eyes at the end of the song. From this moment the 2008 live version of Nine Million Bicycles is one of my favourite Katie songs.

I like this song because of the 'Asian feel' to it. It's fresh and yet calm at the same time. Rather like sitting on a Japanese riverbank fishing.

I remember seen (and also hearing) the song on GOTV for the very first time. I was very impressed by the videos there was a young woman (the name I never read or heard before) lying on her back and she sang this song and at the while she was pulled through many, many sceneries

I loved the flute at the beginning. This was so unconventinal it sounded so irish to me.

Sometime later I saw the wonderful concert of SWR and the rest is history

The "Asia feeling" might be suggested by the refrain melody based on a major pentatonic scale, the sound of the flute and last not least by the title. But to me it's more than all suggestion. Personally, the flute reminds me rather of Irish folk, indeed it's played by Frank Gallagher.

Of course I like this song very much
But I have a little problem with it
I think the melody is very near of the american standard 500 miles(sung in french by the sixties singer Richard Anthony under the title J'entends siffler le train)
http://fr.youtube.com/watch?v=BJXFJW3AIKA
http://fr.youtube.com/watch?v=9wso8-vebHc
and in french:
http://fr.youtube.com/watch?v=D3Ejgyoc4hg
And for Mike Batt there is no problem of plagiat(sorry,I don't know the english word) because 500 miles is a traditional song (= "public domain").
Mike is not always really honest:on the first album Mockingbird song is "signed" by him but I discovered it was also a traditional song sung by several artists before Katie

P.S. Sorry,I know my english is not perfect at all

The "Mockingbird Song" is a standard blues, it's pointless saying that this 12-bar chorus had already been before.

"Nine Million Bicycles" is based on major I, IV, V and minor II, III chords, a standard harmony, thousands of songs are made of that or a similar chord sequence (also "Let It Be" for example), but Nine Million Bicycles is a song of its own.

My opinion about this song:



Anything to add ?

I've heard this song frequently on the radio, and loved it right from the start. Didn't know who sang it......

After a few weeks I started "searching" for some info about this song and who was behind the microphone....

Played the tune over and over again, then saw her on a tv show performing this song live, and I was ..............addicted


Then bought the single, the album, the dvd, the 12" record and so on....

OK.
Because there is an English nursery rhyme (or lullaby):
"Mama's Gonna Buy You a Mockingbird"

http://meluaworld.com/viewtopic.php?f=26&t=509&p=15965#p15965

Kind of the same here. NMB was one of the most frequently played songs on the radio, you couldn’t skip it.

that song is just WOW!!! Everything is just perfect. The melody, that amazing flute the feeling, Katie's devine voice.

IMHO togehet with Blame it on the moon, the best song, Mike has ever wrote (O.K. Also including TCTTC)

For me, the video of the song is Katie's best video ever. I would wish a similar one for WIMAY

Many people have criticised the lyrics of this song, but for me it is a lyrical masterpiece. I love how Katie sings this song and the live version is so often identical to the studio version. Most people would say that is the sign of a 'top' live performer, and of course it is, but I like it when Katie lets go a bit. I suppose that's why I prefer the accoustic version of NMB where she replaces the flute with her voice. All in all it's a great song however it is delivered. The flute is nice, but the voice is better.

I do like thi song, but when she sings it live I sometimes wish that she would pronounce "bicycles" as she does on the album. A lot of the times live I've found that she sings the word a bit fast.

Just been glancing at Amazon.co.uk and I see they only have used copies of 9million bikes for sale. Just look at the prices they are asking for them.

£12.75 + £1.24shipping· LOW ITEM PRICE
£12.95 + £1.24shipping
£47.45 + £1.24shipping
£50.64 + £1.24shipping

No, it's different and definitely much better.

Amazon is crazy, I got mine from ebay.de for about 3,50€. Also a used one, but in excellent condition.

OTRA DVD is currently sold for 129,99€ at amazon.de...

That's sick, I bought mine about a month ago at 3.50€ too but it was a new one. And I guess I was right to be addicted soon and to have bought the OTRA DVD soon

Anyway, Nine Million Bicycles is a very lovely song ! It made me discover Katie, and I would never thanks its magic enough ! The lyrics suit the melody in a wonderful way, an addicting song, definitely...

Katie's voice is the center of all her songs.

But in that special case. The flute fits perfectly to her crystal clear voice. Imagine fater a stressed day. That song, starting with the flute and than Katie's divine voice, it just makes you fell great!!!

I bought the OTRA DVD last month for a very reasonable price at amazon.co.uk... It probably depends on the availabilities..

Believe it or not!!

9MB has been played in a mexican music TV - channel. I almost fainted!!!

Get ready Latin America.... AQUÍ VIENE KATIE MELUA!!!!!!!!

La reína de la buena musica

... there are nine million cars in Mexico City......
... you spend a bloody livetime in the traffic jam....
.... but you don't care, because you are listening to Katie....