𝗣𝗟𝗔𝗖𝗘𝗕𝗢 - 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗕𝗜𝗧𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗘𝗡𝗗 – 𝗔𝗡𝗡𝗜𝗩𝗘𝗥𝗦𝗔𝗥𝗬

Photo credit: Screenshots from the video, edit by Silke

Today we celebrate the 18th 𝒂𝒏𝒏𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒂𝒓𝒚 𝒐𝒇 “𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒃𝒊𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒆𝒏𝒅”. It was released as the lead single from the album “Sleeping with ghosts” on March 10th 2003 and reached no. 12 in the UK Singles Chart.

The song was written and recorded in only two days (see quotes below). It is about couples who are breaking up and the anger that take hold of them at this time, but also the desire that arises from this injury. The story of “The bitter end” is based on the novel “1984” 𝘣𝘺 𝘎𝘦𝘰𝘳𝘨𝘦 𝘖𝘳𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘭 and there are severel references to this novel in the lyrics. You can read everything about them here:
👉 https://bit.ly/2Yvrd2W

Photo credit: Jean Baptiste Mondino

The music video was 𝘥𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘏𝘰𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘎𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘯𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘨𝘩 and shows the band playing in the dish of the Lovell telescope, one of the largest radio telescopes in the world. It also displays infra-red snippets of a couple chasing each other. The two of them eventually catch up and kiss while the man presses the woman against a wall.

🎬 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗕𝗜𝗧𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗘𝗡𝗗 – 𝗢𝗙𝗙𝗜𝗖𝗜𝗔𝗟 𝗩𝗜𝗗𝗘𝗢
🎵 http://bit.ly/2YsP0yn 🎵

At live concerts “The bitter end“ is a well-established part of the setlist. Since its release in 2003 there was not one single year where it wasn't brought on stage at least once (except 2019 and 2020 when there was no Placebo concert at all). Its no surprise that “The bitter end“ is in the top 3 of the songs that were played live most often. Up to now there are 678 confirmed performances of it, the first one dates back to March 5th 2003.

📌 𝗕𝗥𝗜𝗔𝗡 𝗢𝗡 “𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗕𝗜𝗧𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗘𝗡𝗗” 📌
📢 "It's about a relationship. Two people fighting, they both want to be the stronger one. A classic Fuck-you song."
(DNAsix, March 2003)

Photo credit: Jean Baptiste Mondino

📢 "It was written and recorded very quickly. As we had spent a lot of time playing with the technology and synths, we wanted to do something lively, exuberant, punk. The idea had started from two guitar chords found by Stefan and bang! Two days later, it was finished."
(Les Inrockuptibles N°382, March-April 2003)

📢 "[...] The backing vocal that comes in at the very, very end which starts out with a line that says "every time we're intersected/it feels love like suicide" and then the last line is "to miss your eyes and lips" and in between I don't know what I am saying. [laughs all around] Live, it changes every night and I like that aspect. For me it is a kick back to The Pixies. I remember reading how Frank Black just considered this lyrics and singing just another instrument. He wasn't really concerned with the significance of what he was saying."
(The Sentimentalist - Issue XII, 2003)

Photo credit: Jean Baptiste Mondino

Post by Silke