Album: Compact Story (1979)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This enigmatic song was written by lead guitarist John Lees; it describes how many suicide victims feel just before they take that momentous final step; here, the narrator wakes up, the love of his life having gone, leaving him with a feeling of coldness and emptiness inside; he ascends a tall building, and throws himself off. Or is he pushed? That is the big question; it may be that he was pushed only in a metaphorical sense as are many suicides; the listener is left to decide.
  • The creation of the special effects used at the end of the song are described in Keith and Monica Domone's official biography. One of the band walked to a service elevator wearing clogs; we hear it ascending, and the rush of air and impact of the victim's body after he leaps. This latter was recorded by throwing a dummy off the top of the Holiday Inn, Manchester, equipped with binaural microphones in a specially designed set of headphones.
  • Lees incorporated a dark joke into the song; a crowd has gathered below, and someone calls out for the poor wretch not to jump until he can move his car. A similar if more whimsical joke was used by Cy Coben in his 1960s composition "Don't Jump Off The Roof Dad!" >>>
    Suggestion credit:
    Alexander Baron - London, England, for above 3

Comments: 1

  • Kjeld from DennarkI just love this song. Not that I am suicidal, it just has a wonderful blues feeling to it.
see more comments

Editor's Picks

"Private Eyes" - The Story Behind the Song

"Private Eyes" - The Story Behind the SongSong Writing

How a goofy detective movie, a disenchanted director and an unlikely songwriter led to one of the biggest hits in pop history.

Concert Disasters

Concert DisastersFact or Fiction

Ozzy biting a dove? Alice Cooper causing mayhem with a chicken? Creed so bad they were sued? See if you can spot the real concert mishaps.

Adele

AdeleFact or Fiction

Despite her reticent personality, Adele's life and music are filled with intrigue. See if you can spot the true tales.

Rick Astley

Rick AstleySongwriter Interviews

Rick Astley on "Never Gonna Give You Up," "Cry For Help," and his remarkable resurgence that gave him another #1 UK album.

Lori McKenna

Lori McKennaSongwriter Interviews

Lori's songs have been recorded by Faith Hill and Sara Evans. She's performed on the CMAs and on Oprah. She also has five kids.

Rupert Hine

Rupert HineSongwriter Interviews

Producer Rupert Hine talks about crafting hits for Tina Turner, Howard Jones and The Fixx.