In Every Dream Home a Heartache
| "In Every Dream Home a Heartache" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Song by Roxy Music from the album For Your Pleasure | ||||
| Released | March 1973 | |||
| Recorded | February 1973 at Command Studios, London | |||
| Genre | Art rock | |||
| Length | 5:29 | |||
| Label | EG Records | |||
| Writer(s) | Bryan Ferry | |||
| Producer(s) | Chris Thomas, John Anthony and Roxy Music | |||
| For Your Pleasure track listing | ||||
| ||||
"In Every Dream Home a Heartache" is a song written by Bryan Ferry, originally appearing on his band Roxy Music's second album.
Lyrically, the song is a sinister monologue, part critique of the emptiness of opulence, partly a love song to an inflatable doll. Musically this is complemented by a cycling four-bar chord progression,(D# F# F G#) led by a 'cinema organ' style Farfisa part. After the lyrical conclusion "I blew up your body/but you blew my mind!", the song climaxes with an extended instrumental section, with the lead taken by guitarist Phil Manzanera.
On the original vinyl LP, the song was the last one on side A, and appeared to fade out into the run-out groove, only to return, heavily processed with phase shifting techniques. This audio pun is preserved on the CD release.
The song is one of the most iconic and popular in the Roxy Music catalogue, having been performed by them for instance on the BBC Old Grey Whistle Test show, and regularly in live sets, as featured on Roxy Music's live albums Viva! and Concerto. The band's live performance on an edition of the German Beat Club shows Mackay playing the organ part, with Ferry on rhythm guitar. Eno replaces the studio phase-shifting process with tape delay techniques.
Cover versions
The song has been covered by Jared Louche of Chemlab, Rozz Williams and Gitane Demone on their album Dream Home Heartache, the album's title referencing the song, Jane Birkin on her Rendez-Vous album of 2004.[1] It has also been performed in concert by Peter Murphy on his 2009 tour. Another version is done by Fields of the Nephilim on the album Revelations. Canadian anticon related alternative hip hop artist Buck 65 covered the song on his sixth solo album Vertex from 1999. Mike Patton fronted supergroup Tomahawk have covered the song in live sets.
Bassist John Taylor, during his solo period after leaving Duran Duran in 1997, organized a Roxy Music tribute album called Dream Home Heartaches: Remaking/Remodeling Roxy Music (released 1999). The title song was covered by Xan.[2]
It has also been covered by the Canadian group Kids on TV.
In 2009 it appeared on Talk Normal's début album Sugarland.
In 2013, it was covered by the Melvins for their covers album Everybody Loves Sausages, with guest vocals by Jello Biafra. Kevin Rutmanis also guests, playing bass.
Musicians
- Andy MacKay: Farfisa organ, saxophone
- Bryan Ferry: vocals, rhythm guitar
- Brian Eno: VCS 3 synthesizer, tape effects
- Paul Thompson: Drums
- Phil Manzanera: Guitar
- John Porter (Guest Artist): Bass
References
- ↑ Dave Thompson, Rendez-Vous album Review. - Allmusic
- ↑ John Taylor's Trust The Process website