Nowhere Fast ….That Joke Isn’t Funny Anymore…You Just Haven't Earned It Yet, Baby…Girlfriend in a Coma…Stop Me If You Think You’ve Heard This One Before
I know it's over (song, with great lyrics, but not for everyone) Nowhere Fast Still Ill The Boy with the thorn in his side Stop Me if you think you've heard this before
Keats, Yeats, and Wilde are all poets. At the time Morrissey was being ridiculed for being a plagiarist: he was bookish and took a lot of inspiration from poetry particular Wilde. He’s poking fun at the press who were calling him unoriginal: “there is always someone somewhere with a big nose, who knows”.
Being a kid in 1986, listening to The Smiths introduced me to Poetry. The Smiths music is not just the music, it is also the lyrics. That separates them from most bands/singers.
The took the name The Smiths because it is the balndest name they could imagine, because at the time most band had the wildest names posible, and they wanted to different fhemselves from those other bands.
If you read the poems of John Keats and WB Yeats and then read the works of Oscar Wilde you will understand the two sides of the cemetery he's metaphorically referring to.
John Keats - famous 'romantic' poet WB Yeats - famous anglo-irish poet and dramatist Oscar Wilde - if you don't know who Wilde is, I dunno what to tell you.
The song has two lyrical layers. The subtext is taking the the piss out of moaners who complain that Morisssey 'steals' dialogue/phrases from the works of others (often obscure1960's English realist films) and then uses them in his song lyrics - like a magpie. The surface story plays into the persona of Morrissey as the bookish miserabilist - who hates 'sunny days'. So he is talking to his friend and suggesting they go to the graveyard and play one of their favourite games - i.e. reading the gravestones and counting which famous poet/writer is used more on them. His friend gets to count any gravestone with a quote from John Keats (English Romantic Poet most famous for his elegies - friend of Shelley and Byron around 1800 - died very young of TB) or WB Yeats (Irish poet, writer and playwright - late19th/early 20th century) as a 'point', whilst Morrissey chooses only Oscar Wilde (Irish poet/writer/playwright and famous wit and gay martyr - second half of 19th century). Morrissey was also witty, gay and of Irish extraction - and Wilde was his all time hero. So despite the fact that his friend will have two poets to pick from against Wilde alone, Morrissey is confident that he will win the game: "Keats and Yeats are on your side But you lose Cause weird lover Wilde is on mine".
The Smiths are from Manchester. Listen to Headmasters Ritual Handsome Devil Still ill Reel around the Fountain Barbarism Begins at Home His Latest Flame Nowhere fast I was lucky enough to see the smiths 3 times , the mosh pit was an experience never to be forgotten.
Only someone from Manchester could write a lyric about a dreaded sunny day. Also the song is incongruous because its about a Cemetery but as you note its up tempo, which is not what you would expect.
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What are your top 5 songs by The Smiths?
Please, please, please let me get what I want
Bigmouth strikes again
I know it's over
The Queen is dead
Death of a disco dancer
Nowhere Fast ….That Joke Isn’t Funny Anymore…You Just Haven't Earned It Yet, Baby…Girlfriend in a Coma…Stop Me If You Think You’ve Heard This One Before
I know it's over (song, with great lyrics, but not for everyone)
Nowhere Fast
Still Ill
The Boy with the thorn in his side
Stop Me if you think you've heard this before
i know it's over
still ill
shoplifters of the world unite
there is a light that never goes out
the headmaster ritual
-Please please please let me get what I want
-I know it’s over
-Back to the old house
-pretty girls make graves
-last night I dreamt somebody loved me
Keats, Yeats, and Wilde are all poets. At the time Morrissey was being ridiculed for being a plagiarist: he was bookish and took a lot of inspiration from poetry particular Wilde. He’s poking fun at the press who were calling him unoriginal: “there is always someone somewhere with a big nose, who knows”.
Wilde was more playwright and novelist,and all round wit.
Being a kid in 1986, listening to The Smiths introduced me to Poetry. The Smiths music is not just the music, it is also the lyrics. That separates them from most bands/singers.
Man, I love that statement.
The took the name The Smiths because it is the balndest name they could imagine, because at the time most band had the wildest names posible, and they wanted to different fhemselves from those other bands.
One of my favourite Smith’s songs.
This entire album, THE QUEEN IS DEAD is one of the best albums of all time
If you read the poems of John Keats and WB Yeats and then read the works of Oscar Wilde you will understand the two sides of the cemetery he's metaphorically referring to.
To get this song you have to be both intelligent and well read. Levels of genius!
John Keats - famous 'romantic' poet
WB Yeats - famous anglo-irish poet and dramatist
Oscar Wilde - if you don't know who Wilde is, I dunno what to tell you.
It's important to be earnest . . .
The song has two lyrical layers. The subtext is taking the the piss out of moaners who complain that Morisssey 'steals' dialogue/phrases from the works of others (often obscure1960's English realist films) and then uses them in his song lyrics - like a magpie. The surface story plays into the persona of Morrissey as the bookish miserabilist - who hates 'sunny days'. So he is talking to his friend and suggesting they go to the graveyard and play one of their favourite games - i.e. reading the gravestones and counting which famous poet/writer is used more on them. His friend gets to count any gravestone with a quote from John Keats (English Romantic Poet most famous for his elegies - friend of Shelley and Byron around 1800 - died very young of TB) or WB Yeats (Irish poet, writer and playwright - late19th/early 20th century) as a 'point', whilst Morrissey chooses only Oscar Wilde (Irish poet/writer/playwright and famous wit and gay martyr - second half of 19th century). Morrissey was also witty, gay and of Irish extraction - and Wilde was his all time hero. So despite the fact that his friend will have two poets to pick from against Wilde alone, Morrissey is confident that he will win the game: "Keats and Yeats are on your side But you lose Cause weird lover Wilde is on mine".
Keats , Yates, and Wilde, are all classic writers/poets.
Love you doing the Smith's and hopefully some Morrissey solo stuff too!
The Smiths are from Manchester.
Listen to
Headmasters Ritual
Handsome Devil
Still ill
Reel around the Fountain
Barbarism Begins at Home
His Latest Flame
Nowhere fast
I was lucky enough to see the smiths 3 times , the mosh pit was an experience never to be forgotten.
A lyrical poet from Britain 🇬🇧
I Keep Mine Hidden doesn't get enough love
The best
Only someone from Manchester could write a lyric about a dreaded sunny day. Also the song is incongruous because its about a Cemetery but as you note its up tempo, which is not what you would expect.
Love that song!
weird lover Wilde is Oscar Wilde
Get you're hand on an early version of "This charming man" vinyl version.
It definitely helps if you know who all the poets are.
They are from Manchester Morrisey s the singer Johnny Marr is the guitarist
Pls do Mariya Takeuchi - Tobira of Life
A good song by them is a rush and a push
Girlfriend in a coma