Even Though Our Love Is Doomed

Album: Strange Little Birds (2016)
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Songfacts®:

  • Shirley Manson sings on this slow, deeply ominous track about the futility of long-term romance. The band's drummer and producer Butch Vig wrote the song. Manson told Entertainment Weekly: "Generally speaking, I don't like to be told what to sing. He brought this song to me and said, 'I have this idea, if you dig it, cool, if not, no hard feelings.' He played it for me, and I was blown away. It was utterly perfect. I immediately said, 'I want to sing it right now."

    Manson added: "It has a fragility that really matched the music. It's rare that songs come to you perfect. Usually you have to spend time with them or f--k around. But even Butch, who's incredibly modest, knew how good it was. It's the throbbing heart of the entire record."
  • Manson's vocal was recorded in one take. She said: "It was me basically learning the song."

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