Irish Blood, English Heart

Last updated

"Irish Blood, English Heart"
MorrisseyIBEH.jpg
Single by Morrissey
from the album You Are the Quarry
B-side
  • "It's Hard to Walk Tall When You're Small"
  • "Munich Air Disaster 1958"
  • "The Never Played Symphonies"
Released12 April 2004 (2004-04-12)
Length2:37
Label Attack
Songwriter(s)
  • Morrissey
  • Alain Whyte
Producer(s) Jerry Finn
Morrissey singles chronology
"Satan Rejected My Soul"
(1997)		"Irish Blood, English Heart"
(2004)		"First of the Gang to Die"
(2004)

"Irish Blood, English Heart" is a song by British singer Morrissey, released as the lead single to his seventh studio album You Are the Quarry. His first new song in seven years, it was released on 12 April 2004 in the United States and on 10 May 2004 in the United Kingdom.

Contents

The song, described as "the most unambiguously political of his career to date", [1] touches upon Morrissey's identity as the son of Irish immigrants living in England. Driven by the hype of Morrissey's comeback, it became his highest-charting single in the United Kingdom (alongside 2006's "You Have Killed Me"), reaching number three on the UK Singles Chart. It is also his highest-charting single in Sweden, peaking at number four, and it reached number seven in Canada and the top 20 in Ireland and Norway.

Background and composition

"Irish Blood, English Heart" is one of the oldest-written songs on You Are the Quarry. Morrissey first revealed its existence in a 1999 interview with The Irish Times , introducing it as the likely title track to his next album. He first performed the song live in 2002, referring to the title as "the components that make up my tubby little body." [1]

The song discusses Morrissey's identity as the son of Irish immigrants growing up in Thatcher-era England, and explores the themes of contention between the two nations. It is one of Morrissey's more political songs, with him denouncing Oliver Cromwell, Toryism, the Conservative Party, the Labour Party, and the British royal family. "[The lyrics] touch upon the disgust I feel for the British political system," Morrissey said. [1]

The song has drawn a particular following from Mexican Americans and Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States, who resonate with its themes of "split identity." [2] [3]

Release

In the United Kingdom, the song was first played by Steve Lamacq on BBC Radio 1 on 29 March 2004. However, Radio 1 did not playlist the single. Only XFM, which playlisted it, provided much exposure for the single in the UK. Despite the lack of exposure on mainstream stations, "Irish Blood, English Heart" debuted at number three on the UK Singles Chart, [4] making it Morrissey's joint highest-charting single with or without The Smiths, alongside "You Have Killed Me" when it was released in 2006.

Early predictions had the song reaching the number one spot, and after only debuting at number three, Morrissey criticised BBC Radio 1 for not playing the song enough despite being "the only British single in the top five." [1]

The single's world premiere occurred on the KROQ-FM Kevin and Bean show on 22 March 2004. The song received consistent airplay throughout April and May on such alternative rock stations as WFNX (Boston), WWCD (Columbus), CIMX (Windsor), KMBY (Monterey / Salinas), XTRA (San Diego), and of course KROQ-FM (Los Angeles), as well as CFNY (Toronto). The single's airplay increased over the next few months and upon its release it reached number 36 on the Modern Rock Tracks chart, Morrissey's first single to chart there since "The More You Ignore Me, The Closer I Get" in 1994. [5]

Live performances

The song was performed live by Morrissey on his 2002, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, and 2014 tours. From the 2004 tour it was recorded and put on the DVD, Who Put the M in Manchester? . In December 2013, Morrissey played "Irish Blood, English Heart" as the last of his three-song set during the Nobel Peace Prize Concert in Oslo.

