Miracles (Insane Clown Posse song)

Inspiration for the song's lyrics came via the Internet generation and group members Violent J and Shaggy 2 Dope raising children.{{cite podcast |url=http://www.adamcarolla.com/ACPBlog/2011/08/08/insane-clown-posse/ |title=Insane Clown Posse |website=AdamCarolla.com |publisher=The Adam Carolla Show |host=Adam Carolla |date=2011-08-08 |accessdate=2011-08-17 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110915151610/http://www.adamcarolla.com/ACPBlog/2011/08/08/insane-clown-posse/ |archive-date=2011-09-15 }} In response to both modern jadedness and their children experiencing wonders of the world for the first time, the group wanted to write a song about natural phenomena humans experience in life which often go unacknowledged. The closing lyrics encourage listeners to take time to look at the world and "appreciate the things that life has to offer".{{cite web |last=Bruce |first=Joseph |title=Violent J's Personal Review of Bang Pow Boom! |url=http://www.insaneclownposse.com/music/violent-js-personal-review-of-bang-pow-boom/ |date=September 4, 2009 |publisher=Psychopathic Records |accessdate=September 5, 2009}}{{cite journal |last1=Laycock |first1=Joseph |date=May 19, 2010 |title='Miracles' Rejects Disenchantment, Not Science |journal=Religion Dispatches |url=http://www.religiondispatches.org/archive/culture/2638/%E2%80%98miracles%E2%80%99_rejects_disenchantment,_not_science/ |accessdate=22 May 2010 }} According to Violent J, "What's a shame is how people walk around blind to it all. They lost their spirit about everything. If you can't even see the miracle in animals, then you must have never truly loved a pet."{{cite web | title=The Buzz on "Miracles" | url=http://psychopathicrecords.com/hatchetherald/100423/index.html | date=April 23, 2010 | work=The Hatchet Herald, Volume 13, Issue 5 | publisher=Psychopathic Records | accessdate=2010-04-25 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100426025115/http://psychopathicrecords.com/hatchetherald/100423/index.html | archive-date=April 26, 2010 }} Despite verbally calling scientists "liars" in the song, he afterward stated that what he meant was that scientific explanations can sometimes kill the intriguing mysteries of the world, such as how ancient pyramids were made.{{cite news|last=Ronson|first=Jon|title=Insane Clown Posse: And god created controversy|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2010/oct/09/insane-clown-posse-christians-god|work=The Guardian|location=London|date=2010-10-09}} Violent J admits that the song's lyrics discuss "things [... that] may not be actual miracles. They may have scientific facts explaining them [...] But nonetheless, these things are still incredible [...] and they should be appreciated."{{Cite episode |title=Interview with Violent J |series=The Church of Lazlo |url=http://blogs.965thebuzz.com/lazlo/ |credits=Lazlo |station=KRBZ |location=Kansas City, Missouri |airdate=2010-04-19 |access-date=2010-04-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090131160126/http://blogs.965thebuzz.com/lazlo/ |archive-date=2009-01-31 |url-status=dead }} He added that the group's use of the word 'miracle' was intended to mean "something fuckin' amazing and incredible, [... a] special, awesome event, [...] a great, wonderful thing."

