electronic :: songs

(sumner and marr)

it’s not the way that you would listen
or the way you comb your hair
it is the fact that you are missing
how i feel when you’re not there

i went through all the months of january
locked up in this cell
i’d like to be at home but on my own
i didn’t do too well

look at me, i always get the blame
but i can’t even learn to spell my name
i’d like to read, i’d like to write
but where i live i learned to fight

so don’t you ever say that we’re the same

i don’t need a doctor
telling me i’m full of juice
it’s not a statement that i’m making
but the plain and simple truth

i went through all the months of january
locked up in my cell
i’d like to think of home when i’m alone
it doesn’t work too well

look at me, i always get the blame
but i can’t even learn to spell my name
i’d like to read, i’d like to write
but where i live i learned to fight

so don’t you ever say that we’re the same

album version—5:24
fbi mix—7:59

electronic
disappointed
electronic+disappointed
electronic (remaster)

bernard sumner’s words are often (appealingly) impressionistic, but gangster is distinctly specific in its subject. terse and direct, it’s one of his best ever lyrics; full of attitude and frankness, and like almost every other song on electronic a potential hit single. it is based on the imprisonment of a friend of his for minor drug offences, and was written before his union with johnny marr and with his planned solo album in mind (in this respect it’s the earliest electronic song, though reality was the first to be composed collectively).

in 1992 a thumping eight minute mix (edited by john m pillin jr and steve smith for art of mix/ultra hot razor) appeared on the north american disappointed single. although slightly overlong it does contain one classic electronic moment 32 seconds in when the introductory synth riff explodes from the speakers following a looped drum pattern. oddly, the song was left off some editions of the orange album altogether, presumably due to some adversative connotations in the title—a bit of a travesty considering it’s the lyrical highlight of the album.