Morrissey A-Z: "Home Is a Question Mark"

Obviously the best song on LIHS, but that's not saying much given the material on that album. It has all the ingredients to make a great Morrissey song - it's majestic, elegant, soaring, melancholy (it's a torch song, basically) and with a strong vocal melody and fine lyrics - but, bar the "do you really think I will" bit near the end, like so many other songs off of LIHS and WPINOYB, it's as if his spirit isn't really there. Something about it feels almost hollow. It has fine instrumentation, his vocal is excellent, but something doesn't quite click (even though it's close). Maybe it's me, I don't know.

But still, it is a very good song I enjoy hearing whenever it comes on. It just doesn't reach its full potential or the heights reached by its many "Morrissey torch song" siblings.
 
Definitely my fave from High School. Could have worked well as a single. A classic Moz-ballad with a quintessential ‘you can never go home again’-Moz-lyric. Lovely.

Still haven’t seen Hell with Guillaume Canet though...

9,0
 
I don’t know about others, but I adore this song. The instrumentation builds and climaxes, offering a less brittle alternative to some of the other LIHS material (which I like, most of). Some of his best vocals ever, especially that majestic ending. The lyrics are classic Moz despair and isolation, with some newer lyrical points drawn in from more recent themes. The idea of “home” being a “question mark” is intriguing and the rest of the words help to show that the empathy and warmth of the Smiths hasn’t dwindled in the slightest since (which many reviewers seem to skip over, sadly). All in all, another amazing song.
Oh, and I wonder what the YATQ version of this would have sounded like, if indeed they recorded a take and it wasn’t just an unused title...
10/10
 
Obviously the best song on LIHS, but that's not saying much given the material on that album. It has all the ingredients to make a great Morrissey song - it's majestic, elegant, soaring, melancholy (it's a torch song, basically) and with a strong vocal melody and fine lyrics - but, bar the "do you really think I will" bit near the end, like so many other songs off of LIHS and WPINOYB, it's as if his spirit isn't really there. Something about it feels almost hollow. It has fine instrumentation, his vocal is excellent, but something doesn't quite click (even though it's close). Maybe it's me, I don't know.

But still, it is a very good song I enjoy hearing whenever it comes on. It just doesn't reach its full potential or the heights reached by its many "Morrissey torch song" siblings.
Oh that's really interesting! For me, it feels like his spirit is in this song completely, it's more the slightly cringe-ness of some of the lyrics (music moguls, yawn) in the first half of the song that keeps it from being Moz-perfection. But the last part, when it soars...my god. I will never, ever tire of listening to that.
 
Oh that's really interesting! For me, it feels like his spirit is in this song completely, it's more the slightly cringe-ness of some of the lyrics (music moguls, yawn) in the first half of the song that keeps it from being Moz-perfection. But the last part, when it soars...my god. I will never, ever tire of listening to that.
That soaring part is just excellent.
 
I really love Low In High School - it is full of messy bombast & too much information - but it's his flaws that make him interesting. I'd rather that than some slick old man borefest. It's like Agatha Christie in the 60s when she starts writing about lesbians & LSD.

The soar on Question is fabulous.
 
A mighty fine song. And one of only a couple of fine tracks on High School.
 
fantastic song,the live version above doesnt do it justice especially at the end,somebody listening to this for the first time wouldnt realise it had an amazing finish.
 



Today's song is this one, from the Low in High School album.

Does anyone want to wrap their legs around the face of this one?

can you stick to the album versions,this video doesnt do the song any favours at all.
 
Second best on Low in High School , one step behind my personal Morrisseys Top Ten ....ever .
"Wrap your legs around my face just to greet me ' - it's a little bit odd , i've never do things like this to greet someone ... but ok it's Morrissey .
 
I really love Low In High School - it is full of messy bombast & too much information - but it's his flaws that make him interesting. I'd rather that than some slick old man borefest. It's like Agatha Christie in the 60s when she starts writing about lesbians & LSD.

The soar on Question is fabulous.
You know, there are several nuances between the sheer stupidity that makes up so much of LIHS and “slick old man borefest”.
 
A very strong song and, of course, the highlight of Low in High School. I have been pretty harsh on some songs recently, so it's nice to be positive about two tracks in as many days.

I think if you were going to compile a genuine best-of nowadays, it would have to be 2 CDs with the second covering 2004 onwards. This song would easily be good enough to make the grade.

I could live without the reference to "music moguls", but it is otherwise strong lyrically, musically and vocally. The production is also excellent. Both Mando and Joe Chiccarelli deserve their share of the credit.

In the poll on the Hoffman board it ranked 36th from 264 solo songs.
 
Another thing I like about this song is its placement on the album. The transition from this track's incredible ending into the preposterously silly intro of "Spent the Day in Bed" is really quite something.
 
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