Heaven Releases Gigs Lyrics Comments

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Author
Robyn Hitchcock
According to our records, Robyn has played this song 168 times, most recently at The Chapel on May 21, 2025. He first performed it at Dingwalls on November 17, 1984, 40 years and 6 months earlier.
Title Artist Label Type Year
Heaven Robyn Hitchcock & The Egyptians Midnight Music Single 1985
Gotta Let This Hen Out! Robyn Hitchcock & The Egyptians Midnight Music Album 1985
fegMANIA! Robyn Hitchcock and The Egyptians Midnight Music / Slash Records Album 1985
The Man Who Invented Himself Robyn Hitchcock United Records Compilation 1986
Exploding In Silence Robyn Hitchcock Relativity Records EP 1986
A Soft Boy No More Robyn Hitchcock Blue Lake Records Bootleg 1988
3 x 20 (Colours) Robyn Hitchcock [none listed] Compilation 1990
Catalog Sampler Robyn Hitchcock (& the Egyptians) Rhino Records Promo 1994
Stand Back, Dennis! Robyn Hitchcock & The Egyptians Bootleg 1994
The Kershaw Sessions Robyn Hitchcock and The Egyptians Strange Roots Album 1994
Robyn Hitchcock Sampler Robyn Hitchcock Rhino Records Promo 1995
We're Bored, You're Over Robyn Hitchcock and The Egyptians Hits Post Modern Syndrome Compilation 1995
Uncorrected Personality Traits Robyn Hitchcock Rhino Records Album 1997
Luminous Groove Robyn Hitchcock & The Egyptians Yep Roc Records Album 2008
Patreon 2025 Robyn Hitchcock Internet 2025
Venue Billed As City State Country Date
Dingwalls Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians London England UK 11/17/1984
The Bell Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians London England UK 12/17/1984
Dingwalls Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians London England UK 03/15/1985
Institute of Contemporary Arts Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians London England UK 03/23/1985
Old Grey Whistle Test Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians London England UK 04/16/1985
Marquee Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians London England UK 04/27/1985
Clarendon Hotel Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians London England UK 05/17/1985
Institute of Contemporary Arts Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians London England UK 05/23/1985
Irving Plaza Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians New York New York US 06/21/1985
Cabaret Metro Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians Chicago Illinois US 06/22/1985
Club Lingerie Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians Los Angeles California US 06/28/1985
Maxwell's Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians Hoboken New Jersey US 08/01/1985
Irving Plaza Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians New York New York US 08/02/1985
Jonathan Swift's Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians Cambridge Massachusetts US 08/03/1985
Mountford Hall Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians Liverpool England UK 10/25/1985
UMIST Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians Manchester England UK 10/26/1985
Marquee Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians London England UK 10/29/1985
9:30 Club Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians Washington DC US 11/09/1985
Blind Pig Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians Ann Arbor Michigan US 11/13/1985
7th St. Entry Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians Minneapolis Minnesota US 11/16/1985
7th St. Entry Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians Minneapolis Minnesota US 11/17/1985
Mabel's Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians Champaign Illinois US 11/19/1985
Patio Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians Indianapolis Indiana US 11/20/1985
688 Club Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians Atlanta Georgia US 11/22/1985
Moore Theatre Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians Seattle Washington US 03/22/1986
Town Pump Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians Vancouver British Columbia Canada 03/24/1986
First Avenue Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians Minneapolis Minnesota US 03/26/1986
Zentrum Zoo Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians Tubingen Germany 04/13/1986
Fabrik Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians Hamburg Germany 04/20/1986
Paradise Rock Club Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians Boston Massachusetts US 11/02/1986
Nectarine Ballroom Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians Ann Arbor Michigan US 11/10/1986
9:30 Club Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians Washington DC US 11/13/1986
Haverford College, Founders Hall Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians Haverford Pennsylvania US 11/15/1986
I-Beam Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians San Francisco California US 11/17/1986
One Step Beyond Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians Santa Clara California US 11/18/1986
First Avenue Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians Minneapolis Minnesota US 11/23/1986
