In Chinese mythology, Chang’e was the wife of Hou Yi, a legendary archer who had shot the ten suns which once surrounded and threatened Earth. In response, he was given the pill of immortality/the immortality elixir. While the story changes from version to version, Chang’e at some point took this gift and floated upwards to become the goddess of the moon where she is helped by the moon rabbit. She has since been celebrated as part of the Mid-Autumn Festival. On The Silver Cord, her tale is told, starting with the ten suns wreaking havoc and ending with her ascension to godhood. “Chang’e” is one of the calmest tracks on the album, with euphoric vocals and chord changes fitting for a song about a goddess. It was released on October 27th, 2023.

As with every tracklisted song on The Silver Cord, “Chang'e” has two versions: a standard and an extended mix. The standard version clocks in at three minutes and forty-seven seconds, while the extended version builds on the final section of the song, taking lyrics from the breakdown of “Witchcraft.” to extend out to ten minutes and forty-seven seconds. “Chang’e” is linked to The Silver Cord’s sister-album PetroDragonic Apocalypse, taking a riff originally from “Hell’s Itch” (2:53) heard in “Witchcraft” (2:29 and 3:45), “Dragon” (0:53) and “Flamethrower” (4:28) and changing its key. “Witchcraft” also mentions a blood moon goddess, a potential reference to Chang’e herself. The goddess’s name is mentioned on “Extinction.”
Outside of PetroDragonic Apocalypse and The Silver Cord, Chang’e is referenced twice on Flight b741. The first mention is in the song “Mirage City” which is described as a place where she plays her “superstrings.” The other mention is during “Raw Feel” where Stu sings about shooting an arrow through the sun, a reference to the story of Hou Yi.

While the band had previously jammed “Chang’e” live (see “Sea of Trees” from 2024-05-16), it made its live debut on 2024-08-31 at the Ascend Amphitheater in Nashville. It would be the final live debut from The Silver Cord.