Morrissey A-Z: "Hairdresser on Fire"

Such a good song it's surprising it didn't end up on the original 'Viva Hate' album. I guess it's chirpy, upbeat tone didn't fit into the mood of the rest of the material?
 
And the live lyric “I am depressed, but I’m remarkably dressed” is one of the best and wittiest of all time.
 
This is one of the only songs that really makes me think of Johnny marr. They’ve got a hairdresser on guitar. Love the song as its hilarious. Might not have included it on the tampered with viva hate because it was already on the us version and then bona drag
 
So can you squeeze me
Into an empty page of your diary
And psychologically change me?
Change me, change

Again, from the period when Moz sang our lives and observed the very ordinary in an extraordinary way.

He still tries to do this on moments like 'What kind of people live in these houses' except that, that song is a turn of phrase fest where as he was living the experience personally in Hairdresser On Fire.

That's what changed with Moz. He's still singing his life but we can't relate as we once did because not many of us are embroiled in ongoing high court appeals or knock around Bahrain, Egypt, Ukraine as much as we did on the streets on Carlisle, Dublin, Dundee, Humberside.
 
So can you squeeze me
Into an empty page of your diary
And psychologically change me?
Change me, change

Again, from the period when Moz sang our lives and observed the very ordinary in an extraordinary way.

He still tries to do this on moments like 'What kind of people live in these houses' except that, that song is a turn of phrase fest where as he was living the experience personally in Hairdresser On Fire.

That's what changed with Moz. He's still singing his life but we can't relate as we once did because not many of us are embroiled in ongoing high court appeals or knock around Bahrain, Egypt, Ukraine as much as we did on the streets on Carlisle, Dublin, Dundee, Humberside.
Are you telling me that you too have never been “asked to leave” a club in Tel Aviv at 4AM? ;)

How sad are we?
And how sad have we been?
 
So can you squeeze me
Into an empty page of your diary
And psychologically change me?
Change me, change

Again, from the period when Moz sang our lives and observed the very ordinary in an extraordinary way.

He still tries to do this on moments like 'What kind of people live in these houses' except that, that song is a turn of phrase fest where as he was living the experience personally in Hairdresser On Fire.

That's what changed with Moz. He's still singing his life but we can't relate as we once did because not many of us are embroiled in ongoing high court appeals or knock around Bahrain, Egypt, Ukraine as much as we did on the streets on Carlisle, Dublin, Dundee, Humberside.

isn’t he singing save me
 
A very enjoyable song and another that rubbishes the idea that all Morrissey songs must be depressing. I can kind of understand Morrissey omitting it from the album simply because it didn't fit thematically, but I can also understand why the record company pushed so hard to include it.

In the poll on the Hoffman board it ranked 24th from 264 solo songs.
 
'but the rain that flattens my hair, oh these are the things that kill me'
 
I confess to totally being the person in this song as I’m a hair guy. The line about the rain is spot on
 
Again, from the period when Moz sang our lives and observed the very ordinary in an extraordinary way.

Still does.


That's what changed with Moz. He's still singing his life but we can't relate as we once did

Speak for yourself. :lbf:

He’s still singing about my life and for the many that listen to him.


because not many of us are embroiled in ongoing high court appeals

Not all his songs are about that.

or knock around Bahrain, Egypt, Ukraine as much as we did on the streets on Carlisle, Dublin, Dundee, Humberside.

And what about the fans that live in Bahrain, Egypt, Ukraine,etc? They would most likely disagree with you.


I mean, Britain is not the world.

And I look forward to the next album.

:cool:
 
Any other connotation to ‘on fire’ other than busy/frantic?

Always took it as being busy, or the hairdresser is so amazingly good at what they do, that they are on fire, and with such skills, is very busy and so, difficult to make an appointment with.
 
One of his very best pop songs, should have been a single in a time when he still released singles between albums.
Who else could deliver a song about his hairdresser in earnest and with passion?
 
So can you squeeze me
Into an empty page of your diary
And psychologically change me?
Change me, change

Again, from the period when Moz sang our lives and observed the very ordinary in an extraordinary way.

He still tries to do this on moments like 'What kind of people live in these houses' except that, that song is a turn of phrase fest where as he was living the experience personally in Hairdresser On Fire.

That's what changed with Moz. He's still singing his life but we can't relate as we once did because not many of us are embroiled in ongoing high court appeals or knock around Bahrain, Egypt, Ukraine as much as we did on the streets on Carlisle, Dublin, Dundee, Humberside.

I wonder how we would think about this song if he had written it around 2006, the peak of his success. Would it then be perceived as a song reflecting on the lifestyle of the rich and famous?

It's great that it was written in 1988 though, so it still had all the humor and empathy that we like so much about the man. That's what I am missing in many of his more recent songs. How can you sing about Egypt & Ukraine with empathy?
 
A perfect song. Seems crazy that he never played this one until 1999. There really is nothing more damaging to the soul than watching your power vanish as the hairdresser butchers your 'do.
 
Pretty much a 5/5, both musically & lyrically. It showcases the strengths of Vini Reilly and Andrew Paresi as players and they each give it some extra welly on the outro. It needs be said that the real strings/arrangement elevate this even higher. The ratio of bathos and pathos in Morrissey's lyrics is perfectly calibrated.
 
Kind of funny anecdote, I remember around 1988/89 having a friend who was a hair stylist and she mentioned that they would frequently play this song in the salon. Evidently it was quite a hit and even turned on some of the staff to Morrissey.
 
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Reminder that Morrissey fleetingly dabbled in hairdressing himself but abandoned that career in favour of searching for hidden tunnels.

"On Cross Street, Damien and Jason are looking for a stylist. I am not one, but I apply and I am given a trial run until I fail to differentiate between oily hair and an actual wig. There are rumors of tunnels beneath Cross Street and I start to look for them. I am beginning to give insanity a bad name."


And a picture of a hair salon I took in Cologne a while ago.

HaidresserCologne.jpeg


Nothing to add. The song speaks for itself. 🔥
 
Reminder that Morrissey fleetingly dabbled in hairdressing himself but abandoned that career in favour of searching for hidden tunnels.

"On Cross Street, Damien and Jason are looking for a stylist. I am not one, but I apply and I am given a trial run until I fail to differentiate between oily hair and an actual wig. There are rumors of tunnels beneath Cross Street and I start to look for them. I am beginning to give insanity a bad name."

And a picture of a hair salon I took in Cologne a while ago.

View attachment 69757

Nothing to add. The song speaks for itself. 🔥

I had a boss who would always say busy, busy, busy... all around Sloane Square, if you asked him how he was or how things were going.
 
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