I'm OK By Myself meaning

Young And Alive

Senior Member
Is it about Johnny Marr?

Could this be an arm around my waist?
Well, surely the hand contains a knife?


Morrissey and Marr have met each other several times since the end of The Smiths. They most likely embraced like old friends. But he still feels betrayed by Marr walking out in the first place.

Then came an arm around my shoulder
Well surely the hand holds a revolver?

Similar to the above.

It's been so all of my life
Why change now?
"It hasn't!"

True reconciliation with Marr is not forthcoming.

Now this might disturb you, but
I find I'm ok by myself
And I don't need you
Or your benevolence to make sense

Morrissey confirmed in Autobiography that he and Marr have been on better terms and that Marr has even offered to reform The Smiths, but Morrissey doesn't need it.

Even the album's title - Years of Refusal - could be used to describe Morrissey's stance on a Smiths reunion.

We now know that they met in a pub in Manchester in September 2008. As far as I can research online, YOR was done and dusted by then, so whilst I don't think that meeting could have inspired this song, perhaps the song was like a premonition of it? And, as I've said, based on previous meetings with Marr.
 
Short answer - nobody knows. Could equally easily be Alain Whyte, who was getting the axe at the time the album was being recorded and was locked out of the session, Jake, David Bowie, Spencer or several hundred other people he's fallen out with over the years...including no real life people at all (Morrissey has written plenty of songs that clearly were not inspired by his own life).

Personally I think it would be a bit restrictive, and kill off any room for the audience if Moz came out and said "This song is about X", so I'm glad he doesn't.
 
Could be about a lot of people like the above poster said but I imagine It more about him and his sense of fatalism. A simultaneous finger point to fates cruel hand and a comment on resilience. Could also just be about the idea of everyone always thinking of morrissey as some tortured person constantly weeping and falling apart. That must get old and fits with other songs of the era and lines about realizing there's more to life than being someone's sweetie etc
 
The song was rushed filler material for Refusal after the record company intervened. I wouldn't read too much into it.

'Company intervened' ? well what happened that they would have to rush a song as 'filler material'?

The song seems to be about a life long curse of being betrayed by the ones you thought you could trust, maybe.
 
It means: I'm okay by myself.
So for anyone amongst us who thought he wasn't, there!
He is an artist, trying and succeeding in getting into the minds of other people, exploring the emotional inner world and expressing them. Of all kinds of people.
It could be him, or somebody else.
Makes no difference.
I like the word home-spun philosophy. :)
Could it be a philosophy is being made up somewhere else than at home?
Considered it a nice nickname.
Regrets, I had a few too, this one is mentionable. :ha-no:
 
The song was rushed filler material for Refusal after the record company intervened. I wouldn't read too much into it.

Were the last two songs on Yor due to record company intervention then? Sources if possible? (I'm not doubting you Uncle just first I've heard of it)
Shockingly I prefer them to a lot on that album, which for me is the one where Morrissey lost his mojo
 
Back
Top Bottom