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wasteland


composers
Written by: Kerr / Burchill


publisher
© EMI Music Publishing Limited: (1979 - 2007)
© JKMC-Bucks Music Group Ltd / Hornall Music: (2008 - 2014)
© BMG Rights Management (UK) Ltd: (2015 -)


background
The song was originally written for Johnny And The Self Abusers. No live bootlegs exist, and it was never mentioned in reviews, but its provenance as an Abusers' song was sealed as it appeared on their second demo tape.

The demo included a more prominent sax line which started in the second verse (which was partly replaced by Mick MacNeil's keyboards in the final version); and the startling self-referential line in the final verse: I could've been your Simple Minds (later changed to There's so much more that I can't find for the final recording).

As one of the more mature Abusers' songs, it easily earned a place in Simple Minds formative 1978 gigs. It was later promoted to bona-fide Simple Minds contender when it replaced European Son on cassette copies of the first Simple Minds demo tape.

This promotion to the first division put it in the running order for Life In A Day. It was the first song to be recorded during the album sessions with two-takes being committed to the multi-tracks in late January 1979 at Farmyard Studios, complete with lyric changes and Mick's keyboards. Final mixes (including a very similar out-take) were committed to tape on the 3rd March 1979.

(It was the only Abusers song to be included on Simple Minds' debut album).

It hung around for a while, being a mainstream part of the Life In A Day Tour and a worthy substitute during the following Real To Real Cacophony Tour, but was gradually elbowed out by newer songs and was subsequently dropped.

The demo was formally officially released on the The Early Years 1977-78 CD in March 1998. Questions over legalities, especially the financing of demo tape, saw the CD being swiftly withdrawn.

The studio version was picked up again during the retrospective 5X5 Tour and even made it into the accompanying, more expansive, Festival Tour that same year. After this brief hiatus, it was forgotten once again.


see also:
Wasteland (Demo)


lyrics
Can you see us now we're on our own?
And every chance has just come and just gone.
Now it looks so dark and so cold,
Think of the minds we sold.
We'd better speak now.
We'd better speak now.
We'd better speak now.
We'd better speak now.

I can remember things that looked so bright,
And I could talk to you without all of this spite.
Can you picture all that's past?
Does your face deform so fast?
We'd better speak now.
We'd better speak now.
We'd better speak now.
We'd better speak now.

'Cause when I stop and look into your head,
I think of all the things that you said.
When I look up into you eyes,
I see the creature that I despise.
Kill now.
Kill now.
Kill now.
Kill now.

Can you see us now we're on our own?
And every chance has just come and just gone.
I've been wrong but you've been unkind,
There's so much more that I can't find.
Wasteland.
Wasteland.
Wasteland...



discography
Album Version (3:44)
Producer: John Leckie
Engineer: John Leckie
Arrangement: Simple Minds/John Leckie

Life In A Day Promo LP Life In A Day LP Life In A Day MC Life In A Day LP (Virgin Mid-Price Reissue) Life In A Day MC (Virgin Mid-Price Reissue) Life In A Day LP (Virgin Budget Reissue) Life In A Day MC (Virgin Budget Reissue) Life In A Day CD Compact Collection Life In A Day Reissue CD Life In A Day Disky CD Life In A Day Remaster Promo CD Life In A Day Remaster Limited Edition CD Life In A Day Remaster CD X5 Life In A Day Promo CD X5 The Vinyl Collection (79,84)



Demo Version (3:28)
Producer: Simple Minds and Brian Young

The Early Years 1977-1978 CD

Live Version (23rd February 2012) (3:26)
Recorded: Cirque Royal, Brussels, Belgium
Recorded by: Olivier Gerard
Mixed by: Olivier Gerard
Engineered by: Rudy Coclet
ISRC: GB01A1201414

5X5 Live Promo CD #1-1 5X5 Live Promo CD #2-1 5X5 Live 5X5 Live Irish Promo CD




live history
Johnny And The Self Abusers: 1977
Simple Minds: 1978
Life In A Day Tour: 1979
Real To Real Cacophony Tour: 1979-1980
5X5 Tour: 2012
Festival Tour: 2012