The musical half of this song dates back to 1998 when it was released by writer Alain Whyte's band Johnny Panic And The Bible Of Dreams with different (non-Morrissey) lyrics, under the title "Not Bitter But Bored". Morrissey liked the song and wrote his own lyrics to it in 1998 or 1999 (he mentions the song in a 1999 interview to the Irish Times). It was first recorded in 2002 at Cherokee Studio in Los Angeles with guitarists Boz Boorer and Alain Whyte and bassist Gary Day for the audition of drummer Dean Butterworth.

Another version was recorded on 3 October 2002 for Morrissey's appearance on Janice Long's BBC2 programme, alongside 2 other numbers. Musicians for this radio session were Boz Boorer (guitars), Alain Whyte (guitars), Gary Day (bass) and Dean Butterworth (drums).

The definitive album version is credited as having been recorded in Los Angeles in 2004, but the "You Are The Quarry" sessions were actually split between Sarm Hook End in Berkshire in the autumn of 2003 and Conway Studios in Los Angeles in late 2003 or January 2004, with producer Jerry Finn. Musicians on this recording were the same as above, plus Roger Manning on piano.

Another radio version was recorded, this time on 19 May 2004, for Zane Lowe's programme on BBC1. Two other titles were recorded on the same radio session. The line-up still included Boz Boorer, Alain Whyte, Gary Day and Dean Butterworth, but Michael Farrell had replaced Roger Manning on keyboards.

single / album version {2:37}

• "Irish Blood, English Heart" single, all formats

• "You Are The Quarry" album

• "Who Put The 'M' In Manchester?" live DVD (in bonus features)

• "Greatest Hits" album [remastered 2008]

Janice Long radio session 3 October 2002 {2:41}

Nothing from this 3-song radio session (also including "The World Is Full Of Crashing Bores" and "I Like You") has ever been given an official release, but good sounding recordings of the tracks as well as the Morrissey interview can be found on various manufactured bootlegs as well as in digital format on the internet.

Friday Night With Jonathan Ross 14 May 2004 [tv]

This 2-song performance (also including "Everyday Is Like Sunday") is circulated on bootleg video compilations of Morrissey television appearances. The audio has not yet been compiled on a manufactured bootlegs but it is found in digital format on the internet.

Zane Lowe radio session 19 May 2004 {2:43}

Nothing from this 3-song radio session (also including "First Of The Gang To Die" and "Shoplifters Of The World Unite") has ever been given an official release, but good sounding recordings of the tracks as well as the Morrissey interview can be found on various manufactured bootlegs as well as in digital format on the internet.

Top Of The Pops 21 May 2004 [tv]

This is commonly found on bootleg video compilations of Morrissey television appearances. The audio from this broadcast is not circulated on bootlegs because the performance was lipsynched.

Later With Jools Holland 21 May 2004 [tv] {2:37}

• "Later With Jools Holland: Cool Britannia 2" a various artists DVD retrospective

Despite having been given an official release, this is widely circulated on bootlegs of Morrissey television appearances, alongside the three other songs Morrissey did that night, "First Of The Gang To Die", "Let Me Kiss You" and "There Is A Light That Never Goes Out" as well as the Morrissey interview (the latter three songs still not officially released). The audio of the latter two songs can be found on manufactured bootlegs, but not the audio for "Irish Blood, English Heart" which is only circulated in digital format on the internet.

Nobel Peace Prize Concert 11 December 2013 [tv]

This is circulated on bootleg video and the audio can be found in digital format on the internet, alongside the two other tracks done at the same occasion: "Satellite Of Love" and "People Are The Same Everywhere".

This song has been performed live 396 times by Morrissey, which makes it the second most played title of his career. This is even more impressive considering the fact that it is a song from the latter half of his solo years. It has been done on every tour since its live inception in 2002, and on a majority of nights for most of those tours. It was done each and every night from its introduction in mid-September 2002 to the end of that tour, for a total of 26 airings. After being released, it was done 65 times out of 66 dates on the 2004 You Are The Quarry tour. It was on the setlist every night bar two on the 93-date Tour Of The Tormentors MMVI. It was done a further 79 times, so a majority of the 91 dates on the 2007-2008 Greatest Hits tour. It was done 65 times, that's every night bar three, on the 2009 Tour Of Refusal, and 19 times out of 26 dates on the Swords tour later the same year. Following this, its presence started waning a bit as it was played 32 times out of 47 dates in 2011, only 9 times out of 56 dates in 2012, another 9 times out of 15 dates in 2013 and only once on the 2014 tour which got cancelled after 17 dates.

live Manchester 22 May 2004 {3:31(DVD); 2:53(download)}

• "Who Put The 'M' In Manchester?" live DVD

• iTunes downloads of the "Ringleader Of The Tormentors" album

live Move Festival 11 July 2004 {3:33}

• "Who Put The 'M' In Manchester?" live DVD, in bonus features

live England December 2004 {2:49}

• "Live At Earls Court" live album

live Hollywood Bowl 8 June 2007 {2:42}

• limited edition of the "Greatest Hits" album

live Las Vegas 9 June 2007 {2:54}

• official web giveaway on the eve of the release of the "Greatest Hits" album

live Hollywood High School 2 March 2013 {:}

• "25Live", a live concert on video

2002 studio outtake {2:58}

Cherokee studio session leaked on the internet in 2006. Source: an industry in-house cd-r.