Last Year

Album: Relaxer (2017)
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Songfacts®:

  • This tranquil track is split into two parts. The first half, sung by Alt-J's Joe Newman, deals with the last year of a person's life, as they descend into depression before committing suicide. The second half sung by guest vocalist Marika Hackman, is the song sang at his funeral.

    Keyboardist Gas Unger-Smith explained to Indie Shuffle: "The first part, where Joe is singing, is someone reading sort of literally of this decline and depression and death over the course of a year. And the final line is 'to be sang at my funeral,' which leads into this person singing at his funeral."
  • English folk-rock singer-songwriter Marika Hackman was previously one of four guest vocalists that contributed sung words to the This Is All Yours track "Warm Foothills."

Comments: 1

  • Daniel from MexicoI think he drowned in the Mississippi river... the second part she sings she selected a river with depth, and she collected stones to fill his pockets and keep him down. as to not swim back up. literaly "If it's depths to your rivers, I've picked one for you. Oh, greedy with Ss but equalled by Is
    If it's stones for your pockets, I've collected a few. To hold you down."
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