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Anthem for Doomed Youth

Band songlist

Info

Anthem for Doomed Youth (previously known as "Handsome") is the title of a track released on The Libertines' third album, of a similar name, in September 2015. Anthem for Doomed Youth is also the title of Wilfred Owen's poem about the First World War. An NME interview confirms that writing and singing duties were "split 50/50" between Doherty and Barat.

A rough demo version was first heard by fans when Andrew Kendall uploaded the content of Doherty's "My Music" folder to the internet in April 2006; it contained a folder called SHAMBLES1, where only two of the tracks contained titles. One was At the Flophouse and the other one was titled "Handsome?" (and incorrectly labelled as a Babyshambles track; it was actually a Doherty solo effort). The rest of the 17 tracks were titled "DM100022 Babyshambles"(with the number changing for each title). Handsome? contained just Doherty and an electric guitar, with lyrics that are barely audible.

In May 2010, Peter played a song which sounded similar to 'Handsome' at a solo Paris show. Later in 2010, albionrooms.com uploaded an acoustic number by Doherty, titled "Anthem for Doomed Youth", which sounded very similar to the earlier version of "Handsome" (download that here).

In 2011, documentary The Libertines: There Are No Innocent Bystanders featured a track credited as "Anthem For Doomed Youth (working title) - Written & performed by Pete Doherty".

In 2015, The Libertines confirmed that "Anthem for Doomed Youth" would be included on their reunion album, stating that the track had been "a long time coming". The track's first live outing as a full band was during their surprise set at Glastonbury Festival 2015.

The studio version of this song was first heard by fans when it was uploaded to YouTube by the band, a few days before the official album release.

First NME review of the song:
"One that’s been played live a few times now, with Carl taking charge in full-on Dorian Gray mode. “In the pub that night, racking out the lines of shite,” he sings – vocals low and conversational. Pete’s already told Radio 1 that the line: “They wished you luck and handed you a gun” is about “the day we got signed [to Rough Trade]”, and the entire song again seems to be about the band’s formation. At one point, there’s a sly bit of method acting that takes us from the start until present day, with Carl singing, “Yes we thought that they were brothers / Then they half murdered each other / Then they did a karaoke turn / And murdered our best song”. Despite Carl singing the majority on the record, live Pete’s been singing half of it. Melody-wise, it’s a meandering, sweet set of chords that feels close to Dirty Pretty Things when they let their hair down (‘One To My Left’)”.

Appearing on

Live at O2 Academy Glasgow (1) The LibertinesAlbum2016-02-19
Anthems for Doomed Youth (Bonus Demo Track) The LibertinesAlbum2015-09-11
Anthems for Doomed Youth The LibertinesAlbum2015-09-11
SHAMBLES1 (As "Handsome?") BabyshamblesSessionUnknown

Concerts

Festival SOS 4.8 The LibertinesMurcia2016-05-07
AB brussels 2016 The LibertinesAncienne Belgique, Brussels2016-05-03
Live @ Olympia The LibertinesMusic Hall, Paris2016-03-09
O2 London (1) The Libertines2016-01-30
Reading Festival 2015 The LibertinesReading2015-08-30
Rock en Seine 2015 The Libertines Domaine national de Saint-Cloud, Saint-Cloud2015-08-29
Glastonbury 2015 The LibertinesGlastonbury2015-06-26

Lyrics

Here’s a story about the rules of death and glory
To be learned by heart by all children of men
It’s the hour of the morning on the day after the dawning
When the sun they said would never set finally set again
Was it Cromwell or Orwell who first led you to the stairwell
Which leads only forever to kingdom come
Rushed alone by guiding hands whispers of the promised land
They wished you luck and handed you a gun
Life could be so handsome
Life could be so gay
We’re going nowhere
But nowhere, nowhere’s on our way
In the pub that night
Racking out the lines of shite
Putting to right
All of the world’s great wrongs
Yes we thought that they were brothers
Then they half-murdered each other
Then they did a karaoke turn
And murdered our best song
Told the governor’s wife
About the last night of his life
She turned away in tears
Called you a liar
Where are all the old dreams now?
The batallion, once so proud
Lost in some old song and hanging on the old barbedwire
Life could be so handsome
It’s so good to be okay
We’re going nowhere
But nowhere, nowhere’s on our way
Nowhere in the institutions
Did they teach that revolution
Was something that could ever come to pass
Oh we tried one, once before
Was the king’s head on the floor
And we got booted out the boozer
Cause someone smashed the glass
Life could be so handsome
Life could be okay
We’re going nowhere
But nowhere, nowhere’s on our way
Life could be so handsome
It’s all gonna be okay
We’re going nowhere
Cause nowhere, nowhere’s on our way
Nowhere’s on our way

Extrainfo

Lyrics belongs to old version of song called Handsome.
---------------------------------------
I know we're going nowhere,
but nowhere's on my way
????
in your hackney cabriolet
all the songs that you whistle
to get you through the day
they'll never fail
to get you through the day
if you're going nowhere
and life could be so handsome
life could be so gay
are you going nowhere?
oh then nowhere
oh nowhere's on my way
nowhere's on my way
you're splendid
in your hackney cabriolet
still you're going nowhere
well that's ok
'cause you know nowhere
nowhere's on my way.
racing through the city
in your hackney cabriolet
all the songs that you sing
just to get you through the day
they'll never fail
to get you through the day
if tomorrow's nowhere
and life could be so handsome
and life could be ok
are you going nowhere, baby?
oh then nowhere, nowhere's on my way
nowhere's on my way

NameAnthem for Doomed Youth
BandPeter Doherty
CreditsCarl Barat
Peter Doherty


Marked as favorite by
AlbionGirl, Clemens, DJoseph, EighthDeadBoy, Fireman, JimReynoldsUK, uponthesand10