The lyrics focus on introspective themes which critics considered to be uncommon in Insane Clown Posse's music; however, Violent J states that these themes are important in the duo's work, and reveal their depth. In response to accusations that the group has changed its style and gone soft, Violent J calls the song "classic ICP," noting that the group has always included one or two deep and meaningful songs on every album, and that this is just the first time that they've created a video for one of those songs. Several reviewers have suggested that the song contains an anti-science message, as the song literally states that scientists profess lies.{{cite news|last=Keilman|first=John|title=Rappers' ode to 'miracles' taps into anti-science angst|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/2010/11/30/rappers-ode-to-miracles-taps-into-anti-science-angst/|work=Chicago Tribune|access-date=9 December 2010|date=2010-11-30}}{{cite web |url=http://www.secularnewsdaily.com/2010/10/12/insane-clown-posse-comes-out-as-evangelical-christian/ |title=Insane Clown Posse comes out . . . as evangelical Christians |author=Mike Daniels |date=2010-10-12 |work=Culture Wars |publisher=Secular News Daily |accessdate=2011-08-18}}{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/musicblog/2010/aug/18/insane-clown-posse |title=Insane Clown Posse: a magnet for ignorance |author=Louis Pattison |date=2010-08-18 |work=Music |publisher=Guardian News and Media Limited |accessdate=2011-08-18 |location=London}} Violent J disputes the claim, asserting that "the [song's] concept is about appreciating everything in this world. It's not about God; [...] religion; [.. or] science."{{cite web |url=http://nymag.com/daily/entertainment/2010/04/violent_j_of_insane_clown_poss.html |title=Violent J of Insane Clown Posse Explains the Remarkable Song 'Miracles' |author=Jason Richards |date=2010-04-27 |work=Entertainment |publisher=New York Media LLC |accessdate=2011-08-16}} Joseph Laycock of Religion Dispatches suggests that rather than rejecting science, the song disapproves of disenchantment.

The song's music is built around an ascending synthesizer melody, and climaxes with an electric guitar solo performed by Mike E. Clark, and beatboxing by Shaggy 2 Dope.{{cite journal |last1=Weiner |first1=Jonah |date=April 13, 2010 |title=Do You Believe in Miracles? The wild, weird world of Insane Clown Posse. |journal=Slate |url=http://www.slate.com/id/2250217/pagenum/all/ }}

File:ICP Miracles.jpg.|alt=member of Insane Clown Posse dancing in an animated field of flowers beneath a simplistic digital rainbow.]]

The music video for the song debuted on April 6, 2010, as part of the "Nuclear Edition" reissue of Bang! Pow! Boom!.{{cite web|url=http://www.insaneclownposse.com/general-news/bang-pow-boom-nuclear-edition-out-now/ |title=Bang! Pow! Boom! Nuclear Edition Out NOW! |publisher=Psychopathic Records |accessdate=7 April 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100410123145/http://www.insaneclownposse.com/general-news/bang-pow-boom-nuclear-edition-out-now/ |archive-date=10 April 2010 }} The video's green screen sequences were directed by Paul Andresen, with post-production being completed in Michigan.{{cite news |url=http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/04/26/fools-gold-an-oral-history-of-the-insane-clown-posse-parodies/?src=mv |title=Fools' Gold: An Oral History of the Insane Clown Posse Parodies |first=Dave |last=Itzkoff |date=April 26, 2010 |work=The New York Times |accessdate=26 April 2010}} The video has received over 19 million views on YouTube.{{cite video |people=Insane Clown Posse (artists) |date=2012-09-25 |title=Insane Clown Posse - Miracles |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-agl0pOQfs |medium=music video |publisher=Psychopathic Video |location=Michigan |accessdate=2011-08-17 }}

On April 17, Saturday Night Live aired a sketch that parodied the "Miracles" music video.{{cite web |url=http://newsroom.mtv.com/2010/04/18/saturday-night-live-miracles-parody/ |title='Saturday Night Live' Takes Down Insane Clown Posse With 'Miracles' Parody |author=Anderson, Kyle |date=April 18, 2010 |publisher=MTV News |accessdate=20 April 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20100420090005/http://newsroom.mtv.com/2010/04/18/saturday-night-live-miracles-parody/ |archive-date=20 April 2010 }} In the sketch, fictional personalities DJ Supersoak (played by Jason Sudeikis) and Lil' Blaster (played by Nasim Pedrad) debuted a fictional music video by the Thrilla Killa Klownz called "Magical Mysteries" as part of the Under Underground Records' "Underground Rock Minute".{{cite web |url=http://www.insaneclownposse.com/general-news/saturday-night-live-parodies-the-miracles-music-video/ |title=Saturday Night Live Parodies the "Miracles" Music Video! |publisher=Psychopathic Records |accessdate=20 April 2010 |archive-date=26 April 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100426013256/http://www.insaneclownposse.com/general-news/saturday-night-live-parodies-the-miracles-music-video/ |url-status=dead }} In the fictional video, Ryan Phillippe and Bobby Moynihan rap about things such as "where the sun hides at night" and how blankets work. Saturday Night Live had previously parodied Psychopathic Records in 2009.

