This song was very likely written shortly before or during the recording sessions for the "Ringleader Of The Tormentors" album, which took place at Forum Music Village in Rome between September and November 2005, with producer Tony Visconti. Musicians on this recording were Boz Boorer (guitar), Alain Whyte (guitar), Jesse Tobias (guitar), Gary Day (bass), Matt Chamberlain (drums) and Michael Farrell (keyboards).

album version {7:22}

• "Ringleader Of The Tormentors" album

This song has never been performed specifically for radio, television or the web.

This song has been done in concert a total of 185 times by Morrissey. It was on the setlist for most of the Tour Of The Tormentors MMVI with the exception of a few skipped dates, for a total of 85 performances. The breaks were longer on the 2007-2008 tour and the song was done 62 times out of 91 dates. It was performed even more sporadically on the 2009 Tour Of Refusal, for a total of 21 airings, mostly in June and July. It was on the setlist on the very first date of the Swords tour later that year. It returned as a setlist fixture on the 2014 tour when it was done every night bar once.

live Hollywood Bowl 8 June 2007 {9:15}

• limited edition of the "Greatest Hits" album

live Warsaw 7 July 2009 {8:56}

• limited 2-cd edition of the "Swords" album

No demos or studio outtakes of this song have leaked to the general public at this point in time.

Quotes

"The best of Alain is 'Life Is A Pigsty'."
- Morrissey on co-writer Alain Whyte, Q&A published on the True-To-You website in January 2006

"I think life for many people is a pigsty, hence the track Life Is A Pigsty, and I don't think the world is a particularly fantastic place. But once again, we're not supposed to say these things, are we? It's supposed to be rock'n'roll, and wild, and beer, and madness. I'm just being realistic."
- Morrissey, The Sun, March 2006

If you were to choose one favorite song that you've written, which would it be and why?
"It would be Life is a pigsty from Ringleader of the tormentors. I'm accused of always saying too much, but dear God, there are enough people who say nothing. Surely at least one of us can be allowed to speak freely? Feelings, I think, are much deeper than expressions, and all of us carry a terrible loneliness within us, and life is a pigsty because we all - without exception - end our lives in tears. Very few people die in a fit of hysterics on a Ferris Wheel."
- Morrissey, Q&A published on the True-To-You website in January 2014

"Alain's writing for Ringleader of the Tormentors had elegantly surpassed itself, with what would become Life is a pigsty, I will see you in far-off places and The father who must be killed defined for all time as the very best."
- Morrissey, "Autobiography"