Wednesday 15 June 2011

"Oh, mother..." 'I Know It's Over by The Chapin Sisters

Morrissey's been playing in Perth tonight (the one in Scotland not Australia) and eye-witness tweeters say he dusted off the Smiths classic 'I Know It's Over'. So, steering clear of the Jeff Buckley version that most will have heard, I thought I'd try to find a decent cover of the song to post. I've opted for this live performance by The Chapin Sisters. When it started I was a bit ho-hum, but once those crystal clear sisterly harmonies kicked in I was sold.

The original of this song always reminds me of the end of one night in the Hacienda, when The Smiths were at the height of their powers and popularity. The DJ finished with 'I Know It's Over' and long after it faded out and the lights went up, the crowd continued to belt out the closing line 'Oh, mother, I can feel the soil falling over my head' over and over. Even by Morrissey's standards, that's a pretty depressing lyric, but it was a joyous moment.



The Chapin Sisters are the daughters of folk singer Tom Chapin, who was Harry 'Cat's In The Cradle' Chapin's brother. Tom and Harry have another singing brother, but in what I feel is a wasted opportunity, he is not called Dick. (Steve, if you must know.)

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