"Editorial abstract illustration evoking the emotional arc of a song titled "Civilization Day" by Ornette Coleman. Dramatic quiet-to-loud arc, stormy climax. dense layered composition, atmospheric complexity. Mood: aggressive, chaotic, energetic, intense, rebellious. Visual style: 1970s editorial print aesthetic, sun-faded color. Painterly, grainy film texture, muted palette with strategic accent colors. The composition should read left-to-right like a timeline — calm on one side, intensifying toward the other. Strictly no faces, no text, no logos, no literal objects, no band imagery. Pure color-field abstraction with emotional weight. 16:9 editorial format."
Real momentum, more energetic than 91% of our 19,209 measured songs — measures out best for workout.
140
BPM
Civilization Day by Ornette Coleman is 140 BPM — Allegro (fast).
Half-time 70 BPM · Double-time 280 BPM · released 1971
Fan image for "Civilization Day"
An abstract illustration of what this song feels like. Each image is built from a prompt — the text description fed to the image generator. Listeners submit their own prompts, upvote the ones that fit best, and the top-voted prompt drives the next regeneration. After 100 image votes, we make a new picture.
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Song DNA
Notes: A jagged, deliberately rough-hewn melodic blur featuring precise unison horn lines that dissolve into aggressive, free-form collective improvisation. The texture shifts abruptly from composed structure to chaotic, high-energy soloing with brisk tempos and minimal rhythmic predictability.
Misophonia Triggers
Recommended for: deep listening emotional release
A free jazz composition that balances carefully composed dissonant unison horn lines with explosive, virtuosic improvisation from saxophone and trumpet.
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Hear it the way it was made
The right gear changes everything.
Moods: aggressive, chaotic, energetic, intense, rebellious
Traditions: avant-garde jazz, free jazz
Intense — what to expect
"Civilization Day" is in our intense band.
At least one of our five sensory dimensions crosses the threshold that means "this can be a lot." Most commonly: instrumental or complex texture, or a dynamic range of 8/10. The full breakdown is below. If you arrived here looking for a calmer alternative, our use-case verdicts section flags songs with similar mood but lower intensity.
How this song sits on each sensory axis
A dynamic range of 8/10 is in the upper band of our library. This song has a significant quiet-to-loud arc. For sensory-sensitive listening, set the opening volume well below your comfortable top-end; the climax will land harder than the intro suggests.
Sudden changes: present. This song uses surprise as a feature. For focus or background listening, it's likely to pull your attention away; for active listening, that's often the point.
Texture: complex.
Predictability is low — this song does not follow standard verse-chorus form closely, and rewards active listening more than passive listening.
Vocal style: instrumental.
Where this sits in Ornette Coleman's catalog
We have 13 songs from Ornette Coleman in the library. Of those, 0 are rated Safe, 6 Moderate, and 7 Intense. This song's dynamic range of 8/10 sits above the artist average of 7.2, making it the #4 most dynamic track of theirs in our library.
1971 context
Released in 1971. We have 257 songs from that year in our library, averaging a dynamic range of 6.2/10. This track is about average than the year average. Explore more from the 1970s.
Explore by mood and tradition
How fast is "Civilization Day"?
140 BPM — Fast (workout / running pace)
For running
Steady-state running pace. Matches most recreational runners' natural cadence.
For workouts
Running, cycling, aerobic workouts, dance cardio.
For daily life
Active tasks, getting pumped up, party, anything high-energy.
Browse more songs at 140 BPM.
When "Civilization Day" works, and when it doesn't
Use-case verdicts computed from the song's tempo, dynamics, and sensory profile.
✗
Focus / studying
No — too dynamic or too many surprises. Save for active listening.
✓
Running / workout
Yes — 140 BPM sits squarely in the running / cardio band. Matches natural stride cadence.
✗
Sleep / winding down
No — contains elements that will keep an awake nervous system engaged.
~
Driving / road trip
Maybe — the intensity / sudden changes are fine for solo highway driving but skip for city or rainy-weather driving.
✗
Cooking / dinner background
No — too active to function as background; will pull attention away from what you're doing.
✓
Emotional release / catharsis
Yes — this is a song for actively feeling what you came to feel, not for background.
Related reading
Editorial guides that cover this song's use cases, moods, or artist.
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Why this rating
We rate this song Intense. Our rule is deliberately conservative: any one of high dynamic range, present sudden changes, harsh texture, or a strained/screamed vocal is enough to trigger Intense on its own. Full scoring rubric: methodology.
