Exile Vilify

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Exile Vilify
Release	April 19, 2011
Genre	Indie rock
Length	4:29
Performer	The National
Singer	Matt Berninger
Writer	Matt Berninger

 

"Exile Vilify" is a song composed and performed by The National exclusively for Portal 2. It was released as a single on April 19, 2011, the same day as Portal 2’s release.

Overview

• "Exile Vilify" is heard during Portal 2’s second chapter The Cold Boot, through an Aperture Science Radio found in the Ratman den located near Test Chamber 03. It is one of two songs featured in the game, the other being "Want You Gone", written by Jonathan Coulton and performed by Ellen McLain.

• Originally, it was intended to be used for a "fake ending" Easter egg located about 20 minutes into the game. When this became impossible to execute, the song was rewritten to make it more sombre and was put into a Ratman den.

Video clip

On June 15, 2011, a fan contest was launched on the Portal 2 official blog to create a video clip for the song. Fans were required to create any video they wanted, and submit it to YouTube with the tag "PORTAL2NATIONALEXILE" before July 15, 2011. On August 9 of the same year, the winner was announced.

After narrowing down to 320 videos, the jury, aided by The National, elected a 1# place winner, as well as a winner for a "1.00000000001th" place, and a second place, who all received gifts such as a guitar or a bag signed by the Portal 2 team:

• The #1 video was directed by C.F. Meister, and involves a sad young man with a hooded jacket walking through the countryside while holding in his hand a sad sockpuppet singing the song.

• The #1.00000000001 video was made by MikeMov89, and consists of an animation of Ratmann's story in the style of Portal 2: Lab Rat.

• The #2 was directed and produced by Panos04 and merryamartyr. It consists of three bleak scenarios involving several people whose lives change dramatically when Weighted Storage Cubes appear in their lives. The makers stated they "wanted to mix the hopeless theme of the song with the "Never gives up" attitude of Chell".

Lyrics

The following is a complete transcription of the lyrics, with, in bold, the words seen on Rattmann's graffiti where the song is played.

Exile. It takes your mind... Again.
Exile. It takes your mind... Again.

Ratman graffiti found in the "Exile Vilify" den, above the radio.

You got sucker's luck...
Have you given up?
Does it feel like a trial?
Does it trouble your mind the way you trouble mine?

Exile. It takes your mind... Again.
Exile. It takes your mind... Again.

Oh, you meant so much...
Have you given up?
Does it feel like a trial?
Does it trouble your mind the way you trouble mine?
Does it feel like a trial?
Now, you're thinking too fast, you're like marbles on glass.

Ditto, on the opposite wall.

Vilify. Don't even try.
Vilify. Don't even try.

You got sucker's luck...
Have you given up?
Does it feel like a trial?
Does it trouble your mind the way you trouble mine?
Does it feel like a trial?
Did you fall for the same empty answers again?

Vilify. Don't even try.
Vilify. Don't even try.

Vilify. Don't even try.
Vilify. Don't even try.

Vilify.