Quintessential Smiths Song

[Sarah]

im giving a presentation on the smiths in a seminar style english class tomorrow. ill give a bit of background on morrissey, themes, style etc. then i have to play a song whose lyrics will be passed out for later analysis. i can't decide what song to play. i want great lyrics typical of morrissey but one that really showcases marr as well. any suggestions? anything else i should make sure to cover?

 

[Benton]

> im giving a presentation on the smiths in a seminar style english class
> tomorrow. ill give a bit of background on morrissey, themes, style etc.
> then i have to play a song whose lyrics will be passed out for later
> analysis. i can't decide what song to play. i want great lyrics typical of
> morrissey but one that really showcases marr as well. any suggestions?

"I Want The One I Can't Have"

> anything else i should make sure to cover?

Humour

 

[Reality Check]

ooh, man, that's a tough one. i have a couple suggestions for songs you might want to consider and songs that you should avoid at all costs -- not because they're bad, but because they're overplayed and/or reinforce negative stereotypes about the smiths (i.e. that morrissey is too whiney/miserable/bla bla bla).

songs to think about: the boy with the thorn in his side, half a person, i don't owe you anything, death of a disco dancer (i admit that these choices are kind of arbitrary -- ask again in ten minutes and i guarantee my choices would be different).

don't go there: how soon is now?, heaven knows i'm miserable now, hand in glove, this charming man.

 

[Gabriella]

Or what about "Ask"? Both the lyrics and the melody are really strong on that one.

> ooh, man, that's a tough one. i have a couple suggestions for songs you
> might want to consider and songs that you should avoid at all costs -- not
> because they're bad, but because they're overplayed and/or reinforce
> negative stereotypes about the smiths (i.e. that morrissey is too
> whiney/miserable/bla bla bla).

> songs to think about: the boy with the thorn in his side, half a person, i
> don't owe you anything, death of a disco dancer (i admit that these
> choices are kind of arbitrary -- ask again in ten minutes and i guarantee
> my choices would be different).

> don't go there: how soon is now?, heaven knows i'm miserable now, hand in
> glove, this charming man.

 

[Sarah]

or anything that particularly highlights moz's literary influences?

what would you think of rubber ring, cemetry gates, pretty girls make graves, or there is a light that never goes out? i really do like this charming man though...

thinking about lyrics with real literary merit...

and does anybody know about what someone wrote about morrissey in the liner notes of his solo best of album? something about how you could trade the work of any nobel prize winner for one song by morrissey?

what can a say about his childhood and sexuality?

 

[Librarian on Fire]

It's never been one of my favourites, but perhaps "Frankly Mr Shankly". Songs about the drudge of work for us peons. Yet here was Morrissey singing that he didn't want that, fame was what he was after and he damm well got. And showing how cruel life can be, I'm sure he doesn't really want if it means that he has stalkers outside his house all the time. "Frankly..." can really been seen as a daydream that Morrissey must have had, even from his early days at the Inland Revenue department.

For his childhood, a sensitive outsider who's prefered company was that of ghost from the past, Oscar Wilde, The New York Dolls and Patti Smith. He has that love/hate affair with Manchester knowing that those cobble stone streets he slipped down helped shape him into what he became. No matter how hard he tries he can't shake off those shackles. And those times of being scoffed at for his appearance only added more fuel to his fire and would spurn him on to greatness.

 

[Reality Check]

no argument there. ask is very strong -- one of my favorite singles and a great sing-a-long song.

 

[bratty]

I know its Over!!

 

[Sarah]

some other things...any good morrissey quotes? and how did he write his songs after he went solo?

 

[Sick, Dull, and Plain]

Sorry, We have more important things to discuss, like stalking and non-payment within the Moz Crew.

 

[Sick, Dull, and Plain]

but, that said, my vote is "There is a Light...."

 

[Gabriella]

> no argument there. ask is very strong -- one of my favorite singles and a
> great sing-a-long song.

It's unusually perky and poppy for a Smiths song, isn't it? I've always loved it.

But somebody else's suggestion of "There is a Light" is the best, I think.

...
...

 

[Mmmmmm]

I'd go with "There is a Light". Nice paradox of morose imagery (bus crash) with optimistic theme (Take me out... where there's music and people and they're young and alive). There is humour in the hyperbole (not merely a bus, but a double decker one!), pathos in the sentiment (take me anywhere... i don't care), and relistic emotional reckoning (I thought... my chance has come... but.. I just couldn't ask)

Fav quote: "Madonna is the closest thing to legalized prostitution"

 

[Maladjusted]

There Is A Light definately or perhaps The Queen Is Dead.
Actually it's too f***ing hard to choose something like this! Never Had No One Ever, Bigmouth, Last Night I Dreamt.....,Shoplifters,That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore, Death Of A Disco Dancer,Rusholme Ruffians,I Want The One I Can't Have,Panic,Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others,Reel Around The Fountain,Girl Afraid, on and on!
I once did a presentation about Derek Jarman the artist/filmaker/writer/humanist
and showed the three proms for The Queen Is Dead. It was wonderful to have this film being shown to some of my classmates who'd never seen it and didn't know much about the Smiths, let alone Derek Jarman. It was funnt that other classes were interupted by the loud volumne at which I played it too!
Enjoy your assignment and add something about how his writing connects with you emotionally. Also, I think in general he's said that his writing is his life story and that's what you should tell them about his background/sexuality etc.
He also said it's like a dialogue with his fans!
It might be worthwhile mentioning how violent his shows can become. The audience has extreme love for him and he is very physically demonstrative as a perfromer. The audience can be physically demonstrative with him if they are lucky enough to jump on stage. I think his writing brings those feelings out in his audience and of course his amazingly beautiful and powerfull vocals.

 

[Dumbledore's Cock]

"I ONCE PEED IN A BAG AND THREW IT AT SOMEONE"

 

[Jack the Racer]

> im giving a presentation on the smiths in a seminar style english class
> tomorrow. ill give a bit of background on morrissey, themes, style etc.
> then i have to play a song whose lyrics will be passed out for later
> analysis. i can't decide what song to play. i want great lyrics typical of
> morrissey but one that really showcases marr as well. any suggestions?
> anything else i should make sure to cover?

The best song ever created by the Smiths as a unit, hands down, is:

How Soon Is Now

It's been played to death, by all sources, but that's because it was such an awesome song.

Honestly, what song sounds as good as that one. Sure, after hearing it a MILLION times on EVERY SINGLE station and show, since the 80's it's going to lose a little of its steam, but that song sums it up for how awesome and innovative The Smiths were.

For more on Morrissey's life you should listen to that Peel Session CD.

 

[david]

Girl Afraid. Or Stil ill

 

[david]

> The best song ever created by the Smiths as a unit, hands down, is:

> How Soon Is Now

> It's been played to death, by all sources, but that's because it was such
> an awesome song.

> Honestly, what song sounds as good as that one. Sure, after hearing it a
> MILLION times on EVERY SINGLE station and show, since the 80's it's going
> to lose a little of its steam, but that song sums it up for how awesome
> and innovative The Smiths were.

> For more on Morrissey's life you should listen to that Peel Session CD.

quintessential? but this song is nothing like most Smiths songs in structure...I disagree with this one.

 

[Ruffian]

Half A Person

 

[Jesse]

How Soon Is Now?