Head was born in London to parents Seafield Head, (1919-2009) a documentary-maker, and Helen Shingler, an actress (1919-2019). His younger brother is Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Little Britain star Anthony Stewart Head.
Head began acting and writing songs as a child, and by the mid-1960s had a London recording contract. He had limited success (although some of his early singles now appear on mod/psych compilations, enjoying a cult status) until he was selected by Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber to play Judas Iscariot on the original album version of Jesus Christ Superstar. At around the same time he won a leading role in the Oscar-winning Sunday Bloody Sunday (1971), alongside Peter Finch and Glenda Jackson. Despite these successes, he received little public attention in the next ten years (save for 1975's Say It Ain't So Joe), reappearing in the spotlight in 1984 as the star of the musical, Chess. The song "One Night in Bangkok", from Chess, featuring Head on lead vocal, became a radio hit.
After his 1984 hit "One Night In Bangkok", Head has had little attention internationally. Fluent in French, he has released some albums in that language, notably the song "Une femme un homme", a duet with Marie Carmen released in 1993 which became a radio hit in French-speaking Canada.
Some of his most recent work was in Luc Plamondon's musical comedy Cindy, in which he played Cindy's father.
Head is currently playing a character on ITV's Heartbeat.
The Last Supper
Murray Head Lyrics
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Sinking in a gentle pool of wine
Don't disturb me now, I can see the answers
'Til this evening is this morning, life is fine
Always hoped that I'd be an apostle
Knew that I would make it if I tried
Then when we retire, we can write the gospels
So they'll still talk about us when we've died
The end
Is just a little harder when brought about by friends
For all you care, this wine could be my blood
For all you care, this bread could be my body
The end
This is my blood you drink
This is my body you eat
If you would remember me when you eat and drink
I must be mad thinking I'll be remembered
Yes, I must be out of my head
Look at your blank faces, my name will mean nothing
Ten minutes after I'm dead
One of you denies me
One of you betrays me
(Never, no, never, not me, no, impossible, no)
Peter will deny my in just a few hours
Three times will deny me
And that's not all I see
One of you here dining
One of my twelve chosen
Will leave to betray me
Cut out the dramatics
You know very well who
Why don't you go do it?
You want me to do it?
Hurry, they're waiting
If you knew, why I do it
I don't care why you do it
To think I admired you
For now I despise you
You liar, you Judas
You want me to do it
What if I just stayed here
And ruined your ambition
Christ, you deserve it
Hurry, you fool, hurry and go
Save me your speeches
I don't wanna know, go
Look at all my trials and tribulations
Sinking in a gentle pool of wine
What's that in the bread? It's gone to my head
'Til this morning is this evening, life is fine
Always hoped that I'd be an apostle
Knew that I would make it if I tried
Then when we retire, we can write the gospels
So they'll all talk about us when we've died
You sad, pathetic man, see where you've brought us to
Our ideals die around us, all because of you
And now the saddest cut of all
Someone has to turn you in
Like a common criminal, like a wounded animal
Jaded mandarin
A jaded mandarin
Just a jaded, jaded, faded, jaded, jaded mandarin
Get out, they're waiting, get out
They're waiting, oh, they're waiting for you, oh
Every time I look at you, I don't understand
Why you let the things you did get so out of hand
You'd have managed better if you had it planned
Oh
Look at all my trials and tribulations
Sinking in a gentle pool of wine (of wine)
Don't disturb me now, I can see the answers
'Til this evening is this morning, life is fine
Always hoped that I'd be an apostle
Knew that I would make it if I tried
Then when we retire, we can write the gospels
So they'll still talk about us when we've died
Will no one stay awake with me?
Peter? John? James?
Will none of you wait with me?
Peter? John? James?
"The Last Supper" by Murray Head is a thought-provoking song contemplating the final moments of Jesus Christ and his disciples at the Last Supper. In the first verse, Murray Head reflects on the fleeting nature of life and the prospect of being remembered beyond death. He assumes the role of a disciple, imagining himself at the Last Supper, overwhelmed with the trials and tribulations of life, and sinking in a gentle pool of wine. However, he finds solace in knowing the answers until this evening becomes the morning.
The chorus speaks of betrayal and the sacrifice of Christ for his followers. He presents the possibility of the wine being his blood and bread being his body, thereby raising the question of self-sacrifice for others. He urges his followers to remember him through this sacrifice and make it a part of themselves, even if his name may mean nothing later.
The second verse focuses on the betrayal of Judas, the apostle who plans to betray Jesus. The remaining apostles are in a state of disbelief and denial that one of their own could betray Jesus. Jesus prophesies that Peter will deny knowing him three times and that one of the twelve will betray him.
Overall, the song is a powerful reflection on faith, human nature, and the value of sacrifice. It raises the question of whether one is ready to pay the cost of following a belief system, even if the end goal is glorification in death.