Maxwell's Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians Hoboken New Jersey US 11/26/1986
Tartan Bar Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians Leeds England UK 01/24/1987
Town and Country Club Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians London England UK 01/25/1987
Teatro Ambra Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians Turin Italy 02/09/1987
MyWay Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians Fiorenzuola d'Arda Italy 02/10/1987
Qubo Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians Bologna Italy 02/11/1987
Club Vinile Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians Rosà Italy 02/15/1987
Uptown Lounge Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians Athens Georgia US 03/25/1988
Centre Stage Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians Atlanta Georgia US 03/26/1988
Paradise Rock Club Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians Boston Massachusetts US 04/01/1988
Cabaret Metro Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians Chicago Illinois US 04/09/1988
First Avenue Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians Minneapolis Minnesota US 04/11/1988
John Anson Ford Theater Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians Los Angeles California US 04/15/1988
Beacon Theatre Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians New York New York US 04/17/1988
The Coach House Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians San Juan Capistrano California US 09/10/1988
Inkstick Shibura Factory Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians Tokyo Japan 09/16/1988
The Ritz Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians New York New York US 09/20/1988
Town and Country Club Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians London England UK 10/06/1988
Louisville Gardens Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians Louisville Kentucky US 03/01/1989
Rosemont Horizon Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians Chicago Illinois US 03/06/1989
Arco Arena Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians Sacramento California US 03/13/1989
Reunion Arena Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians Dallas Texas US 03/22/1989
Centre Stage Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians Atlanta Georgia US 06/09/1989
Kulturbolaget Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians Malmo Sweden 10/28/1989
40 Watt Club Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians Athens Georgia US 01/28/1992
Trocadero Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians Philadelphia Pennsylvania US 02/02/1992
Roseland Theater Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians Portland Oregon US 02/23/1992
Park West Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians Chicago Illinois US 06/17/1992
Park West Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians Chicago Illinois US 06/18/1992
328 Performance Hall Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians Nashville Tennessee US 06/20/1992
Masquerade Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians Atlanta Georgia US 06/23/1992
Tipitina's Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians New Orleans Louisiana US 06/29/1992
Liberty Lunch Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians Austin Texas US 07/02/1992
Deep Ellum Live Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians Dallas Texas US 07/03/1992
After The Gold Rush Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians Tempe Arizona US 07/07/1992
The Coach House Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians San Juan Capistrano California US 07/10/1992
Wadsworth Arts Centre, UCLA Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians Los Angeles California US 07/11/1992
Edge Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians Palo Alto California US 07/13/1992
Great American Music Hall Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians San Francisco California US 07/14/1992
The Concorde Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians Brighton England UK 07/29/1992
Club Quattro Robyn Hitchcock Tokyo Japan 11/10/1993
The Bull & Gate Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians Kentish Town England UK 03/09/1994
Ultrasound Robyn Hitchcock Toronto Ontario Canada 05/10/1994
McCabe's Robyn Hitchcock Santa Monica California US 09/17/1994
Bottom of the Hill Robyn Hitchcock San Francisco California US 09/23/1994
El Caiman Robyn Hitchcock A Coruna Spain 11/19/1994
Pub La Calle Robyn Hitchcock Las Palmas de Gran Canaria Spain 01/07/1995
Poor David's Pub Robyn Hitchcock Dallas Texas US 03/16/1995
9:30 Club Robyn Hitchcock Washington DC US 03/29/1995
TT the Bear's Robyn Hitchcock Cambridge Massachusetts US 04/07/1995
All Saints Centre Robyn Hitchcock Lewes England UK 06/17/1995
Belly Up Tavern Peter Himmelman Solana Beach California US 09/21/1995
Splash Club, Water Rat's Pub Robyn Hitchcock London England UK 10/17/1995
9:30 Club Robyn Hitchcock Washington DC US 12/27/1995
12 Bar Club Robyn Hitchcock London England UK 01/05/1996
Rockefeller's Robyn Hitchcock Houston Texas US 03/14/1996
