Morrissey A-Z: 'All The Lazy Dykes'

This Charming Bowie

Welcome to this knockabout world
In response to BookishBoy's idea about having a thread per day for each of Morrissey's solo songs, here's the first. What do you think of 'All The Lazy Dykes'?
 
Sorry for being that person, but are you only going to do album tracks and/or official studio versions? What about Action Is My Middle Name?
 
This song got the replies it deserves. Mediocre album song that tries too hard.
 
I didn't comment here yesterday because I thought it was supposed to be today's entry.

It's certainly the odd one on You Are The Quarry but I like the mood, it always reminds me of The Lazy Sunbathers - not only because of the title, but because it gives off a similar type of breezy, nonchalant vibe.
The switch of perspective in the lyrics is interesting too.
It's also one of the few songs on Quarry that actually feel like an "LA song".

But all in all it's again the vocal melody that makes the song worthwhile for me, highlighted in this sparkling live recording:




Edit: compare with this version from 2015 (starts at 1:03:15). He sings the high notes quite beautifully ("At last your life begins...")

 
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I didn't comment here yesterday because I thought it was supposed to be today's entry.

It's certainly the odd one on You Are The Quarry but I like the mood, it always reminds me of The Lazy Sunbathers - not only because of the title, but because it gives off a similar type of breezy, nonchalant vibe.
The switch of perspective in the lyrics is interesting too.
It's also one of the few songs on Quarry that actually feel like an "LA song".

But all in all it's again the vocal melody that makes the song worthwhile for me, highlighted in this sparkling live recording:


I think it has some interesting parts to it - the lyrical content, plus the vocals, as well as the small bits of electronic instrumentation at the start - but the tune is a basic Whyte progression, which, sadly, makes it just fade in nonchalantly to many of his other compositions. Still, not bad by any means, just a little meh.
 
I think it has some interesting parts to it - the lyrical content, plus the vocals, as well as the small bits of electronic instrumentation at the start - but the tune is a basic Whyte progression, which, sadly, makes it just fade in nonchalantly to many of his other compositions. Still, not bad by any means, just a little meh.
That's the weak point of most of the songs on Quarry in my opinion. If it wasn't for the production (which I'm not the biggest fan of, but at least it sticks out) and vocals/lyrics, most songs would just blend together into one big Whyte uni-song.
 
That's the weak point of most of the songs on Quarry in my opinion. If it wasn't for the production (which I'm not the biggest fan of, but at least it sticks out) and vocals/lyrics, most songs would just blend together into one big Whyte uni-song.
Yes, I think so too. If it wasn’t for Jerry Finn’s production work, many of the songs could easily slot into Maladjusted.
 
I rate All the Lazy Dykes a little higher than many people seem to. It's not a classic, but lyrically it offers something slightly different to the rest of that album and slightly different to much of what Morrissey had recorded previously.

I agree that Alain's tune is uninspiring, though.
 
Good point about The Lazy Sunbathers vibe, although for me it's got nothing on that wonderful song. I hear hints of "Michael's Bones" in this, too. The whole thing is just a bit too low-key for me, really: it's nice enough but there's nothing to keep me coming back to it. Cracking song title, though!
 
Yes, I think so too. If it wasn’t for Jerry Finn’s production work, many of the songs could easily slot into Maladjusted.
You say that as if it's a bad thing...? 😉

Looking back at Quarry I'm always surprised how inconsistent the songs are upon closer examination and how long it took me to realise that.
 
Good point about The Lazy Sunbathers vibe, although for me it's got nothing on that wonderful song. I hear hints of "Michael's Bones" in this, too. The whole thing is just a bit too low-key for me, really: it's nice enough but there's nothing to keep me coming back to it. Cracking song title, though!
Fun fact: if you post the song title on Facebook you'll get a warning for "objectionable content". :lbf:

 
The befuddled and at the same time highly sensuous lyrical voice is what stands out most in this song for me. The melody nicely wattles (?) itself into that. As a listener I am wondering who this person actually is. As GirlAfraid has pointed out there is a shift of perspective, I would say probably even more than just one, and this also reflects the person's unstable identity and tired willingness to drown herself in the auspicious promise of an overwhelming and subverting sensuality. So, what she unknowingly wishes to subvert is her husband's ("somebody's wife") dominant thought system that she has subjected herself to ("all the lazy dykes"). Seems that they have talked about these women before, and he felt the need to vulgarise them sensing his wife's budding interest and feeling jealous about it. On the other hand, there is the voice of the luring witches promising her the palm-induced orgasm that she would never have with her husband who cant see what she actually needs.
Well, I could go on and on, which is always a good sign.
 
The befuddled and at the same time highly sensuous lyrical voice is what stands out most in this song for me. The melody nicely wattles (?) itself into that. As a listener I am wondering who this person actually is. As GirlAfraid has pointed out there is a shift of perspective, I would say probably even more than just one, and this also reflects the person's unstable identity and tired willingness to drown herself in the auspicious promise of an overwhelming and subverting sensuality. So, what she unknowingly wishes to subvert is her husband's ("somebody's wife") dominant thought system that she has subjected herself to ("all the lazy dykes"). Seems that they have talked about these women before, and he felt the need to vulgarise them sensing his wife's budding interest and feeling jealous about it. On the other hand, there is the voice of the luring witches promising her the palm-induced orgasm that she would never have with her husband who cant see what she actually needs.
Well, I could go on and on, which is always a good sign.
Morrissey has stated that he's the one telling her to come out and become herself by joining the lazy dykes.

I've always interpreted the "touch me, squeeze me" part as being told from the perspective of the woman after accepting her true self.
 
Slow, plodding filler.
 
It seems to be the weakest song on a very even and very strong YATQ . I haven't listened to it for a long time .
 
I like it - always wondered if Indigo burns was alluding to the Indigo Girls in any way?

Plus it's nice he's doing his bit for the feminist movement. Ditch those husbands!

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