analogue 2-inch type tape in recording most of the tracks on the album. As the recording progressed, "Yellow" was one of a couple of songs that they "couldn't quite get on analogue". They recorded different versions but it did not satisfy their taste. So Nelson used Pro Tools "to get the feel of [the track] just right"; once all takes were recorded into the computer, "we then put it down to the 2-inch, which I found was a great way to do it", according to Nelson. Composition "Yellow" has been called an alternative rock and post-Britpop song. Martin has explained, "Yellow' refers to the mood of the band. Brightness and hope and devotion." The references in some of the lyrics, including swimming and drawing a line, "are all metaphorical slants on the extent of his emotional devotion". The drawing of a line refers to Martin's habit of writing lists, and underlining those important things on the list. Martin has commented that the song is about devotion, referring to his unrequited love for someone or something. Despite its lyrical theme, many fans have considered "Yellow" to be an upbeat track, although it is often interpreted as melancholy as well. The song is written in the key of B major with a tempo of 88 beats per minute. Release "Yellow" and "Shiver" were initially released as EPs in the spring of 2000 along with the songs "Help Is Round the Corner" and "No More Keeping My Feet on the Ground", the third taken from the band's first EP, Safety. In the United States, it was released as the lead single from the album. In October 2000, the track was sent to US college and alternative radio outlets. The band released a limited-edition CD, Mince Spies, which features a remix of "Yellow". It was pressed to 1,000 copies and issued only to fans and journalists. The single, accompanied by its TV reception through its music video, received massive radio airplay, particularly at BBC Radio 1. The reaction was chiefly positive and even the newly revitalised BBC Radio 2 played the track repeatedly. This heavy rotation continued for months after its release, eventually ending as 2000's most-aired song. A month after the album was released in the United States via record label Nettwerk, "Yellow" was used as the theme song for ABC autumn television promotions. The song was also used as the theme music