The More You Ignore Me, the Closer I Get
Encyclopedia
"The More You Ignore Me, the Closer I Get" is a song by Morrissey
, released as a single in February 1994. It was taken from the then-unreleased Vauxhall and I
album and was the first Morrissey single to be produced by Steve Lillywhite
.
Reaching number 8 in the UK Singles Chart
, the single became Morrissey's first top ten hit since "Interesting Drug
" in 1989. It is also Morrissey's only charting single in the United States Billboard Hot 100
, reaching number 46, as well as becoming a number 1 Hot Modern Rock Tracks chart hit.
gave the single a bad review, describing the song as a "formless neutered ramble" and that his "gleaming reputation tarnishes" with this release.
episode that taught about momentum
. Titled "The Faster You Push Me", the song was jokingly credited to 'Momentisey'.
with a country swing feel. Her arrangement features fiddle
, acoustic guitar
, electric bass
and drums
.
The song was also covered by the English pop band Acacia
in an "Asian underground" electronic dance-pop style, with the band releasing their version as a single in 1994.
Morrissey
Steven Patrick Morrissey , known as Morrissey, is an English singer and lyricist. He rose to prominence in the 1980s as the lyricist and vocalist of the alternative rock band The Smiths. The band was highly successful in the United Kingdom but broke up in 1987, and Morrissey began a solo career,...
, released as a single in February 1994. It was taken from the then-unreleased Vauxhall and I
Vauxhall and I
Vauxhall and I is a 1994 Parlophone album by British musician Morrissey. Q listed it as one of the top ten albums of 1994. The release cemented Morrissey's success in the US, giving him a top 20 album and his first hit single there with the song "The More You Ignore Me, the Closer I Get"...
album and was the first Morrissey single to be produced by Steve Lillywhite
Steve Lillywhite
Steve Lillywhite is an English Grammy Award winning record producer. Since he began his career in 1977, Lillywhite has been credited for working on over 500 records and has collaborated with a variety of musicians including XTC, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Dave Matthews Band, U2, Peter Gabriel,...
.
Reaching number 8 in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
, the single became Morrissey's first top ten hit since "Interesting Drug
Interesting Drug
"Interesting Drug" was the fourth solo single released by Morrissey. The song was not featured on one of Morrissey's main studio albums, but can be found on the compilation album Bona Drag along with the B-side "Such a Little Thing Makes Such a Big Difference"...
" in 1989. It is also Morrissey's only charting single in the United States Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
, reaching number 46, as well as becoming a number 1 Hot Modern Rock Tracks chart hit.
12" vinyl and CD (UK)
- "The More You Ignore Me, the Closer I Get"
- "Used to Be a Sweet Boy"
- "I'd Love To" (UK version)
CD (USA)
- "The More You Ignore Me, the Closer I Get"
- "Used to Be a Sweet Boy"
- "I'd Love To" (USA version)
| Country | Record label | Format | Catalogue number |
|---|---|---|---|
| UK | Parlophone | 7" vinyl | R6372 |
| UK | Parlophone | 12" vinyl | 12R6372 |
| UK | Parlophone | Compact disc | CDR6372 |
| UK | Parlophone | Cassette | TCR6372 |
Reviews
NMENME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
gave the single a bad review, describing the song as a "formless neutered ramble" and that his "gleaming reputation tarnishes" with this release.
Musicians
- MorrisseyMorrisseySteven Patrick Morrissey , known as Morrissey, is an English singer and lyricist. He rose to prominence in the 1980s as the lyricist and vocalist of the alternative rock band The Smiths. The band was highly successful in the United Kingdom but broke up in 1987, and Morrissey began a solo career,...
- vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments... - Alain WhyteAlain WhyteAlain Gordon Whyte is an English guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He is most known for being Morrissey's main songwriting partner since 1991 and his lead guitarist from 1991-2004...
- guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with... - Boz BoorerBoz BoorerBoz Boorer is a British guitarist and producer most known for his work founding the new wave rockabilly group, The Polecats, and later for his work as a co-writer, guitarist and musical director with Morrissey.-The Polecats:The band "Cult Heroes" was formed in 1977 by Tim Worman , Boz...
- guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with... - Jonny Bridgwood - bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
- Woodie Taylor - drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
Live performances
The song was performed live by Morrissey on his 1995, 1999-2000 and 2004 tours.Parody
A parody of the song was made for a Bill Nye the Science GuyBill Nye the Science Guy
Bill Nye the Science Guy is an educational television program that originally aired from September 10, 1993 to June 20, 1998, hosted by Bill Nye and produced by Buena Vista Television. The show aired on PBS Kids and was also syndicated to local stations, making it the second first-run television...
episode that taught about momentum
Momentum
In classical mechanics, linear momentum or translational momentum is the product of the mass and velocity of an object...
. Titled "The Faster You Push Me", the song was jokingly credited to 'Momentisey'.
Covers
The song has been covered in live performances by Sara WatkinsSara Watkins
Sara Ullrika Watkins is an American singer-songwriter and fiddler. Watkins debuted in 1989 as the fiddler of the progressive bluegrass group Nickel Creek, which consisted of herself, her elder brother Sean, and mandolinist Chris Thile. As a band, they are notable for three wide-released albums:...
with a country swing feel. Her arrangement features fiddle
Fiddle
The term fiddle may refer to any bowed string musical instrument, most often the violin. It is also a colloquial term for the instrument used by players in all genres, including classical music...
, acoustic guitar
Acoustic guitar
An acoustic guitar is a guitar that uses only an acoustic sound board. The air in this cavity resonates with the vibrational modes of the string and at low frequencies, which depend on the size of the box, the chamber acts like a Helmholtz resonator, increasing or decreasing the volume of the sound...
, electric bass
Electric Bass
Electric bass can mean:*Electric upright bass, the electric version of a double bass*Electric bass guitar*Bass synthesizer*Big Mouth Billy Bass, a battery-powered singing fish...
and drums
Drum kit
A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
.
The song was also covered by the English pop band Acacia
Acacia (band)
Acacia was a multi-cultural British experimental pop band active during the mid-1990s. The band is most notable for helping to launch the subsequent musical careers of several of its members, most notably keyboard player/producer Guy Sigsworth, singer Alexander "Blackmoth" Nilere and associate...
in an "Asian underground" electronic dance-pop style, with the band releasing their version as a single in 1994.