nineteen63

Nineteen63 or 1963 was a single released by British indie rock group New Order in January 1995. Despite being released as a single in 1995, the song was originally released as a b-side to "True Faith" in 1987, and appeared on the Substance compilation of the same year. However, the version released as a single is the Arthur Baker radio mix of the re-recorded version from 1994, which is shorter, omitting at least one verse that appeared in the 1987 edition. The song is - according to the band's lyricist, Bernard Sumner - about the JFK assassination, which occurred in 1963. Sumner theorises that then President of the United States, John F. Kennedy in fact paid Lee Harvey Oswald to shoot his wife, Jackie Kennedy (the song appears to be sung from her point of view). This was so he could continue his relationship with actress Marilyn Monroe, who committed suicide when she found out Oswald had hit the wrong target (although Sumner does not explain the fact Monroe died in 1962, over a year before the assassination took place). Oswald was, according to Sumner, then in turn assassinated by his employer (identity unknown) for causing his hitman business to go bust. "Nineteen63" contained a variety of b-sides, all of which were remixes of the title track or songs previously released and was released on London Records.

Nineteen63

See also