To the End (Blur song)

"To the End" is a song by English alternative rock band Blur. It appears on their third album, Parklife, and was released as single in May 1994. The song describes a couple unsuccessfully trying to overcome a bad patch in a relationship, and features full orchestral accompaniment with a choric refrain in French by Lætitia Sadier from Stereolab. The song was produced by Stephen Hague, unlike the rest of the Parklife album, which was produced by Stephen Street.[2] Blur have produced several different recordings of the song.

"To the End"
Single by Blur
from the album Parklife
Released30 May 1994
RecordedOctober 1993 – January 1994
GenreBaroque pop[1]
Length4:05 (album version)
LabelFood
Songwriter(s)Damon Albarn, Graham Coxon, Alex James, Dave Rowntree
Producer(s)Stephen Hague, Blur, John Smith
Blur singles chronology
"Girls & Boys"
(1994)		 "To the End"
(1994)		 "Parklife"
(1994)
Parklife track listing
16 tracks
  1. "Girls & Boys"
  2. "Tracy Jacks"
  3. "End of a Century"
  4. "Parklife"
  5. "Bank Holiday"
  6. "Badhead"
  7. "The Debt Collector"
  8. "Far Out"
  9. "To the End"
  10. "London Loves"
  11. "Trouble in the Message Centre"
  12. "Clover Over Dover"
  13. "Magic America"
  14. "Jubilee"
  15. "This Is a Low"
  16. "Lot 105"
Music video
"To the End" on YouTube

Release

Single

"To the End" was released on 30 May 1994, as the second single from Parklife. It was not one of Blur's major hits, charting only at number 16 in the UK Singles Chart,[3] unlike the singles released before and after, which both reached the Top 10 (see 1994 in British music).

French version

Blur also recorded a version in which Albarn sings the lead vocal in French. This was released as the third track on the 12" and CD2 editions of the "Parklife" single. This version features a relatively straightforward French translation of the lyrics and has a slightly demo-ish sound.

To the End (La Comedie)

In March 1995, Blur re-recorded "To the End" at Abbey Road Studios with French singer Françoise Hardy, with verses sung in French.[4] The recording mutated into a duet entitled "To the End (La Comedie)". This recording was released as a single in France and included in the Brit Pop Box Set along with other Parklife-era singles. It was also released as a B-side to the single "Country House" and on French editions of the album The Great Escape.

Video

The promo video for "To the End" was directed by David Mould and shot in Prague in 1994. In keeping with the song's use of French, the video is a pastiche of the classic French New Wave film Last Year at Marienbad (1961). The four-minute video imitates the cinematography and editing style of the film, and replicates numerous scenes from it. Enigmatic subtitles (not from the film) appear. The band takes the place of the characters from the film: Damon Albarn plays "X" and Graham Coxon is "M", both of whom are involved in a love triangle with a mysterious woman. The video was released on the VHS and DVD editions of Blur: The Best of.

Popularity

The song was played for the series 1 finale of Channel 4 comedy-drama Misfits.

Track listings

All music composed by Albarn, Coxon, James and Rowntree. All lyrics composed by Albarn.

CD1

  1. "To the End" – 3:52
  2. "Threadneedle Street" – 3:19
  3. "Got Yer!" – 1:48

CD2 and 12"

  1. "To the End" – 3:52
  2. "Girls & Boys" (Pet Shop Boys 7" Mix) – 4:04
  3. "Girls & Boys" (Pet Shop Boys 12" Mix) – 7:16

Cassette

  1. "To the End" – 3:52
  2. "Girls & Boys" (Pet Shop Boys 7" Mix) – 4:04
  3. "Threadneedle Street" – 3:19

CD – Blur et Françoise Hardy – "To the End (La Comedie)" (1995)

  1. "To the End (La Comedie)" – 5:03
  2. "To the End (La Comedie)" (Instrumental) – 5:03

Personnel

Charts
Chart (1994) Peak
position
UK Singles Chart[3] 16

References
  1. Lindsay, Cam (30 September 2020). "The 25 Best Albums of the Britpop Era". Spin. Retrieved 10 November 2020.
  2. Cavanagh, David; Stuart Maconie (July–August 1995). "How did they do that?". Select.
  3. "BLUR | Artist". Official Charts. Retrieved 6 May 2013.
  4. http://www.vblurpage.com/info/history/9597.htm
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