Listen to previously unheard George Michael song, “This Is How (We Want You to Get High)”

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Andrew MacphersonLast Christmas, the romantic comedy inspired by the George Michael holiday classic of the same name, opens this Friday nationwide, but we’ve already got an early present in the form of a previously unreleased George Michael song.

“This Is How (We Want You to Get High)” was recorded in George’s final studio sessions before his death on Christmas Day, 2016.  The song, which plays over the end credits of Last Christmas, is upbeat, but the lyrics aren’t:  It appears to be sung from the point of view of a man looking back at a troubled childhood and trying to move beyond it.

“Your daddy was a drinker/he just kept drinking/til the s*** he was thinking sounded true,” George sings.  “Your mama was a thinker/she just wasn’t thinking/on the day that she looked at him and said ‘I do.'”

One particular line in the song — “I will always try to get my life together” — specifically reflects the plot of the film.

“This Is How (We Want You to Get High)” is the final track on the Last Christmas soundtrack, which features Wham! and George Michael hits and album cuts.  It’s due on Friday, the same day Last Christmas opens in theaters.

You can download or stream “This Is How (We Want You to Get High)” now from all the usual outlets.

Last Christmas, stars Emilia Clarke, Crazy Rich Asians star Henry Golding  and Emma Thompson, who also co-wrote the script.  Several years prior to his death, Thompson met with George, got his blessing to incorporate his music into the film, and was offered one of several unreleased songs for the project. She chose “This Is How (We Want You to Get High).”

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