Track listings

UK 7-inch single and CD1 [6] [7]

  1. "Irish Blood, English Heart"
  2. "It's Hard to Walk Tall When You're Small"

UK CD2 [8]

  1. "Irish Blood, English Heart"
  2. "Munich Air Disaster 1958"
  3. "The Never Played Symphonies"

UK 12-inch single; US 7-inch and CD single [9] [10] [11]

  1. "Irish Blood, English Heart"
  2. "It's Hard to Walk Tall When You're Small"
  3. "Munich Air Disaster 1958"
  4. "The Never Played Symphonies"

Personnel

Charts

Release history

RegionDateFormat(s)Label(s)Ref.
United States12 April 2004 Attack [24]
United Kingdom10 May 2004
  • 7-inch vinyl
  • CD
 [25]

Media usage

An edited version eventually became one of the songs on the EA Sports video game FIFA Football 2005 's soundtrack. [26] The game's version does not include the line "And spit upon the name Oliver Cromwell/And denounce this royal line that still salutes him. And will salute him, forever"; instead, after the verse "I've been dreaming of a time when/The English are sick to death of Labour and Tories", the song reverts to the line that begins "To be standing by the flag not feeling shameful/Racist or partial". [27]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Only Time</span> 2000 single by Enya

"Only Time" is a song by Irish musician Enya. It was released on 6 November 2000 as the lead single from her fifth studio album, A Day Without Rain (2000). The song reached number one in Canada, Germany, Poland and Switzerland, number two in Austria, and became Enya's only top-10 single as a solo artist in the United States, peaking at number 10 on the Billboard Hot 100. It became an anthem for the victims of the 11 September attacks, with Enya donating to a fund for the victims' families.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Who Feels Love?</span> 2000 single by Oasis

"Who Feels Love?" is a song by English rock band Oasis, written by the band's lead guitarist Noel Gallagher. It became the second single to be released from the album Standing on the Shoulder of Giants, peaking at number four on the UK Singles Chart and entering the top 20 in Ireland, Italy, and Spain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Perfect (Fairground Attraction song)</span> 1988 single by Fairground Attraction

"Perfect" is the debut single by the English folk and soft rock band Fairground Attraction, written by Mark E. Nevin. Released on 21 March 1988 by RCA, the single reached number one in the United Kingdom on 8 May 1988, where it stayed for one week. It also reached number one in Australia, Ireland, and South Africa. In the United States, the song peaked at number 80 on the Billboard Hot 100. "Perfect" won the award for British Single of the Year at the Brit Awards 1989 and was nominated for the Ivor Novello 'Best Song Musically and Lyrically' award.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">That Girl (McFly song)</span> 2004 single by McFly

"That Girl" is a song by English pop rock band McFly. It was written by frontman Tom Fletcher and Busted's James Bourne. The song was released on 6 September 2004 as the lead single from the band's debut studio album Room on the 3rd Floor (2004). It was their first single not to reach the top spot in the UK Singles Chart, peaking at number three. In Ireland, it reached number 14.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Girls & Boys (Blur song)</span> 1994 single by Blur

"Girls & Boys" is a song by English Britpop band Blur, released in March 1994 by Food Records as the lead single from the group's third studio album, Parklife (1994). The frontman of Blur, Damon Albarn wrote the song's lyrics with bandmembers Graham Coxon, Alex James and Dave Rowntree, while Stephen Street produced it.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Can't Stand Me Now</span> 2004 single by the Libertines

"Can't Stand Me Now" is the first single from English rock band the Libertines' self-titled second album. The song was their biggest hit, and peaking at number two on the UK Singles Chart and number 28 on the Irish Singles Chart. In the United Kingdom, it is their second highest-selling single after "Don't Look Back into the Sun".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fallen (Sarah McLachlan song)</span> 2003 single by Sarah McLachlan

"Fallen" is the first single from Canadian singer-songwriter Sarah McLachlan's fifth studio album, Afterglow (2003). The song was a moderate commercial success, reaching number 32 in Ireland, number 41 in Australia and the United States, and number 50 in the United Kingdom. At the 2004 Grammy Awards, it was nominated for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance, losing to "Beautiful" by Christina Aguilera.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">You Have Killed Me</span> 2006 single by Morrissey

"You Have Killed Me" is the first single from English alternative rock singer Morrissey's eighth studio album, Ringleader of the Tormentors (2006). The single, written by Morrissey and Jesse Tobias, was released on 27 March 2006. Morrissey said it would showcase the "marked difference in sound" brought about by the new influence of Tobias on Morrissey's work while Billboard magazine described it as a "simple, effective first single". Upon its release, the song peaked at number three on the UK Singles Chart and reached the top 10 in Denmark, Finland, Ireland, and Sweden.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I'm a Cuckoo</span> 2004 single by Belle and Sebastian

