Lyrics and Harmonica from The The

The The released two of my all time favorite songs in the early 1990s when I was in college. They released this one-off single called “Jealous of Youth.” It starts eerie with a lone drum pounding and echoing in a void. This deep breathy voice come on and says, “It's funny how, as we grow old

We cling to the past as we cling to the air

And feel nostalgia for things that were maybe never there”

“The town where innocence was bullied and flared.”

Is that not an amazing opening? Images of autumn leaves and past love. Memories of love and lust. Now the leaves are turning to rust and the singer is old. He wants to live with his thoughts and memories.

It’s haunting in delivery and theme. The horns and drums carry the song to the abrupt end. Wait, did the singer die at the end?

Intense. Isn’t it?

Along the lines of lust and love, second song I discovered came out a few years later.

“Dogs of Lust.” It was a big reason to learn harmonica. It’s bluesy and rockabilly with reverb on the vocals. When the lyrics slow and the song winds down, there is a drum fill that kicks the song back up. The song must be played loud. There aren’t many lyrics. He’s lonely and horny or maybe it’s about ononism. Just enough lyrics to sing along and more importantly jam on those harmonica solos.

If Luke from harmonica.com wants to break this song down into tabs, I would watch the lesson repeatedly.

After those amazing songs, I looked up the rest of the catalog. “Uncertain Smile” “This is the Day” fantastic.

“Love is Stronger than Death” strong but ok.

All the above songs were released before 1995.

What is happening with this band after all these years? The The formed in 1978. From what I read this was mostly a Matt Johnson band. He was the major songwriter and members of the band changed with each album. I thought Johnny Marr, just after the end of “The Smiths” joined the band for the album “Mind Bomb.” He is also listed on the credits for the album “Dusk.” That album has “Dogs of Lust” on it.

Matt Johnson has a deep voice that fits these songs whether it’s haunting or more pop. His work is too sly and sex filled for pop radio.

Johnson is still performing, sometimes under the name The The sometimes solo.

There are a lot of albums out there and videos. It is worth getting to know this band. So many amazing songs through the years.