"Famous Last Words" is a song by the British group

Tears for Fears Tears for Fears are an English pop rock band formed in Bath in 1981 by Curt Smith and Roland Orzabal. Founded after the dissolution of their first band, the mod-influenced Graduate, Tears for Fears were associated with the synth-pop bands o ...

, originally released on their 1989 album ''

The Seeds of Love ''The Seeds of Love'' is the third studio album by English pop rock band Tears for Fears, released on 25 September 1989 by Fontana Records. It retained the band's epic sound while incorporating influences ranging from jazz and soul to Beatlesque ...

''. It was released (by the record company without the band's involvement) as the fourth and final single from the album in 1990 and peaked at number 83 in the UK. The single was released on various formats including 7" and 12" vinyl, a limited edition 12" vinyl picture disc (only 10,000 copies were pressed, and each copy is numbered), and a limited edition CD-Single (only 5000 copies were pressed, and each copy is numbered). A promo video was made for the single; this consisted mainly of performance footage from the '' Going to California'' live video overdubbed with the studio version of the song and additional video imagery added. When performed live in 1990, the band would often segue from "Famous Last Words" into a rendition of "

When the Saints Go Marching In "When the Saints Go Marching In", often referred to as simply "The Saints", is a traditional black spiritual. It originated as a Christian hymn, but is often played by jazz bands. One of the most famous jazz recordings of "The Saints" was made o ...

Reception

The ''

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette The ''Pittsburgh Post-Gazette'', also known simply as the PG, is the largest newspaper serving Greater Pittsburgh, metropolitan Pittsburgh in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. Descended from the ''Pittsburgh Gazette'', established in 1786 as the fi ...

'' said that the song exemplifies the group's newfound dynamics.

Track listing

* 7-inch single (IDEA 15) # "Famous Last Words" # "Mothers Talk" (US remix) * 12-inch (IDEAT 15 / IDPIC 15) and CD single (IDECD 15) # "Famous Last Words" # "Mothers Talk" (US remix) # "Listen"

Personnel

Roland Orzabal Roland Jaime Orzábal De La Quintana (born 22 August 1961) is an English musician, singer, songwriter, record producer, and author. He is the guitarist, co-lead vocalist, main songwriter, co-founder, and only constant member of Tears for Fears. ...

– vocals, guitar *

Curt Smith Curt Smith (born 24 June 1961) is an English singer, songwriter, musician, and record producer. He is best known as the co-lead vocalist, bassist, and co-founding member of the pop rock band Tears for Fears along with childhood friend Roland ...

– bass * Jon Hassel – trumpet * Simon Phillips – drums *

Nicky Holland Nicky Holland (born 20 February 1959) is an English musician and singer-songwriter, notable for being a previous backing pianist/keyboardist, vocalist and co-songwriter for the band Tears for Fears during the 1980s. Early life Nicky Holland ...

– piano, Kurzweil strings * Dave Bascombe – producer

References

{{Authority control 1989 songs 1990 singles Tears for Fears songs Songs written by Roland Orzabal Songs written by Nicky Holland Fontana Records singles Songs about nuclear war and weapons