"I'm a Cuckoo" is the second single from Scottish indie pop band Belle & Sebastian's sixth studio album, Dear Catastrophe Waitress (2003). Produced by Trevor Horn, the track was released as a single on 16 February 2004. B-side "Stop, Look and Listen" merges into "Passion Fruit" at the end of a song—an instrumental piece which was performed live prior to its release. The front cover features Shantha Roberts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Come Get Some (Rooster song)</span> 2004 single by Rooster

"Come Get Some" is a song by English indie rock band Rooster, featured on their self-titled debut album (2005). Written by vocalist Nick Atkinson and producers Charlie Grant and Peter Woodroffe, the song was released as the lead single from the album on 11 October 2004, reaching number seven on the UK Singles Chart and topping the UK Rock Chart. It was also a hit in Australasia in 2005, peaking at number 38 in Australia and number 22 in New Zealand. In Ireland, the song was less successful, reaching number 46.

"Breakfast in Bed" is a soul–R&B song written by Muscle Shoals songwriters Eddie Hinton and Donnie Fritts for Dusty Springfield. It takes a knowing spin on the line "You Don't Have to Say You Love Me", the title of a song that had previously been a number one hit for her in the UK. After being released on her 1969 album Dusty in Memphis, it was recorded and popularized the same year by Baby Washington. Harry J produced three reggae versions in 1972, by Lorna Bennett, Scotty, and Bongo Herman.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Handbags and Gladrags</span> 1967 song written by Mike dAbo

"Handbags and Gladrags" is a song written in 1967 by Mike d'Abo, who was then the lead singer of Manfred Mann. D'Abo describes the song as "saying to a teenage girl that the way to happiness is not through being trendy. There are deeper values."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Air Hostess (song)</span> 2004 single by Busted

"Air Hostess" is a song by English pop punk band Busted. Composed by the band along with Tom Fletcher of McFly and Stewart Henderson, it was released on 26 April 2004 as the third single from their second studio album, A Present for Everyone (2003), and reached number two on the UK Singles Chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Special Cases</span> 2003 single by Massive Attack

"Special Cases" is a song by English trip hop group Massive Attack featuring vocals from Irish singer-songwriter Sinéad O'Connor, who also co-wrote the track. It appears on Massive Attack's fourth full-length album, 100th Window, and was released as the first single on 24 February 2003.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">First of the Gang to Die</span> 2004 single by Morrissey

"First of the Gang to Die" is a song co-written by Morrissey from his 2004 album You Are the Quarry. It was released in July 2004 as the second single from the album. It was written by Morrissey and Alain Whyte, the two being responsible for lyrics and music respectively. Following the success of "Irish Blood, English Heart", from the same album, the single reached the number six spot in the UK Singles Chart, giving Morrissey two top ten hits in a row for the first time since "The Last of the Famous International Playboys" and "Interesting Drug" both reached the top ten in 1989.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hush (LL Cool J song)</span> 2004 single by LL Cool J

"Hush" is the second single from American rapper LL Cool J's 10th studio album, The DEFinition (2004). Produced by 7 Aurelius, who provides additional vocals, the song was released on September 7, 2004, by Def Jam Recordings. "Hush" charted at number 26 on the US Billboard Hot 100, number 11 on the Billboard Hot Rap Singles chart, and number 14 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart. The single became a top-10 success in the United Kingdom, where it debuted and peaked at number three on the UK Singles Chart in February 2005.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dreams (The Cranberries song)</span> 1992 single by the Cranberries

"Dreams" is the debut single of Irish rock band the Cranberries. It was originally released in September 1992 by Island Records and later appeared on the band's debut album, Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can't We? (1993). The song reached the top 50 of the US Hot 100 and the top 30 of the UK Singles Chart in early 1994. A 1990 demo version was released in Ireland only in the summer of that year under their initial band name, the Cranberry Saw Us. At the end of the song, the backing vocals are sung by Mike Mahoney, ex-boyfriend of Cranberries lead singer Dolores O'Riordan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Madame Helga</span> 2003 single by Stereophonics