This song in the Music Studio
74/100 intensity
See how “Civilization Day” sits against your own sensitivities, or use it as a waypoint in a calmer set.
Listen on
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Rating last reviewed: 2026-04-15. Reviewed by the Music I Want editorial team against the documented methodology.
Think this rating is wrong? Contact the editor — every message is read and ratings get revised.
By the numbers: how this song compares
Computed from this song’s place among the 19,209 songs we’ve measured.
Where it sits in 19,000 songs
This is one of the more intense things in our library — more energetic than 91% of the 19,209 songs we've measured. Its intensity reading of 74/100 comes from a dynamic range of 8/10, complex texture, frequent shifts, and instrumental. Relatively few songs occupy this exact corner of the spectrum.
What makes it unusual
What stands out most about this song is blazing intensity: more extreme on that axis than 91% of everything we've measured. At the far opposite end of the library sit the songs built on near-total stillness — steady volume, no surprises, a slow and unhurried pulse — the kind of track this one is the counterpoint to.
Feels almost identical to
Misirlou — Dick Dale · 99%King of the Surf Guitar — Dick Dale · 99%Freedom — Charles Mingus · 95%Hatred of Music — Tim Hecker · 95%
Closest matches by feel across all 19,209 measured songs — not by genre or artist, by how they actually move.
What it’s good for
Sleep0/10
Focus3/10
Workout8/10
Dinner5/10
Party / hype8/10
Scored from this song’s tempo, intensity, dynamics and texture — not crowd votes.
1971 in context
The 257 songs we’ve measured from 1971 average a dynamic range of 6.2/10. At 8/10, this track is louder and more dynamic than its year.
Mixes smoothly with
Within a few BPM and close in feel — they flow without a jarring transition.
The fingerprint
Intensity74
Dynamics78
Tempo56
Surprise75
Density60
Predictability100
Vocal force0
Trigger load25
The 8-dimension measurement behind every rating on this page.
Frequently asked about "Civilization Day"
Quick answers pulled from the song's sensory analysis.
What is the BPM of "Civilization Day" by Ornette Coleman?
"Civilization Day" by Ornette Coleman has a tempo of 140 BPM (Allegro (fast)). At half-time that is 70 BPM, and at double-time 280 BPM.
What is the sensory intensity of "Civilization Day" by Ornette Coleman?
"Civilization Day" by Ornette Coleman rates as Intense. Dynamic range 8/10, frequent sudden changes, complex texture, instrumental vocal style. Any one of high dynamic range, present sudden changes, or harsh texture triggers the Intense rating.
How loud is "Civilization Day" — what is its dynamic range?
"Civilization Day" has a dynamic range of 8/10. Substantial quiet-to-loud arc. Start at a volume well below your top-end; the climax will land harder than the intro suggests.
Does "Civilization Day" have sudden or surprising changes?
Yes. "Civilization Day" uses surprise as a compositional feature. Expect unsignaled transitions.
What is "Civilization Day" best for?
In our library "Civilization Day" is recommended for: deep listening, emotional release. These tags are assigned only where the song's sensory profile genuinely supports the use case.
When was "Civilization Day" released?
"Civilization Day" is from 1971, on the album "Science Fiction". It appears in our 1970s catalog.
What is the emotional mood of "Civilization Day"?
We tag "Civilization Day" as aggressive, chaotic, energetic, intense, rebellious. Moods are tonal descriptors based on how the song reads emotionally — separate from the sensory intensity axes.
What is the vocal style of "Civilization Day"?
The vocal style is instrumental.
Is "Civilization Day" good for running?
Yes — at 140 BPM it sits in the running-cadence band (120-180 BPM). Match your stride to the beat and it keeps pace with most recreational runners.
Is "Civilization Day" good for studying?
Only partially. The song's dynamic range (8/10) means there will be loud moments that break focus during deep work.
Can I use "Civilization Day" for sleep?
Not recommended for sleep. Too intense overall.
Should I listen to "Civilization Day"?
"Civilization Day" is Intense in our ratings — dramatic dynamics, possible sudden changes, or strong vocal or textural energy. Best with intention rather than ambient use. If you are sensory-sensitive, the alternatives section surfaces calmer songs in the same mood family.
Songs with the same DNA
complex texture, similar intensity — across any genre or era.
Safer alternatives with a similar feel
These songs share similar moods but with a gentler sensory profile.
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Where to next?
You know how this one feels — now go find the next one.