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First of the Gang to Die

Summary

"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.

"First of the Gang to Die"
Single by Morrissey
from the album You Are the Quarry
B-side
  • "My Life Is a Succession of People Saying Goodbye"
  • "Teenage Dad on His Estate"
  • "Mexico"
Released12 July 2004 (2004-07-12)[1]
GenreAlternative rock
Length3:38
LabelAttack
Songwriter(s)Morrissey, Alain Whyte
Producer(s)Jerry Finn
Morrissey singles chronology
"Irish Blood, English Heart"
(2004) 		"First of the Gang to Die"
(2004) 		"Let Me Kiss You"
(2004)

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.[2] 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."[3]

In October 2011, NME placed it at number 147 on its list "150 Best Tracks of the Past 15 Years".[4]

Usage in media edit

The second episode of The Mosquito Coast, an Apple TV+ drama series, is titled after the song and features a scene in which it is prominently used.[5] The song also plays in the 2018 Marvel film Ant-Man and the Wasp.[6]

Track listings edit

7-inch vinyl and CD (UK)

  1. "First of the Gang to Die"
  2. "My Life Is a Succession of People Saying Goodbye"

DVD

  1. "First of the Gang to Die" (live Manchester 22 May 2004) (video)
  2. "First of the Gang to Die" (audio)
  3. "Teenage Dad on His Estate" (audio)
  4. "Mexico" (audio)

CD (USA) and 12-inch vinyl (UK)

  1. "First of the Gang to Die"
  2. "My Life Is a Succession of People Saying Goodbye"
  3. "Teenage Dad on His Estate"
  4. "Mexico"
Country Record label Format Catalogue number
UK Attack/Sanctuary 7-inch vinyl ATKSI003
UK Attack/Sanctuary 12-inch vinyl ATKTW019
UK Attack/Sanctuary CD ATKDX003
UK Attack/Sanctuary DVD ATKTW020

Personnel edit

  • Morrissey: vocals
  • Alain Whyte: guitar
  • Boz Boorer: guitar
  • Gary Day: bass
  • Deano Butterworth: drums
  • Roger Manning: keyboard

Charts edit

Certifications edit

Region Certification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[15] Silver 200,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Cover version edit

A cover version of the song was recorded by the singer Zee Avi, featured on her 2009 self-titled debut album.

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ "New Releases: Singles". Music Week. 10 July 2004. p. 27.
  2. ^ Correspondent, James Hider, Latin America. "Heaven knows he's Mexican now: Latinos adopt Morrissey". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 12 September 2022.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  3. ^ Wilkinson, Roy (November 2002). "The single life". Mojo: 42–49. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
  4. ^ "150 Best Tracks of the Past 15 Years". NME. 6 October 2011.
  5. ^ Meek, Andy (17 April 2021). "'The Mosquito Coast' is the next must-watch Apple TV+ series". BGR. Retrieved 12 September 2022.
  6. ^ "Morrissey Features In Ant-Man And The Wasp Movie". Ghost Cult Magazine. 9 July 2018. Retrieved 12 September 2022.
  7. ^ "Morrissey – First of the Gang to Die" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 20 December 2018.
  8. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – First of the Gang to Die". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 20 December 2018.
  9. ^ "Morrissey – First of the Gang to Die" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 20 December 2018.
  10. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 20 December 2018.
  11. ^ "Morrissey – First of the Gang to Die". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 20 December 2018.
  12. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 20 December 2018.
  13. ^ "Official Independent Singles Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 20 December 2018.
  14. ^ "The Official UK Singles Chart 2004" (PDF). UKChartsPlus. Retrieved 20 December 2018.
  15. ^ "British single certifications – Morrissey – First of the Gang to Die". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 17 March 2023.

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