Insane Clown Posse called the "Miracles" parody "a huge honor". Violent J called the parody "off the hook hilarious". Shaggy noted that Coolio initially reacted unfavorably towards "Amish Paradise", "Weird Al" Yankovic's parody of the rapper's song "Gangsta's Paradise", and stated "If Weird Al wanted to do one of our songs, I'd be like, 'Hell yeah.' To me, it's the same thing with Saturday Night Live."

The music video also appeared in the webcomic Homestuck.{{cite web | url=https://www.homestuck.com/story/2818 | title=Homestuck }}

Adam Graham of The Detroit News disliked the song, writing that "hearing this song makes you wish ICP would stick to serial killing".{{cite news |first=Adam |last=Graham |title=Pow! ICP revisits the Dark Carnival |newspaper=The Detroit News |date=September 1, 2009 }} Slate writer Jonah Weiner praised the song's music, but panned its lyrics. The A.V. Club writer Nathan Rabin described the song as "fucking insane".{{cite web |url=https://www.avclub.com/great-job-internet-insane-clown-posse-rainbows-fuck-1798219581 |title=Great job, Internet! Insane Clown Posse, rainbows, fucking magnets and the miracle of existence |last=Rabin |first=Nathan |date=April 8, 2010 |publisher=The A.V. Club |access-date=2010-04-13}} A Chicago Tribune critic mocked the song's lyrics saying, "I'm glad that when my kids get strep throat, their doctor doesn't say, '(Bleeping) antibiotics, how do they work?'" James Montgomery described the music video as "a psychedelic special effects extravaganza that is sometimes really literal... and sometimes just confusing."{{cite web |url=http://newsroom.mtv.com/2010/04/08/insane-clown-posse-miracles/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100412063343/http://newsroom.mtv.com/2010/04/08/insane-clown-posse-miracles |url-status=dead |archive-date=April 12, 2010 |title=Insane Clown Posse's 'Miracles' Video Explained |last=Montgomery |first=James |date=2010-04-08 |publisher=MTV Networks |accessdate=2010-04-13}} Pitchfork included "Miracles" on their list of The Top Music Videos of 2010.{{cite web |url=http://pitchfork.com/features/staff-lists/8729-the-top-music-videos-of-2010/3/ |title=The Top Music Videos of 2010 |date=1 December 2010 |publisher=Pitchfork Media |accessdate=8 December 2010}}

The song's lyric "Fucking magnets, how do they work?" became an Internet meme. The following line, "and I don't want to talk to a scientist, y'all motherfuckers lyin', and gettin' me pissed" also drew ire from scientifically-minded Internet users. Scientists created blog entries{{cite web|last1=O'Brien|first1=Daniel|title=Learn Your Motherf#@kin' Science: A Textbook for Juggalos|url=http://www.cracked.com/blog/learn-your-motherfuckin-science-with-the-icp/|website=Cracked|date=9 April 2010}} to teach Insane Clown Posse fans and even did so in person.{{cite web|title=Noisebridge Attempts to Teach Science To Juggalos at Insane Clown Posse Show In San Francisco|url=http://laughingsquid.com/noisebridge-attempts-to-teach-science-to-juggalos-at-insane-clown-posse-show-in-san-francisco/|website=Laughing Squid|date=18 June 2010}}

{{Reflist|30em}}

• {{YouTube|id = _-agl0pOQfs|title = "Miracles"}}
• [https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2020/04/insane-clown-posses-miracles-video-is-ten-years-old.html Decade-long retrospective on the song] from New York

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Category:2010 singles

Category:Insane Clown Posse songs

Category:List songs

Category:Criticism of science

Category:2009 songs

Category:Internet memes introduced in 2010

Category:Songs written by Violent J

Category:Songs written by Shaggy 2 Dope

Category:Songs written by Mike E. Clark