Morrissey A-Z: "Used To Be a Sweet Boy"

Vauxhall and I was the first album of Morrissey's I ever heard (1997). This song struck me as melancholy and reflective, quite beautiful in its own way. A song I'd play on a long road trip and I just let my thoughts take me where ever they may. Will always be a favorite of mine, Morrissey's vocals and the pace of the song match beautifully, a masterpiece in my eye, really hits home~
 
This is one of two songs that I never connected with on V&I. I don't know if I thought the placement was out of place and kind of killed the momentum, a bit underwhelming compared to the preceding songs ... not sure exactly. I do appreciate it more hearing it now... and truthfully it's stronger than some of the material that would come later.

On a side note, I remember discussing this song with fans and one of them really thought the song was about Jeffrey Dahmer (serial killer which was big in the news in the years prior to V&I). I don't know, I can't say it isn't... but didn't think too much about it.
 
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I first heard this song on the evening of 28 February 1994, when it was released as the b-side of The More You Ignore Me..., which was also the day my little brother killed himself, so I will never be able to hear this song without relating the words to that whole situation.
 
Butley already brought this question up back in 2008 with no answer, and hearing that ‘orchestra’ version, those backing vocals sound so much like Kirsty, uncredited for some reason if it is her.


Anyway, a dreamy song for a dreamy album, perfect.
Totally dreamy. It could just be Lillywhyte replicating the same stacked harmony recording techniques, but I'm 99% convinced Kirsty Macoll is doing some uncredited backing vocals on both Used to be a Sweet Boy and I'd Love To, alongside Alain. It just sounds too much like her.
 
This is my first post on this site, I say with self-consciousness. But I'm starting here because it's actually my favorite Morrissey song. I acknowledge there's not much to it. It doesn't even have a chorus, and you can clearly hear "Golden Lights'" ("Why did you change?") plagiarized in "I'm not to blame." But for personal reasons, I am unable to hear it without being deeply moved. When I picture all of us awful adults, thinking of us gripping our parents' hands in family photos in our little suits and dresses...I guess we don't seem so awful after all.
 
This is my first post on this site, I say with self-consciousness. But I'm starting here because it's actually my favorite Morrissey song. I acknowledge there's not much to it. It doesn't even have a chorus, and you can clearly hear "Golden Lights'" ("Why did you change?") plagiarized in "I'm not to blame." But for personal reasons, I am unable to hear it without being deeply moved. When I picture all of us awful adults, thinking of us gripping our parents' hands in family photos in our little suits and dresses...I guess we don't seem so awful after all.
Welcome.... 👍
I’m not awful....
An ass , yes
But never awful 🙄
 
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