She is best known for her Christmas song "No Christmas for me", which became a YouTube success in 2007. Zee Avi on this song: “This song was inspired by everything i’ve experienced/read/watched/heard of from movies or stories, about one’s lover being far away for Christmas, be it serving in the army, college, another country, peace corps etc… In a way, it’s also about not losing hope. (…) The words in this one are simple and direct. (…) I stayed with the ‘silent movie feel’ as i think it suits the song.”
Zee Avi's debut album 'Zee Avi' was released May 19, 2009.
01 First Of The Gang To Die
Zee Avi Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Until you've seen the stars
Reflect in the reservoirs
And you have never been in love
Until you've seen the dawn rise
Behind the home for the blind
And you're standing on our street
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 bones
We are the pretty petty thieves
And you're standing on our street
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 a bullet in his gullet
And the first lost lad to go under the sod
And he stole from the rich and the poor
And the not very rich and the very poor
And he stole all hearts away
He stole all hearts away
He stole all hearts away
He stole all hearts away
The lyrics of Zee Avi's "First of the Gang" paint a picture of a gritty and dangerous urban environment, where love is intertwined with violence and lawlessness. The singer asserts that true love can never be experienced until one has witnessed the stark beauty of the world around them, even in the midst of darkness and death. Highlighting the harsh realities of life in the city, the singer describes the "pretty, petty thieves" who roam the streets and the violent fate of Hector, the titular "first of the gang."
The lyrics suggest that in this world, love is a fleeting and dangerous thing, and that those who possess it are often consumed by it. The image of the sunlight shining on "smashed human bones" is a stark one, emphasizing the fragility of life in this environment. The singer seems to suggest that love is a light in the darkness, but also that it is something that can be snuffed out all too easily.
Overall, the lyrics of "First of the Gang" are a poetic meditation on the complexities of love and life in a dangerous cityscape. They offer a glimpse into a world where violence and beauty are inextricably linked, and where love is both a source of hope and a reason to fear for one's life.
Line by Line Meaning
You have never been in love
Love is a feeling that cannot be grasped until certain experiences have been felt
Until you've seen the stars
Stars are a beautiful and serene image that can trigger the emotions of love
Reflect in the reservoirs
The reflection of the stars in the reservoirs creates a magical and romantic atmosphere that inspires the feeling of love
And you have never been in love
Love cannot be understood until a person experiences certain events
Until you've seen the dawn rise
The dawn of a new day can symbolize a fresh start in one's love life
Behind the home for the blind
The image of the sun rising behind a shelter for the blind can evoke emotions of compassion and tenderness, often associated with love
We are the pretty, petty thieves
The singer and their group are beautiful yet unimportant crooks
And you're standing on our street
The artist is warning the listener that they are in an area where unlawful activities take place
Where Hector was the first of the gang
Hector was a member of the artist's group who was instrumental in its establishment
With a gun in his hand
Hector was a violent criminal who used firearms to commit crimes
And the first to do time
Hector was the first member of the group to be arrested and serve a prison sentence
The first of the gang to die
Hector died before any other member of the group
Oh my, Hector was the first of the gang
The singer is lamenting the loss of Hector, who was an important member of the group
With a gun in his hand
Hector was known to carry a firearm
And the first to do time
Hector was the first member of the group to be arrested and serve a prison sentence
The first of the gang to die, oh, my
Hector's death was a significant loss to the group, as he was the first to go
You have never been in love
Love is an elusive feeling that is difficult to define until certain events have occurred
Until you've seen the sunlight thrown
The image of sunlight thrown on human remains can symbolize the fragility of life and evoke emotions of love
Over smashed human bones
The image of human remains can evoke emotions of sorrow and tenderness that are often associated with love
Such a silly boy
The artist is expressing disdain towards Hector, despite the affection they have towards him
Hector was the first of the gang
Hector was the original member of the artist's group
With a gun in his hand
Hector was known to carry a firearm
And a bullet in his gullet
Hector was killed by a gunshot wound to the stomach
And the first lost lad to go under the sod
Hector was the first member of the group to die and be buried
And he stole from the rich and the poor
Hector was known to indiscriminately steal from anyone
And the not very rich and the very poor
Hector's victims were of all social classes
And he stole all hearts away
Despite his criminal nature, Hector was a charmer who won the affection of many
He stole all hearts away
Hector had a magnetic persona that won him the admiration of many, despite his criminal tendencies
He stole all hearts away
Hector's charisma and charm won over the hearts of many people that he came across
He stole all hearts away
Hector's charming nature made him well-liked by many people, even though he was a criminal
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: STEVEN MORRISSEY, ALAIN GORDON WHYTE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@shintaadzani
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
@user-ui5ws6lk9h
聽了會讓人忘卻所有煩惱的歌聲，超喜歡的~感謝有妳。
@RhythmChildVideo
such a great song and such a great cover!
@FeliksTheGoblin
God, I'm so in love with him. I haven't felt like this since my first relationship. My heart opened and bloomed like a rose for him to pick with me, happiness blessing ussssssss
@juliogarcia8646
Great cover.
@eugeniate4961
Lovely... a whole new song, as a decent cover must be
@JBLuv311
She is as smooth as the wind blows. I suggest looking her up on the NPR Music Tiny Desk Concerts.
@sdsuedeheadsd
this is amazing...and im usually very critical of Morrissey/Smiths covers
@reroyusan
Quiet Night in the middle of Lake, staring into sky.
@bearhughes7009
I like it. It bothers me when people say, um, say That's Entertainment, "oh the jam is much better than Mozs' cover of it" I didn't know it was a contest more of a respect thing I thought
@kathyhereluv
好迷人的聲音