Nothing Matters by The Last Dinner Party

Album: Prelude to Ecstasy (2023)

Charted: 16

License This Song

lyrics

artistfacts

Songfacts®:

"Nothing Matters" is a love song that dives headfirst into the wild, untamed depths of passionate desire with a hint of the unconventional. The Last Dinner Party vocalist Abigail Morris lays bare an emotionally raw connection, one so intimate that nobody else could possibly grasp it. Though Morris' boyfriend has other lovers, when they're making love, nothing else matters.
The song started as a "slow, sad ballad," a rare departure for Morris, who typically pens heartbreak anthems as they're "easier and more dramatic." But, she told Billboard with a laugh, "I was with my boyfriend at the time, and I was very happy."

The band turned the simple piano ballad into something far more complex, throwing in everything but the kitchen sink. They added guitar solos, horn sections, and experimented with vocal textures, transforming the track into a baroque art-rock anthem.
The Last Dinner Party recorded "Nothing Matters" in Church Studios in Crouch Hill, with Arctic Monkeys and Foals producer James Ford.
In the music video, a grand feast unfolds within the opulent confines of an Art Deco mansion, evoking the Romantic poets. It boasts sumptuous sets and costumes that whisper of faded opulence and decadence.

"The imagery and the way we present ourselves as a band are a natural extension of our interests and music," Davis told Under The Radar. "I studied English Lit at uni, which is how we first met, and as well as being a pretentious di--head, I was always interested in the Romantic poets," she added laughing. "But yeah, mixing up historical fashion, making it contemporary, is really interesting and fun."
Released on April 19, 2023, via Island/Republic Records as their debut single, the song entered Billboard's Adult Alternative Airplay chart at #39. It later climbed into the Top 10, becoming a significant radio hit.
US audiences finally witnessed the hype firsthand when The Last Dinner Party performed "Nothing Matters" on the January 17, 2024, episode of The Late Show With Stephen Colbert. It was the English band's debut appearance on American TV.
The original version of "Nothing Matters" includes the repeated use of the f-word in the chorus. On the radio and during TV performances, they changed the expletive to "have."

After meeting Courtney Love at a festival, she helped advise the band on how to censor the song's lyrics for radio, but they rejected her suggestion.

"We met her at The Great Escape and at the time we were in agony over what on earth we were going to use instead of [the F-word] because that's the whole point," Morris told Music Week.

"After the show she stormed up the dressing room stairs saying, 'I've got it!' She had an empty packet of painkillers and she'd scrawled 'punch' on there. She was kinda pitching to us. We were like, 'Yeah, thanks!' We appreciated her passion."

Comments: 1

Nm from UkAbigail speaking to Primavera Sound Radio in Barcelona, May 2024 prior to performing at their festival.

And I remember when I wrote "I will f--k you", I was just like 'yeah, true - that's what's gonna happen mate!' (laugher). And I didn't think, yes, this is kind of an important political female statement, which I think is in itself kind of a good thing because it's second nature, you know, to feel like you have that agency and that power. And I hope that's how women feel when they hear it, that it's not weird. It can be that natural. You don't have to be passive or being assertive or even just confident in your sexuality. It doesn't have to be a huge mission. It can just be something that sits naturally in yourself.

see more comments

More Songfacts:

Three Week HeroPJ Proby

The first time Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, John Bonham and John Paul Jones all recorded together in the studio was when they backed American singer PJ Proby on his Three Week Hero album.

Brown Eyed GirlVan Morrison

Van Morrison's "Brown Eyed Girl" was originally called "Brown Skinned Girl," and was about an interracial relationship.

Joy To The WorldThree Dog Night

Hoyt Axton wrote the Three Dog Night hit "Joy To The World." He said the "Jeremiah was a bullfrog" line just came into his head after having a drink of wine.

Groove Is in the HeartDeee-Lite

One of the last hits with a track made up almost entirely of uncleared samples is "Groove Is In The Heart" by Deee-Lite in 1990. Soon after, courts ruled that samples needed to be cleared.

Burning Down The HouseTalking Heads

"Burning Down The House" by Talking Heads was inspired by chant band members heard at a P-Funk show where the crowd yelled, "burn down the house... burn down the house."

Y.M.C.A.The Village People

Village People lead singer Victor Willis, who co-wrote "Y.M.C.A.," insists it isn't a gay song - it's about hanging out with your buddies.