First of the Gang to Die
A song about a gang member named Hector, widely read as a tribute to his Hispanic fans.
Morrissey, from You Are the Quarry (2004)
- Written by
- Morrissey, Alain Whyte
- Released
- 12 July 2004
- Length
- 3:38
- Album
- You Are the Quarry
Morrissey wrote the lyrics and Alain Whyte the music, and Jerry Finn produced. Attack released it on 12 July 2004 with the B-sides "My Life Is a Succession of People Saying Goodbye", "Teenage Dad on His Estate" and "Mexico".
The song follows a gang member named Hector, and is seen as a tribute to his Hispanic fanbase. Whyte said Latino fans related to the album's themes of isolation. It reached number six in Britain, staying on the chart seven weeks, his longest single run to that point, and topped the UK independent chart. It went silver in Britain.
It has been used in the Apple TV+ series The Mosquito Coast and the 2018 film Ant-Man and the Wasp. NME placed it at number 147 in its 2011 list of the 150 best tracks of the previous 15 years.
Covers and versions
- Zee Avi (2009)
- Mexrrissey (2016) Recorded as El Primero del Gang.
- Chrissie Hynde with Cat Power (2025)
More songs by Morrissey
Suedehead, Everyday Is Like Sunday, The More You Ignore Me, the Closer I Get, Irish Blood, English Heart, The Last of the Famous International Playboys, Interesting Drug, Dagenham Dave, You Have Killed Me
Sources
- First of the Gang to Die, Wikipedia
- You Are the Quarry, Wikipedia
- First of the Gang to Die (work), SecondHandSongs