Irish Blood, English Heart

"Irish Blood, English Heart" is a song written by the British singer Morrissey from his 2004 album You Are the Quarry. It was released on 4 May 2004 in the United States and 10 May 2004 internationally.

The song had been performed live numerous times prior to release, but Morrissey was without a record deal for some time. It was Morrissey's first single in seven years, and considered a major comeback. The music was written by Alain Whyte and had already been used on a song called "Not Bitter But Bored" for a band he was a part of called Johnny Panic and the Bible of Dreams. Morrissey wrote a whole new set of lyrics for this tune as well as changing the melody. He also did this with another Johnny Panic tune, "Paranoia", which was rewritten as "Don't Make Fun of Daddy's Voice".

In the United Kingdom, the song was first played by Steve Lamacq on BBC Radio 1 on March 29, 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 3 on the UK charts, making it Morrissey's highest charting single with or without The Smiths.

The song draws on Morrissey's English and Irish heritage, and explores the themes of contention between the two nations. It is one of Morrissey's more political songs, with him denouncing Oliver Cromwell, the Conservative Party and the Labour Party.

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 spent two weeks at number 4 on Billboard's Hot 100 Singles Sales chart. It also reached number 36 on the Modern Rock Tracks chart, Morrissey's first single to chart there since 1994.

An edited version eventually became one of the songs on the EA Sports videogame FIFA Football 2005's soundtrack. 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".

The song has also been released as downloadable content for the console versions of the main games in the Rock Band series.

Track listings

7" vinyl and CD #1 (UK)

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

CD #2 (UK)

"Irish Blood, English Heart"
"Munich Air Disaster 1958"
"The Never Played Symphonies"

CD (US) and 12" vinyl (UK)

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

Country	Record label	Format	Catalogue number
UK	Attack/Sanctuary	7" vinyl	ATKSI002
UK	Attack/Sanctuary	12" vinyl	ATKTW019
UK	Attack/Sanctuary	CD#1	ATKXS002
UK	Attack/Sanctuary	CD#2	ATKXD002

Musicians

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

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.

External links

Morrissey

Discography Personnel

Studio albums	Viva Hate Kill Uncle Your Arsenal Vauxhall and I Southpaw Grammar Maladjusted You Are the Quarry Ringleader of the Tormentors Years of Refusal World Peace Is None of Your Business

Live albums	Beethoven Was Deaf Live at Earls Court

Compilation album	Bona Drag World of Morrissey Suedehead: The Best of Morrissey My Early Burglary Years The CD Singles '88–91' The CD Singles '91–95' The Best of Morrissey Greatest Hits Swords Very Best of Morrissey

Extended plays	At KROQ

Singles	"Suedehead" "Everyday Is Like Sunday" "The Last of the Famous International Playboys" "Interesting Drug" "Ouija Board, Ouija Board" "November Spawned a Monster" "Piccadilly Palare" "Our Frank" "Sing Your Life" "Pregnant for the Last Time" "My Love Life" "We Hate It When Our Friends Become Successful" "You're the One for Me, Fatty" "Tomorrow" "Certain People I Know" "The More You Ignore Me, the Closer I Get" "Hold on to Your Friends" "Interlude" "Now My Heart Is Full" "Boxers" "Dagenham Dave" "The Boy Racer" "Sunny" "Alma Matters" "Roy's Keen" "Satan Rejected My Soul" "Irish Blood, English Heart" "First of the Gang to Die" "Let Me Kiss You" "I Have Forgiven Jesus" "Redondo Beach" / "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out" "You Have Killed Me" "The Youngest Was the Most Loved" "In the Future When All's Well" "I Just Want to See the Boy Happy" "That's How People Grow Up" "All You Need Is Me" "I'm Throwing My Arms Around Paris" "Something Is Squeezing My Skull" "Glamorous Glue" (reissue) "Satellite of Love" "World Peace Is None of Your Business" "Istanbul" "Earth Is the Loneliest Planet" "The Bullfighter Dies" "Kiss Me a Lot"

Videos	Hulmerist Live in Dallas The Malady Lingers On Introducing Morrissey ¡Oye Esteban! Who Put the M in Manchester? Live at the Hollywood Bowl Morrissey: 25 Live

Books	The New York Dolls James Dean Is Not Dead Exit Smiling Autobiography List of the Lost

Tours	Kill Uncle Tour Your Arsenal Tour ¡Oye Esteban! Tour

Bands	The Nosebleeds The Smiths

Personnel	Boz Boorer Alain Whyte Jesse Tobias Vini Reilly Stephen Street Mick Ronson Steve Lillywhite Jerry Finn Tony Visconti Solomon Walker

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