PJ Harvey performs The Last Living Rose 

Really.. you think this is the best song? What about ‘England’ or ‘Written on the forehead’? For me those songs are the clear pinnacle of the record.

I was always saying “I love the sax solo” then a friend showed it wasn’t a sax. Still my favorite sax solo

same. fkin majik

agreed

the way she balances love, frustration, anger, longing and spite in almost every word is truly unreal.

this is hardly rock

this and in the dark places. its 11 years ago and I still listen to this album regularly.

@@MephProduction this is P.J

bator.

Yeah, it's incredible how much this whole album works as well or better in 2019-20 as when it was originally recorded...

Are you close

2023 get excited for her new Album I'm not sure exact date, love reading all the like minded comments for PJ!

+Ricardo Batista ..............Early 2016.

+Ricardo Batista Hope Six Demolition Project April 2016

Hejira#2854 listen The Wheel - PJ harvey in spotify

Me too..it's a great bridge.

LOL, PJ Harvey wasn't pro Brexit and I think the first line of the song is a little sarcastic ;) The whole album is a reflection of the dying embers of the 'empire' mentality and England's place in the wider world diminishing.

David Riley never said she was Pro Brexit...she was simply capturing the mood of the Brexit crowd

+Helen Kate Greaves oh heeeeeeeeey ^_^ cheers to your great taste

Exactly. One of the main traits of her artistic genius is to be able to become different people, different voices. I doubt very much she's pro-brexit, but, like those of us that are, she sees this country's shame & beauty, its contradictions in peace & violence, tolerance & prejudice. She (her character) sees us warts & all, but cannot be anything other than English.

Dary Scott-Harper Remind me would you, what was 'the mood of 2016 England and the Brexit camp'? It's just, I was there and nothing seems to be of particular note.

Within the context of the rest of the song, yes, but if decontextualised for the sake of rhetoric, no; in which case, it's just plain ugly.

Nathan Hulse But the entire song fortifies what she says in the first line. It’s obvious that England is the Last Living Rose 🌹 and Europe is the recipient of what England hastily sells it “for nothing, NOTHING.” Written in May 2010, 6 years before BREXIT, this is the most anti-European Union song ever recorded.

@@wildmercuryfilms No, the words of the song are ironic : it presents a caricature of national chauvinism. Keep in mind the context of the entire album, which is a criticism of belligerant mentalities, militarism and effects of war. For example, in « The Glorious Land » (another ironic title), it says : « What is the glorious fruit of our land? / Its fruit is deformed children / What is the glorious fruit of our land? / Its fruit is orphaned children ». Then, beginning a song with « Goddamn Europeans », an insult, points out to what leads to conflicts... and war.

Sums up the problem... We all hear what we WANT to hear in lyrics. Let's just enjoy the song and her talent instead.

@@eericer but in The Glorious land the reason those children are deformed or orphaned is thanks to England being bombed, she's not being ironic, she talking about how the fruit (the children) of the glorious land (England) are suffering.

Bruh

..so you are [not] a fan?

Quiverrr... and my heart drops with the chords each time she does that.

thats not a minor chord.

Wrong, sir. Get out yer guitar or piano. Listen to the song from the start. A minor chord starts the phrases of the verses, then shifts to major as the verse develops. And back again to minors. I'm glad I'm not in a band with you. Or your +2s.

+Swankman it is.

+Swankman I didn't mean to be insulting. I have been in a band with a very notable musician who didn't hardly know the difference between major and minor chords (PJ Harvey most certainly does). Chords would clash sometimes to a pretty tense effect, and I still feel fortunate to have been in her band.