So Long You Pretty Thing

Album: Sweet Heart Sweet Light (2012)
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Songfacts®:

  • Sweet Heart Sweet Light closes with this nearly eight minute long track, which finds frontman Jason Pierce bargaining with God in search of forgiveness.
  • The song features a cameo from Pierce's 11-year-old daughter Poppy. She penned the opening verse of the track and also contributed vocals. Poppy is credited as "Poppy Spaceman" - her father often goes by the alias J. Spaceman.
  • Speaking with The Sun, Pierce explained Poppy's contribution to this track: He said: "It was originally written as the intro for the record, but she wrote the words. She's the next generation. She was nine when she wrote it. I heard her singing and said, 'Wow, let's hear that again'. Children say really simple, direct things that are so beautiful. She was thrilled to be on this record. There's a beautiful bit where she chuckles and the window in the house was open, so you can hear the birds singing. It's such a pretty moment, though now she's older there's a bit of embarrassment."

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