"Madame Helga" is a song by Welsh rock band Stereophonics from their fourth studio album, You Gotta Go There to Come Back (2003). It was inspired by the band's stay at Helga's Folly while they were on tour in Sri Lanka in 2002. The folly is owned by Helga Desilva Blow Perera, from whom the title "Madame Helga" originated. Released as a single on 19 May 2003, the song reached number four on the UK Singles Chart and number 15 on the Irish Singles Chart the same month.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">All Fired Up (Rattling Sabres song)</span> 1987 single by the Rattling Sabres

"All Fired Up" is a song written by Kerryn Tolhurst and first performed and released by Australian country rock group Rattling Sabres in 1987. It charted nationally, peaking at number 94 on the Australian Music Report. The following year, American singer-songwriter Pat Benatar recorded a version that became a chart hit in several countries, including Australia, where it reached number two on the ARIA Singles Chart.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Goddard, Simon (2010). Mozipedia : the encyclopedia of Morrissey and the Smiths. New York: Penguin. ISBN   978-0-452-29667-1. OCLC   567155177.
  2. ↑ "The love affair between Mexican Americans and Morrissey isn't that surprising". The World from PRX. 30 October 2014.
  3. ↑ Hood, Bryan (7 May 2015). "Mexico's Cult of Morrissey Comes to Brooklyn". Vulture. Retrieved 16 August 2022.
  4. 1 2 "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 14 December 2018.
  5. 1 2 "Morrissey Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved 14 December 2018.
  6. ↑ Irish Blood, English Heart (UK 7-inch single sleeve). Morrissey. Attack Records. 2004. ATKSI002.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  7. ↑ Irish Blood, English Heart (UK CD1 liner notes). Morrissey. Attack Records. 2004. ATKXS002.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  8. ↑ Irish Blood, English Heart (UK CD2 liner notes). Morrissey. Attack Records. 2004. ATKXD002.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  9. ↑ Irish Blood, English Heart (UK 12-inch single sleeve). Morrissey. Attack Records. 2004. ATKTW019.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  10. ↑ Irish Blood, English Heart (US 7-inch single sleeve). Morrissey. Attack Records. 2004. 06076-86000-7.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  11. ↑ Irish Blood, English Heart (US CD single liner notes). Morrissey. Attack Records. 2004. 06076-86000-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  12. ↑ "Morrissey – Irish Blood, English Heart" (in Dutch). Ultratip. Retrieved 14 December 2018.
  13. ↑ "Morrissey Chart History (Canadian Digital Songs)". Billboard . Retrieved 14 December 2018.
  14. ↑ "Hits of the World – Eurocharts" (PDF). Billboard . Vol. 116, no. 22. 29 May 2004. p. 47. Retrieved 20 March 2020.
  15. ↑ "Morrissey – Irish Blood, English Heart" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved 14 December 2018.
  16. ↑ "Morrissey – Irish Blood, English Heart" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 14 December 2018.
  17. ↑ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Irish Blood, English Heart". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 14 December 2018.
  18. ↑ "Morrissey – Irish Blood, English Heart". Top Digital Download. Retrieved 14 December 2018.
  19. ↑ "Morrissey – Irish Blood, English Heart". VG-lista. Retrieved 14 December 2018.
  20. ↑ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 14 December 2018.
  21. ↑ "Morrissey – Irish Blood, English Heart". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 14 December 2018.
  22. ↑ "Official Independent Singles Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 14 December 2018.
  23. ↑ "The Official UK Singles Chart 2004" (PDF). UKChartsPlus . Retrieved 14 December 2018.
  24. ↑ "Going for Adds" (PDF). Radio & Records . No. 1550. 9 April 2004. p. 20. Retrieved 15 June 2021.
  25. ↑ "New Releases: Singles". Music Week . 8 May 2004. p. 29.
  26. ↑ White, Mark; McCambridge, Ed (14 September 2022). "Ranked! The 100 best FIFA songs ever". FourFourTwo. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
  27. ↑ "FIFA 2005 soundtrack Morrissey Irish Blood, English Heart" – via www.youtube.com.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.