Behind the Songs: All Of This And Nothing

A selection of quotes from The Psychedelic Furs on the song "All Of This And Nothing".

Duncan Kilburn (on Talk Talk Talk): "I would say that 50% is a direct follow-up from the first album, 25% is more accessible material and 25%, for example 'All Of This And Nothing', is a diversion for us - it's strange." (Hot Press 1981)

Richard Butler: "'All Of This And Nothing,' for instance, is sort of about the feeling you have when you've broken off with someone and you look at the roomful of stuff she's left with you. It's not a real hatred sort of bitterness." (Creem 1982)

Richard Butler: "I put phrases and ideas together [in songs] that I liked. I could say something and then pass over it and move on to something else. A list of things I felt angry about would be a song like 'India'. A list of things that make me feel isolated would be 'All Of This And Nothing'." (Sounds 1987)

Richard Butler: "I like the song 'All Of This And Nothing' because it's simple. The lyrics are quite simple but they make a lot of sense. I like the twist in it. The verses are a list of objects and the chorus is the reason why you're talking about all these objects and all this stuff that you have left and I like it for that reason. I wanted to put on 'All Of This And Nothing' as the last song [for the compilation of the same name] because I thought it was a good taste to leave in somebody's mouth. I would like to think that that was representational, overall, of the Psychedelic Furs. It's certainly a representation of what's best about the Psychedelic Furs." (Interchords 1988)

Richard Butler: "I don't think I have a happy voice and uplifting songs like 'Heaven' aren't the type of song I feel we do best. It's a good song, but a little too poppy to be one of my personal favorites. I prefer 'All Of This And Nothing', 'Sister Europe' and the more down songs." (Melody Maker 1988)

Richard Butler: "I can remember sitting in a pub and writing this list for a song I was supposed to be doing. It was this list of nonsense, but then it seemed that they were all things that could be left in a room. Then I thought, 'How can I get myself out of this corner I've put myself in?' And the easiest way was to do the chorus: 'You didn't leave me anything that I can understand.' I meant that all the things in the verse didn't have to make sense! People sometimes get upset when they find out how a song is arrived at, it shatters their image, but some songs have a sense in spite of you." (Melody Maker 1988)

Richard Butler (on which lyric he is most proud of): "I think the song 'All Of This And Nothing' pleased me for that." (iJamming! 2001)

John Ashton (on being asked about his personal favorite PFurs songs and which song he enjoys playing live): "'Dumb Waiters' for its sheer full on attack. 'All Of This And Nothing', 'India', 'Pretty In Pink', 'President Gas', 'Heaven', and 'Highwire Days', for pretty much the same reason." (Modern Guitars Magazine 2005)

Richard Butler: "'All Of This And Nothing' is a list song. That was on Talk Talk Talk. It was a list of things that a girl left behind after the relationship had fallen apart." (Songfacts 2020)

Richard Butler (on why the song stands out to him as a definitive song for The Furs): "It pulls it all together. Musically it's very Psychedelic Furs and I like the way it comes in with the acoustic guitar and also leaves with an acoustic guitar, and in between, it's very, very Psychedelic Furs-sounding. It has all the musical elements that you associate with the band.

"And lyrically, I like the fact that the verses are very abstract and they're pulled together by the chorus. You only realize what it's really about when you listen to the chorus, because before the chorus comes in it's just a list of really odd things." (Songfacts 2020)

Rich Good: "It's got so many different sections." (Palm Springs Life 2024)

Photo: Marcia Resnick