Alligator Lounge Robyn Hitchcock Santa Monica California US 03/19/1996
12 Bar Club Robyn Hitchcock London England UK 08/13/1996
The Roadhouse Robyn Hitchcock Manchester England UK 09/05/1996
The Coach House Robyn Hitchcock San Juan Capistrano California US 11/09/1996
9:30 Club Robyn Hitchcock Washington DC US 11/13/1996
Avalon Robyn Hitchcock Boston Massachusetts US 11/16/1996
Maxwell's Robyn Hitchcock Hoboken New Jersey US 12/06/1996
Storefront Robyn Hitchcock New York New York US 12/10/1996
The Point Robyn Hitchcock Atlanta Georgia US 02/25/1997
Knitting Factory Robyn Hitchcock New York New York US 03/14/1997
Slego Robyn Hitchcock Rimini Italy 02/14/1999
Great American Music Hall Robyn Hitchcock's ROCK ARMADA San Francisco California US 11/19/1999
The Troubadour Robyn Hitchcock's ROCK ARMADA Los Angeles California US 11/20/1999
Storyville Robyn Hitchcock Arezzo Italy 01/16/2000
The Garage Robyn Hitchcock London England UK 02/01/2000
Lee Valley Riverboat Cruise All Aboard the Skylark Broxbourne England UK 08/05/2000
Johnny D's Robyn Hitchcock Somerville Massachusetts US 10/30/2003
World Café Live Robyn Hitchcock Philadelphia Pennsylvania US 11/15/2004
The Grand Ballroom Robyn Hitchcock New York New York US 04/09/2008
El Rey Theatre Robyn Hitchcock Los Angeles California US 04/11/2008
Black Lion Inn Robyn Hitchcock Hereford England UK 05/31/2008
Iron Horse Robyn Hitchcock Northampton Massachusetts US 07/09/2008
Blend Bar Robyn Hitchcock Ridgewood New Jersey US 07/12/2008
Irving Plaza Robyn Hitchcock & the Venus 3 New York New York US 04/11/2009
McCabe's Robyn Hitchcock Santa Monica California US 10/05/2012
Old Town School of Folk Music Robyn Hitchcock Chicago Illinois US 10/13/2012
Village Underground - Robyn Retrospective Robyn Hitchcock London England UK 02/28/2013
The Drake Hotel Robyn Hitchcock Toronto Ontario Canada 09/04/2013
The Kazimier Robyn Hitchcock Liverpool England UK 11/03/2013
Egg Records Robyn Hitchcock Sydney New South Wales Australia 06/14/2014
Berklee College of Music Robyn Hitchcock Boston Massachusetts US 11/13/2014
Iron Horse Music Hall Robyn Hitchcock Northampton Massachusetts US 11/13/2014
WOW Hall Robyn Hitchcock Eugene Oregon US 03/17/2015
Meet Events Robyn Hitchcock Atripalda Italy 04/10/2015
Loco Club Robyn Hitchcock Valencia Spain 04/29/2015
City Winery Robyn Hitchcock Atlanta Georgia US 11/10/2016
Stoughton Opera House Robyn Hitchcock Stoughton Wisconsin US 11/18/2016
House Of Blues Robyn Hitchcock Houston Texas US 04/02/2017
Jammin Java Robyn Hitchcock Vienna Virginia US 05/10/2017
Turf Club Robyn Hitchcock Saint Paul Minnesota US 06/15/2017
SiriusXM The Loft Robyn Hitchcock Chicago Illinois US 06/19/2017
The Drake Hotel Robyn Hitchcock Toronto Ontario Canada 09/21/2017
Conservatorio Nicolini Robyn Hitchcock Piacenza Italy 10/13/2017
The Globe Robyn Hitchcock Cardiff Wales UK 11/05/2017
Duck Room at Blueberry Hill Robyn Hitchcock St. Louis Missouri US 11/14/2017
Monty Hall Robyn Hitchcock Jersey City New Jersey US 02/16/2018
Festival Place Robyn Hitchcock Sherwood Park Alberta Canada 03/25/2018
Randy Now's Man Cave Robyn Hitchcock Bordentown New Jersey US 04/04/2018
Fruit Robyn Hitchcock Hull England UK 05/22/2018
The Betsey Trotwood Robyn Hitchcock London England UK 10/17/2018
Hạ Long Bay Robyn Hitchcock Hạ Long Vietnam 12/03/2018
Robyn & Emma's house Robyn Hitchcock & Emma Swift Nashville Tennessee US 04/01/2020
Robyn & Emma's house Robyn Hitchcock & Emma Swift Nashville Tennessee US 06/21/2020
Robyn and Emma's house Robyn Hitchcock & Emma Swift London England UK 10/14/2020
Robyn and Emma's house Robyn Hitchcock & Emma Swift London England UK 11/04/2020
Robyn and Emma's house Robyn Hitchcock & Emma Swift London England UK 12/30/2020
Robyn and Emma's house Robyn Hitchcock & Emma Swift London England UK 04/09/2021
Robyn and Emma's house Robyn Hitchcock London England UK 06/02/2021
Private House Robyn Hitchcock & Emma Swift Nashville Tennessee US 07/14/2021
Robyn and Emma's house Robyn Hitchcock London England UK 11/14/2021
Robyn and Emma's house Robyn Hitchcock London England UK 11/17/2021
Robyn and Emma's house Robyn Hitchcock London England UK 12/15/2021
Virgin Hotels, Nashville Robyn Hitchcock Nashville Tennessee US 07/28/2022
Zebulon Robyn Hitchcock Los Angeles California US 03/24/2023
The Old Woollen Robyn Hitchcock Leeds England UK 09/06/2023
Zebulon Robyn Hitchcock Los Angeles California US 05/21/2024
Golden Gate Park Robyn Hitchcock San Francisco California US 10/05/2024
Robyn & Emma's house Robyn Hitchcock & Emma Swift Nashville Tennessee US 10/16/2024
Robyn & Emma's house Robyn Hitchcock & Emma Swift Nashville Tennessee US 11/13/2024
Robyn & Emma's house Robyn Hitchcock & Emma Swift Nashville Tennessee US 02/12/2025
Red Clay Music Foundry Robyn Hitchcock Duluth Georgia US 02/22/2025
The Southgate House Revival-Sanctuary Robyn Hitchcock Newport Kentucky US 03/01/2025
Robyn & Emma's house Robyn Hitchcock Nashville Tennessee US 04/02/2025
Unknown Hotel Robyn Hitchcock Salt Lake City Utah US 04/30/2025
Zebulon Robyn Hitchcock Los Angeles California US 05/15/2025
The Chapel Robyn Hitchcock San Francisco California US 05/21/2025

