You have never been in love,
Until you have seen the stars reflect in the reservoirs
And you have never been in love,
Until you have seen the dawn rise,
Behind the home for the blind

We are the pretty, petty thieves,
And you're standing on our streets
Where Hector was the first of the gang with a gun in his hand
And the first to do time,
The first of the gang to die, oh my.
Hector was the first of the gang with a gun in his hand
And the first to do time,
The first of the gang to die, oh my

You have never been in love,
Until you've seen the sunlight thrown,
Over smashed human bone

We are the pretty, petty thieves,
And you're standing on our streets
Where Hector was the
First of the gang with a gun in his hand
And the first to do time,
The first of the gang to die,
Such a silly boy
Hector was the first of the gang with a gun in his hand
And the bullet in his gullet and the first lost lad to go under the sod

And he stole from the rich and the poor
And not very rich and the very poor.
And he stole our hearts away
He stole our hearts away,
He stole our hearts away...



Lyrics submitted by Brandnizzle2k4

Track duration: 03:38

"The First of the Gang to Die" as written by Steven Patrick/whyte Morrissey

Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Universal Music Publishing Group

Lyrics powered by LyricFind


First Of The Gang To Die song meanings
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36 Comments

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  • +1
    General Comment:This Song remind me of early - mid 90s in my local neibourhood with the other friends of mine.
    We had that little kid gank
    Kids are kids and drag one another to do stupid stuff to proove to one another get attention and stuff.
    Small thieverys , street fights you dont realise wrong and right or the limits of the things you can do,you just drag each other and one day you can do something that can be serious without realising it.
    Hector in my mind represents that kid, the most wild , that he never was afraid cause he never thought of consecuenses, he just rushed to do what he was thinking and was always getting into trouble and always was barelly making it out.
    And that , in short its about kid ganks in poor neighboorhoods, parents work or they dont care and kids become like a pack.And its all great until something goes bad ;)
    Flag Yobukankon May 25, 2012   Link
  • +1
    General Comment:This is probably really naive of me but I feel as if this is another song about Morrissey's (often fetishistic) relationship with gang culture. Just like in 'Suedehead' he's discussing gang subculture.

    It feels like quite a romantic song. I adore that Hector 'stole all hearts away.' The characters seems so powerful and commands the most attention (even from the singer!) but he dies a tragic and presumably young death. It reminds me a little of Morrissey's relationship with James Dean, too.
    Flag lemonlaceon April 27, 2012   Link
  • +1
    General Comment:I was reading the lonely planet in South Africa and when i was reading about the Hector Peterson memorial in Soweto I read the words 'Hector was the first of the gang to die'. I am not saying that Morrissey trawls lonely planets for lyrics although that could explain Bengali in Platforms. Anyway i think this song is about Hector Peterson.

    He stole all hearts away possibly referring to the uproar he caused some might say a big swing towards the end of the Apartheid.

    The one lyric that stumps me slightly is With a gun in his hand. Maybe this refers to the damage he could do to the government with his protest/death! Anyway Rambling!
    Flag 7deadlyfrenchmenon October 06, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:gun in his hand... eheheh morrissey is a genius he makes me laugh... such a silly boy
    Flag agostino12on September 08, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:The song is about a gang member in L.A. his name was Hector
    Flag Vadoon September 08, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I love Clarks interpretation that hector being the first of the Gang to die is about getting married. The gun references could be refering to a 'shot gun wedding' or getting married cos the bride is pregnant..to be honest its probally nothing to do with marriage but I just love that interpretation, thinking outside the box, like it..please excuse my English, I was born and schooled in England..nuff said!
    Flag Crouchon July 06, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:"Los Angeles, you are to rock"
    Flag davidovitchon December 10, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment: I think "have never been in love" is equal to "have never experienced real thrill".
    And the song is about heroes of gangster movies and (mostly) how people feel about them (and for what reason). And the supposed answers are something opposite to the song's merry melody, and this is what makes it so... I don't know, dramatic? sophisticated?)))
    Flag is60w26on November 24, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:haha...I think it is "Los Angeles, you are too hot" as well..
    that's what i've always thought..
    or maybe "Los Angeles, you are too kind"
    Flag huzzah_huzzahon January 30, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:vividnod, i always thought it said "los angeles, you are too hot" aha :)
    Flag Sugar!on June 15, 2008   Link

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