Line by Line Meaning
Look at all my trials and tribulations
Reflecting on all the difficulties and challenges I've faced
Sinking in a gentle pool of wine
Drinking away my sorrows in this calming and intoxicating liquid
Don't disturb me now, I can see the answers
Please don't interrupt me, I'm having a moment of clarity and understanding
'Til this evening is this morning, life is fine
As long as I can keep this feeling of contentment and peace, nothing else matters
Always hoped that I'd be an apostle
I've had a lifelong aspiration to be one of Jesus' closest followers
Knew that I would make it if I tried
I was confident in my abilities and determination to achieve my goals
Then when we retire, we can write the gospels
When we're older and have lived full lives, we can document our experiences and lessons learned
So they'll still talk about us when we've died
Our stories and legacy will continue to be shared and remembered long after we're gone
The end is just a little harder when brought about by friends
It's especially painful and sad when those we love and trust are the cause of our demise
For all you care, this wine could be my blood
You don't care about me, my pain, or my perspective - this wine could represent my lifeblood and it wouldn't matter to you
For all you care, this bread could be my body
You're so indifferent and insensitive that this bread could signify my very being and it wouldn't affect you
This is my blood you drink
I'm pouring out my life and essence for you to imbibe and it means nothing to you
This is my body you eat
You're literally consuming a part of who I am and it doesn't seem to register with you
If you would remember me when you eat and drink
If you could just acknowledge and appreciate my sacrifice and the symbolism of the wine and bread
I must be mad thinking I'll be remembered
It's insane for me to believe that I will be honored and revered for what I'm about to do
Yes, I must be out of my head
I'm not in my right mind to have this expectation or to follow through with this plan
Look at your blank faces, my name will mean nothing
I see the emptiness and callousness in your expressions - my name and memory will hold no significance to you
Ten minutes after I'm dead
Very shortly after I'm gone, you'll forget about me and move on with your life
One of you denies me
I know that one of you will refuse to acknowledge me and what I stand for
One of you betrays me
I'm fully aware that one of you will turn against me and lead to my downfall
Peter will deny my in just a few hours
Peter, one of my closest disciples, will disown and deny any association with me in a short amount of time
Three times will deny me
Peter will not just reject me once, but three times in total
And that's not all I see
My visions and premonitions go beyond just Peter's denial
One of you here dining
One of the people eating with me right now is going to act against me
One of my twelve chosen
Even one of the twelve people I personally selected and trusted will betray me
Will leave to betray me
One of my companions will abandon me and act for their own selfish interests
Cut out the dramatics
Stop being so theatrical and over-the-top
You know very well who
You're fully aware of who the offender is
Why don't you go do it?
Just go ahead and carry out your plan
You want me to do it?
Are you really suggesting that I should follow through with this betrayal?
Hurry, they're waiting
Stop stalling - they're expecting you to fulfill your promise
If you knew, why I do it
If you understood the reasons behind my actions
I don't care why you do it
I'm not interested in your motivations or justifications for this act
To think I admired you
I used to respect and hold you in high regard
For now I despise you
Now I loathe and despise you for your actions and betrayal
You liar, you Judas
You're a deceitful and treacherous monster, like Judas Iscariot in the Bible
What if I just stayed here
What if I refuse to leave and do what you're asking
And ruined your ambition
Would that destroy your plans and desires
Christ, you deserve it
You deserve any potential negative consequences that come from this
Save me your speeches
Don't try to persuade or manipulate me with your words
I don't wanna know, go
I don't want any further explanation or discussion - just go and do what you will
What's that in the bread? It's gone to my head
This bread is having a strange and intoxicating effect on me
'Til this morning is this evening, life is fine
This moment of pleasure and indulgence is making me forget about the worries and stresses of life
You sad, pathetic man, see where you've brought us to
You're a pitiful and weak person, and your actions have led to our current situation
Our ideals die around us, all because of you
Our moral principles and beliefs are being destroyed because of your betrayal and selfishness
Someone has to turn you in
Someone needs to report you to the authorities and bring you to justice
Like a common criminal, like a wounded animal
You're going to be treated like a lowly criminal or animal in captivity
Jaded mandarin
You've become a bitter and disillusioned person in a position of power and influence
Just a jaded, jaded, faded, jaded, jaded mandarin
You're nothing but a worn-out and corrupted authority figure
Every time I look at you, I don't understand
I'm perplexed and confused by your behavior and choices
Why you let the things you did get so out of hand
Why did you allow your actions to spiral out of control and cause so much destruction?
You'd have managed better if you had it planned
You could have avoided this mess if you had thought things through and had a better strategy
Will no one stay awake with me?
Is there no one who can keep watch and keep me company?
Peter? John? James?
I'm specifically addressing these three people who are close to me
Will none of you wait with me?
Can't one of you remain with me and support me during this difficult time?
Peter? John? James?
Again, I'm asking these three individuals to be with me
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Andrew Lloyd Webber, Tim Rice
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind