A Design for Life

Manic Street Preachers

About A Design for Life

"A Design for Life" is a single released by Welsh band Manic Street Preachers in 1996 and the first to be taken from the Everything Must Go album of May that same year. It peaked and debuted at number 2 in the UK Singles Chart.


Year:
2008
4:16
13 

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Libraries gave us power
Then work came and made us free
What price now for a shallow piece of dignity

I wish I had a bottle
Right here in my dirty face to wear the scars
To show from where I came

We don't talk about love we only want to get drunk
And we are not allowed to spend
As we are told that this is the end

A design for life
A design for life
A design for life
A design for life

I wish I had a bottle
Right here in my pretty face to wear the scars
To show from where I came

We don't talk about love we only want to get drunk
And we are not allowed to spend
As we are told that this is the end

A design for life
A design for life
A design for life
A design for life

We don't talk about love we only want to get drunk
And we are not allowed to spend
As we are told that this is the end

A design for life
A design for life
A design for life
A design for

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Manic Street Preachers

Manic Street Preachers are a Welsh alternative rock band that was formed in 1986 in Blackwood, South Wales and consists of James Dean Bradfield (lead vocals and lead guitar), Nicky Wire (bass guitar and lyrics) and Sean Moore (drums and percussion). The band is part of the Cardiff music scene, and were at their most prominent during the 1990s. They are colloquially known as "The Manics", or simply, "Manics". Originally a quartet, the band became a trio when primary lyricist and rhythm guitarist Richey Edwards disappeared on 1 February 1995. more »

2 fans

Written by: James Bradfield, Sean Moore, Jones Nicholas

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind


10 facts about this song

Release Details
"A Design for Life" was released on 15 April 1996 as the lead single from "Everything Must Go", the fourth album of the Manic Street Preachers.
Chart Performance
The song debuted and peaked at number 2 on the UK Singles Chart, making it the band's highest-charting single to date.
Gold Certification
The single was certified Gold by the British Phonographic Industry in May 1996, indicating sales of 400,000 copies.
Lyrics Origin
The song's lyrics were inspired by the working-class history and ethos of the band's hometown, Blackwood, Wales.
Trio Formation
"A Design for Life" was the first single the band released after the disappearance of lyricist and guitarist Richey Edwards in 1995, marking the start of their era as a trio.
Music Video
The video for this song was filmed in a working Men's Club in London, and was directed by Pedro Romhanyi, who also made Oasis' "Roll With It" video.
Band’s Signature Song
This song is often viewed as the band's "signature song" and it has since been played at almost every live performance.
Cultural Impact
"A Design for Life" was included in the soundtrack of the football video game FIFA '21.
Critical Acclaim
NME magazine awarded it the best single and music video of 1996. In 2011, Q magazine included it on its list of "100 Greatest Songs of All Time".
Legacy
The song was performed in the closing ceremony of the 2010 Ryder Cup and during the opening ceremony of the Senedd, the Welsh National Assembly building.

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    "A Design for Life Lyrics." Lyrics.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 16 Apr. 2024. <https://www.lyrics.com/lyric/14375734/Manic+Street+Preachers/A+Design+for+Life>.

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