Everything Must Go (thing)

When Richey Edwards, the tortured, troubled muse of the band dissappeared from his hotel in London, it seemed that the band would never again surface. But in the style of New Order and Foo Fighters, they returned with a huge, powerful, optimistic slab of good old fashioned rock. It's a very cheery album, but the smile is forced and underneath the big anthems there's a grim determination to not give in to depression. Probably the most telling lyric is in Enola/Alone, where James howls

"All I wanna do is live
No matter how miserable it is"

The great irony is that Richey was the one who was obsessed with success ("Number one is the only number that matters"), but Everything Must Go was their first truly successful album - The Holy Bible sold a mere 60,000, Everything Must Go went multi-platinum. A Design For Life almost became their first number one, but was denied by Mark Morrison's 'Return Of The Mack' (if memory serves)

The title of the album comes from a play by Patrick Jones, Nicky Wire's brother. The Manics have recently bought the film rights to the play.

Track List

Richey wrote the lyrics of Elvis Impersonator/Blackpool Pier, Kevin Carter, Small Black Flowers That Grow In The Sky, The Girl Who Wanted To Be God and Removables. He also plays guitar on No Surface All Feeling (an old demo was incorporated into the finished song). As far as I know, this is the only song that Richey ever played on.

Track five on Everything Must Go by Manic Street Preachers.

For band who had such an intense, devoted following, including the so-called "Cult Of Richey", there was always a worry that they would be accused of selling out. This song is an appeal for understanding, as well as a declaration of rebirth.

This was released as the second single from the album, backed up with Black Garden, Hanging On and Nobody Knows What It's Like To Be Me.

Everything Must Go

Shed some skin for the fear within
Is starting to hurt me with everything
Freed from the memory
Escape from our history, history

And I just hope that you can forgive us
But everything must go
And if you need an explanation
Then everything must go

I look to the future it makes me cry
But it seems too real to tell you why
Freed from the century
With nothing but memory, memory

And I just hope that you can forgive us
But everything must go
And if you need an explanation
Then everything must go

Freed us eventually just need to be happy, happy

And I just hope that you can forgive us
But everything must go
And if you need an explanation
Then everything must go
And if you need an explanation
Then everything must go

Enola/Alone | Small Black Flowers That Grow In The Sky