It's a simple song about infidelity, with the typically Morrissey twist- he's aghast at the ordinariness of the person his lover is cheating on him with- leather elbows, tweed coat? How predictable. And also at their recklessness and lack of discretion and triteness- you couldn't even close the tent flaps before you started in? "On the desk is where I want you?" so prosaic.
Yes, I would agree that the song is probably about infidelity and in classic double entendre fashion, the reference to the tent flaps touches upon several meanings, but I dunno if the song is really that simple or limited.
Is a tweed coat with leather elbows the epitome of ordinariness? To me if it doesn't signify professorial stereotype, it sez dignified, gentle, old English men from a time that has passed long ago. Even if it means ordinary to English folks, it was only ordinary in a quaint time, wasn't it?
I once saw Morrissey in tweed some years ago. He was in his "disguise" -- northern flat cap and big ole aviator sunglasses. But it wasn't a very good disguise since he stood out like a huge freak -- who the f*** wears tweed from head to toe in
Hollywood in
JULY?! NB: He was not wearing leather/pleather patches on the elbows!
As for the academic setting, the title "Alsatian Cousin" is taken from a line in Alan Bennett's play "Forty Years On" which is set in a
school. Playwright Alan Bennett was Morrissey's neighbor for a while, too. I think this play went on to become a film called "The History Boys" or summat. And didn't the soundtrack feature a Smiffs song?
