First Of The Gang To Die (single)

Cover art

MORRISSEY Single
Name	First Of The Gang To Die
Release	12 July 2004 (UK) 13 May 2004 (US)
Total Length	3:38
Recorded	Autumn 2003
Writer/composer	Morrissey / Alain Whyte
Producer	Jerry Finn
Art work	Greg Gorman
Vinyl Etching	No matrix message
Publisher	Attack Records Sanctuary Records
Format(s)	7" Vinyl, 12" Vinyl, CD, DVD
Chart position	UK #6
Single chronology
Irish Blood, English Heart ← First Of The Gang To Die → Let Me Kiss You

Information

Track list

CD

[Attack Records - ATKXD004]

First Of The Gang To Die – 3:39 (Morrissey/Whyte)
Teenage Dad On His Estate – 4:06 (Morrissey/Whyte)
Mexico – 4:07 (Morrissey/Boorer/Day)
My Life Is A Succession Of People Saying Goodbye – 2:53 (Morrissey/Whyte)

DVD

[Attack Records - ATKDX003]

First Of The Gang To Die [live video] – 4:30 (Morrissey/Whyte)
First Of The Gang To Die – 3:39 (Morrissey/Whyte)
Teenage Dad On His Estate – 4:06 (Morrissey/Whyte)
Mexico – 4:07 (Morrissey/Boorer/Day)

Lyrics

(Los Angeles, you are too hot)

You have never been in love
Until you've seen the stars
Reflect in the reservoirs

And you have never been in love
Until you've seen the dawn rise
Behind the Home For The Blind

We are the Pretty Petty Thieves
And you're standing on our streets
Where Hector was the first of the gang
With a gun in his hand
And the first to do time
The first of the gang to die
Oh my
Hector was the first of the gang
With a gun in his hand
And the first to do time
The first of the gang to die
Oh my

You have never been in love
Until you've seen sunlight thrown
Over smashed human bone

We are the Pretty Petty Thieves
And you're standing on our streets
Where Hector was the first of the gang
With a gun in his hand
And the first to do time
The first of the gang to die
Such a silly boy
Hector was the first of the gang
With a gun in his hand
And a bullet in his gullet
The first lost lad to go under the sod

And he stole from the rich and the poor
And the not-very-rich
And the very poor
And he stole all hearts away

He stole all hearts away
He stole all hearts away
He stole all hearts away
Away

He stole all hearts away
He stole all hearts away
Away

He stole all hearts away
He stole all hearts away
Away

Music Video

Edit:

Credits

Directed by Bucky Fukumoto

Live History

Play count (Morrissey concert): 573

Morrissey live history:

... further results

Appears On

Cover Versions

Zee Avi

Mentioned In

Discogs Information

Credits

Bass - Gary Day
Drums - Dean Butterworth
Engineer - Joe McGrath
Engineer [Assistant] - Brad Spence
Engineer [Assistant] - Seth Waldmann
Guitar - Boz Boorer
Guitar, Backing Vocals - Alain Whyte
Keyboards - Mikey V. Farrell
Keyboards - Roger Joseph Manning Jr.
Photography By - Greg Gorman
Producer, Mixed By - Jerry Finn
Written-By - Alain Whyte
Written-By - Boz Boorer
Written-By - Gary Day
Written-By - Morrissey

Notes

Recorded in Los Angeles.

‘First Of The Gang To Die’ taken from the album ‘You Are The Quarry’ ATKCD001.

Made in the EU.

Images

First Of The Gang To Die - Discogs master release: https://www.discogs.com/master/26197
First Of The Gang To Die (Single) - Discogs release: https://www.discogs.com/release/2873391-Morrissey-First-Of-The-Gang-To-Die

Discogs information (additional release)

Notes

DVD also includes a photo gallery

Images

First Of The Gang To Die (DVD-Video PAL Single) - Discogs release: https://www.discogs.com/release/1033477-Morrissey-First-Of-The-Gang-To-Die

Wikipedia Information

"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. The single was A-Listed by BBC Radio 2 and received much more exposure than "Irish Blood, English Heart", propelling it onto the UK top 40 airplay chart. It entered the UK Singles Chart at number six, making it the third-highest-charting song and most successful follow-up single of Morrissey's career. The single stayed in the chart for seven weeks, longer than any other Morrissey single. Outside the United Kingdom, the song reached number 20 in Sweden and number 26 in Ireland, while becoming a minor hit in Germany and the Netherlands. The song, which tells the story of a gang member named Hector, is seen as a tribute to Morrissey's significant Hispanic fanbase. Whyte commented, "All these Hispanic kids were coming to see us, with quiffs and leather jackets, shouting for Morrissey. The Latinos embraced him because they relate to all that isolation in his lyrics. They feel like outsiders in their own country. Plus, they have a very romantic sensibility and love the whole rocker image." In October 2011, NME placed it at number 147 on its list "150 Best Tracks of the Past 15 Years".

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_of_the_Gang_to_Die

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