747 (song)

{{Infobox song

| name = 747

| cover = Kent-747-Swe.jpg

| alt =

| type = single

| artist = Kent

| album = Isola

| B-side = "Din skugga"
"Elever"

| released = 13 July 1998

| recorded =

| studio =

| venue =

| genre = Alternative rock

| length = {{Duration|m=7|s=47}}

{{Duration|m=4|s=25}} (Swedish radio edit)

| label = BMG Sweden, RCA Victor

| writer = Joakim Berg

| producer = Zed

| prev_title = Saker man ser

| prev_year = 1998

| next_title = Musik non stop

| next_year = 1999

| misc = {{External music video|{{YouTube|N1fZtCLfWx0|"747"}}

}}

"747" is a song by the Swedish alternative rock band Kent.[https://kent.nu/latar/747-albumversion-sv/ 747] kent.nu It serves as the final song on their album Isola and was released as third single in July 1998. The single includes the B-sides "Din skugga" and "Elever".

It's been recorded both with Swedish and English lyrics. It quickly became a fan favorite, and for six years, the band always ended their concerts with it.

Name, lyrics and theme

In its album version, the song is 7 minutes and 47 seconds long, almost half of that as an instrumental outro with characteristic guitar riffs and keyboard melodies.{{Cite web |last=Radio |first=Sveriges |date=2024-09-11 |title=747 med Kent - P300 |url=https://www.sverigesradio.se/artikel/747-med-kent |access-date=2025-05-04 |website=www.sverigesradio.se |language=sv}} The title is not to be found in the song, and is not a reference to the Boeing 747 airplane even though the lyrics are flight-inspired: the Swedish original, which is slightly different from the English release, describes the narrator and an unidentified second character leaving or escaping something, towards an unknown destination, on a passenger airliner. It closes with a crash scene, moving into the instrumental outro.{{Cite web |title=Kent: Du & jag döden - Release Music Magazine review |url=https://www.releasemagazine.net/Onrecord/orkentdjd.htm |access-date=2025-05-04 |website=www.releasemagazine.net}}

Lead singer Joakim Berg said that the title of the song matching the length of the song was coincidental, and that he named the song "747" because the sample that it used had the number 747 in it. The song was quickly recorded in two hours.{{Cite web |last=Nunstedt |first=Anders |date=2012-08-20 |title=Kents konsert - låt för låt |url=https://www.expressen.se/noje/recensioner/musik/kents-konsert-lat-for-lat-9/ |access-date=2025-05-04 |website=www.expressen.se |language=sv}}

The cover image of the Isola album is an aircraft (in fact, a Boeing 737) which was also used as a backdrop in ensuing concerts.

Music video

A music video was recorded for the English version.[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1fZtCLfWx0 Kent - 747 (Video)] YouTube In it, the band is playing on a stage with a picture of an airplane as a backdrop. At the same time, a story is played up about a man who attempts to steal the mysterious contents of a briefcase, but ends up abandoned at an airport.

Versions

Swedish album version (7:47)
Swedish single version (4:25)
Swedish Nåid 2000 remix (4:31)
English album version (7:47)
English single version (4:17) - Video recorded

Track listings

=CD single (Maxi)=

"747" (Single version) (4:25)
"Elever" (4:46)
"Din Skugga" (4:06)
"747" (Album version) (7:47)

The songs "Elever" and "Din Skugga" were later re-released on the B-Sidor 95-00 album.

=CD in cardboard sleeve=

"747" (Single version) (4:25)
"747" (Album version) (7:47)

=English version=

"747" (English Radio Version) (4:17)
"Unprofessional" (Live Radio Session — Recorded for 2 Meter Sessions, 22-5-98) (4:45)
"What It Feels Like" (2:41)

=UK Promo=

747 (Radio version)

=US Promo CD=

Radio edit (4:14)
Swedish version radio edit (4:25)
Album version (7:47)
Suggested callout hook #1 (0:09)
Suggested callout hook #2 (0:09)

Charts

=Weekly charts=

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" \|+ Weekly chart performance for Swedish version of "747" !Chart (1998) !Peak position
scope="row"\|Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[https://swedishcharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Kent&titel=747&cat=s Swedishcharts - 747] \|align="center"\|28

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"

|+ Weekly chart performance for Swedish version of "747"

!Chart (1998)

!Peak
position

scope="row"|Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[https://swedishcharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Kent&titel=747&cat=s Swedishcharts - 747]

|align="center"|28

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"

|+ Weekly chart performance for English version of "747"

!Chart (1999)

!Peak
position

{{singlechart|UKsinglesbyname|61|artist=Kent|song=747|accessdate=7 August 2017|rowheader=true}}