Comments

From Robyn on Patreon in 2025
In the autumn of 1984, I realized that two of my favourite bands of the time, Talking Heads and The Psychedelic Furs, had both written dreamy, exhilarating songs entitled “Heaven”. So one afternoon, as the chestnut leaves swirled outside the kitchen window ,I sat at the table with my guitar and made up a tune of my own with that same title. The tune came easily, as did the chorus, although I don’t remember writing the words down anywhere. The composition was largely about itself. It was simple, didn’t contain any labyrinths or whirlpools: it did its job and stayed on track, like an express train.

I took it to my new backing group, the Egyptians. They comprised Cambridge musician Roger Jackson on keyboards, my old school friend Fletcher on saxophone, and two recovering Soft Boys, Morris Windsor and Andy Metcalfe on drums and bass respectively. After a few gigs Fletcher fell off the band. He was too much an individual to be part of a group. The others took to “Heaven” well. It came out clean, clear and very 1980s: almost stadium rock, sprinkled with the digital patina of the day. We even performed it on British television at one point, so mainstream did it sound.

Not everyone was happy about this. My partner and my sister both did a double-take when they saw us premiere it at Dingwall’s. “It just doesn’t sound like you, Robyn.” My old friend Tom Hibbert, an often hilarious music writer who is sadly now deceased, told me it was the worst song I’d ever written. A reviewer in the Melody Maker wrote that me coming up with “Heaven” was as if George Michael had come up with “Layla”. I’m not sure who was being complimented and who was being dissed there.

In any event, the song was released twice in 1985, first on “FegMania!” and then on the live “Gotta Let This Hen Out.” These were coincidentally my first two US album releases. The young Americans dug it, but, true to life, we didn’t have the business clout to make it an actual hit. But then again, did I even want it to be?

Regardless, my own personal “Heaven” continued to evolve. In the early 1990s, I lowered the key, and dropped the tempo. It became less rabid and more devotional. We performed it acoustically in the late Egyptians days, and I carried on playing it solo as the century wound down. I’d never given much thought to the lyrics, having never formalized them on paper, but they seemed to be about addiction. Or, if you prefer it, compulsion.

For the last ten years or so, I’ve sung it occasionally with Emma, and I feel now it’s evoking a sense of the sacred. Songs are good places for contradicting emotions to lay across each other, and “Heaven” is definitely collecting some of those. Recently Emma and I have recorded it again at a session in Los Angeles with our friend Kenneth Pattengale of the Milk Carton Kids. This latest incarnation is in an even lower key, and awaits Emma’s harmony. We're not in LA again for a spell, so this recording is some months from being finished, but I hope our final version will give you stained-glass goosebumps and get you lighting a candle to the soul(s) of your choice.

Lyrics

You've got heaven
Heaven in your hand
You've got heaven
Running through your land
Why don't you fight for it?
You're right for it, you know
Why don't you kill for it
Get ill for it also?

You've got heaven
You've got heaven
You've got arms and you've got legs and you've got heaven

Heaven in your eyes
You've got heaven
Don't you recognize?
And when you wake for it
You'll ache for it all night
And when you dream for it
You'll scream for it all right

You've got heaven
You've got heaven
You've got arms and you've got legs and you've got heaven

You've got heaven
Every single time
You've got heaven
Every single climb
And when you seek for it
You peak for it all day
And when you choose for it
You'll ooze for it, I'll say

You've got heaven
You're just heaven
You're just heaven
You've got arms and you've got legs and you've got heaven
You've got arms and you've got legs and you've got heaven
You've got arms, legs, heaven
You've got arms, you've got legs, you've got heaven
You've got arms
You've got legs, and you've got heaven
Arms, use your legs, and you've got heaven