To the End (Blur song)

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"To the End"

Single by Blur
from the album Parklife
Released	30 May 1994
Format	12" vinyl, cassette, 2 x CD
Recorded	October 1993-January 1994
Genre	Britpop
Length	4:05 (album version)
Label	EMI, Food Records
Producer(s)	Stephen Hague
Chart positions
#16 (UK Singles Chart)
Blur singles chronology
"Girls & Boys" (1994)	"To the End" (1994)	"Parklife" (1994)

"To the End" is a song by British rock band Blur and is featured on their third album, Parklife. This album was produced by Stephen Street, except for this particular song, produced by Stephen Hague.

"To the End" was released on 30 May 1994, as the second single from that album. The song describes a couple successfully overcoming a bad patch in a relationship. It has a full orchestral accompaniment and a choric refrain in French by a female singer (Laetitia Sadier from Stereolab).

"To the End" was not one of Blur's major hits, charting only at #16 in the UK Singles Charts (see 1994 in British music). However, it is considered by fans to be one of their best songs.^{[citation needed]}

1 To The End (La Comedie)
2 To The End (French Version)
3 Video
4 Track listings

[edit] To The End (La Comedie)

Blur later rerecorded "To the End" with Françoise Hardy, this new recording furthered the already grandiose production complementing it with verses sung in French. The recording mutated into a duet, now appropriately titled "To The End (La Comedie)". It surfaced as a B-side to "Country House" and on French editions of The Great Escape.

[edit] To The End (French Version)

A version with the lead vocal re-recorded in French by Albarn himself was released as the third track on the 12" and CD2 editions of the Parklife single. This version has a relatively straightforward French translation of the original (English) lyrics and a slightly demo-ish sound.

[edit] Video

Shot from the video

In keeping with the song's use of French, the promo video for the single release is a pastiche of the classic French New Wave film Last Year at Marienbad (1961). The 4 minute video imitates the cinematography and editing style of the film, and replicates numerous scenes from it. Enigmatic subtitles (not from the film) appear. The band takes the place of the characters from the film: Damon Albarn and Graham Coxon are the principal figures, both involved in a bizarre love triangle with a mysterious woman. The video was released on the DVD edition of Blur: The Best of.

[edit] Track listings

CD1 CDFOODS50

"To the End"
"Threadneedle Street"
"Go Yer!"

CD2 CDFOOD50

"To the End"
"Girls & Boys" (Pet Shop Boys 7" Remix)
"Girls & Boys" (Pet Shop Boys 12" Remix)

Cassette TCFOOD50

"To the End"
"Girls & Boys" (Pet Shop Boys 7" Remix)
"Threadneedle Street"

12" 12FOOD50

"To the End"
"Girls & Boys" (Pet Shop Boys 7" Remix)
"Girls & Boys" (Pet Shop Boys 12" Remix)

Discography
Blur
Damon Albarn \| Alex James \| Dave Rowntree
Graham Coxon \| Simon Tong
Albums: Leisure \| Modern Life Is Rubbish \| Parklife \| The Great Escape \| Blur \| 13 \| Think Tank
Compilations: The Special Collectors Edition \| Live at the Budokan \| Bustin' + Dronin'
The 10 Year Limited Edition Anniversary Box Set \| Blur: The Best of
Singles: See Blur Singles
Other projects
The Ailerons \| Fat Les \| The Good, the Bad and the Queen \| Gorillaz \| Me Me Me \| WigWam
Related articles
Food Records \| Honest Jon's \| Stephen Street \| Transcopic
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