Is "Wonderful Woman" about Anji Hardy?

Old Mathew

Well-Known Member
Was just listening to this tonight and, in light of how her diaries played an influential role in the script for "England is Mine," as well as the quote that someone posted from Autobiography (can't find the link) about how important her calls were to him, began to wonder if this is actually an elegiac ode to her, much like "Camera" by REM. "When she calls me/ I do not walk, I run" might be more literal than I thought. (Literally, running to the phone when she called, at a time when long-distance calls were expensive.) And the line "let's go and trip a dwarf" (?) seems to be in-line with how Morrissey described her irreverent sense of humor in Autobiography.

Thoughts?
 
Last edited:
I think it was always thought to have been about Linder. I can't remember if there's an actual quote about this. He did point out Linder in the crowd at a show around Quarry, calling her a 'wonderful woman.'
 
From Mozipedia:

"Previous critics have suggested that its secret muse seeking laughs in tripping up dwarves is his friend Linder STERLING, alleged subject of several early Smiths lyrics written during the same period. No doubt conscious of this myth, Morrissey teasingly referred to Sterling as ‘a wonderful woman’ on stage at London’s Royal Albert Hall in September 2002 where she was taking photographs."

Regards,
FWD.
 
Was just listening to this tonight and, in light of how her diaries played an influential role in the script for "England is Mine," as well as the quote that someone posted from Autobiography (can't find the link) about how important her calls were to him, began to wonder if this is actually an elegiac ode to her, much like "Camera" by REM. "When she calls me/ I do not walk, I run" might be more literal than I thought. (Literally, running to the phone when she called, at a time when long-distance calls were expensive.) And the line "let's go and trip a dwarf" (?) seems to be in-line with how Morrissey described her irreverent sense of humor in Autobiography.

Thoughts?
*like*
I would not doubt with it Morrissey. People would be surprised on how certain people are injected into his songs, including his friends/fans and family. Morrissey is a good person.
 
Linder would be an obvious alternative muse. Thanks for the Mozipedia quote. Cemetry Gates is obviously about their (Linder and Morrissey's) friendship as well, or at least their walks. I suppose "Ouija Board" could have been written a decade later with Anji in mind.
 
Last edited:
Linder would be an obvious alternative muse. Thanks for the Mozipedia quote. Cemetry Gates is obviously about their (Linder and Morrissey's) friendship as well, or at least their walks. I suppose "Ouija Board" could have been written a decade later with Anji in mind.

I was listening to Ringleader recently, and - although I very much doubt that it's the case that it's actually an Anji-inspired song - I couldn't help but make the connection to the line in "Hero" - "My one true love is under the ground."
 
Linder would be an obvious alternative muse. Thanks for the Mozipedia quote. Cemetry Gates is obviously about their (Linder and Morrissey's) friendship as well, or at least their walks. I suppose "Ouija Board" could have been written a decade later with Anji in mind.
Pete Shelley wrote Buzzcocks classic song "What Did I Get" about Linder because she was dating Howard Devoto and not him!
 
Pete Shelley wrote Buzzcocks classic song "What Did I Get" about Linder because she was dating Howard Devoto and not him!

'What do I get ?' actually. Wonder if Shelley felt any victory by Linder agreeing to appear in this? ...

 
Last edited:
It's an ironic song in true manc style about Maggie Thatcher and I had that confirmed once by a source that shall not be named.
 
The song shows his ambivalence towards Thatcher. Also found this:

"Here’s what Morrissey said about this song (as quoted in Simon Goddard’s book ‘Songs That Saved Your Life’):

“In a monotonous way, it’s quite tongue-and-cheek. The wonderful woman is actually an incredibly vicious person but still at the end of the day she had this incredible magnetic ray to me. All the things that she wanted to do, nasty as they were, were completely forgivable due to whatever reason. It’s all metaphysical.”

“Wonderful Woman” was released as a B-side to “This Charming Man”.

The best bits about the song is him going "oooohhhh ooohhhh da da da"
 
The song shows his ambivalence towards Thatcher. Also found this:

"Here’s what Morrissey said about this song (as quoted in Simon Goddard’s book ‘Songs That Saved Your Life’):

“In a monotonous way, it’s quite tongue-and-cheek. The wonderful woman is actually an incredibly vicious person but still at the end of the day she had this incredible magnetic ray to me. All the things that she wanted to do, nasty as they were, were completely forgivable due to whatever reason. It’s all metaphysical.”

“Wonderful Woman” was released as a B-side to “This Charming Man”.

The best bits about the song is him going "oooohhhh ooohhhh da da da"

I'm not saying they are always the best bits of the songs where Moz sings oooohhhh ooooohhhhh da da da, or la la la la, or mmmmmmm, or
yodeling anything else but I do like it when he does and still does.
He is using his voice as an instrument and it doesn't need to be text always.
I think he is one of the few now in pop/rock music, or even the only one, that does that and he has always done that.
He is just a brilliant singer!
 
'What do I get ?' actually. Wonder if Shelley felt any victory by Linder agreeing to appear in this? ...


Yeah I noticed the error as soon as I posted, sent it in on my phone and bloody auto correct had changed it to 'did' :(
 
Back
Top Bottom