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

Like the soar at the end, as others have remarked. The vocal melody puts me in mind of the ending to Lost. The musical interlude with the hollow, rasping guitar makes me feel a nauseous yearning for home.
 
The movement of spent the day after the bigness of “home” is refreshing sequencing wise imo. I will say that for whatever reason I really don’t care for the production of lihs compared to world peace California son and dog on a chain. The guitar on the verse of this song sounds weird and brittle to me at times. That said I enjoy the song though it’s not my fav on the album. I think music mogul bit is probably right on the mark as this came right after the harvest. The wrap you legs line is a good one
 
You know, there are several nuances between the sheer stupidity that makes up so much of LIHS and “slick old man borefest”.

I mean perhaps... but I love it !!!

And him and David Hoyle in a video.... :love: damn him for being awkward when then that thing of beauty was made.
 
Home Is A Question Mark, certainly one of the high points of an album which I have an awful lot of time for. I ponder – have some of the people who continue to deride Low In High School judged a book by its simply awful cover? The song sits well sandwiched between Jacky's Only Happy When She's Up on the Stage & Spent the Day in Bed and, as others have mentioned – the “messy bombast” of this torch song, builds to an aurally sublime soar…. Ah.. I have to listen to it again now.

I wonder if Morrissey completed his census forms last week and, if he did, did he consider putting the answer Home Is A Question Mark down as his prime address? It certainly sprung to my mind!
 
For me, it is a song that captures the soul sound of the older Morrissey brilliantly.

He still sings about not belonging to anyone or anywhere, but he would not have used a phrase like “wrap your legs around my face just to greet me” 20 years ago.

I feels like a thunderstorm building up, and then exploding in the final par. Hear the strength and power of his voice as he reaches the closing line “How many times I saved myself?” and hits the high notes. It gets me every time.
 
You know I have never taken to the song, but with all the nice words shared by everyone - I will listen again with a renewed intensity!
 
I mean perhaps... but I love it !!!

And him and David Hoyle in a video.... :love: damn him for being awkward when then that thing of beauty was made.
Who’s David Hoyle? 😬
 
Who’s David Hoyle? 😬

The Divine David !!

Writer, performer, director & legend.

david.jpg
 
The best piece on an otherwise unappetising affair called LIHS. Reflects on old melodic strengths without world music influences, but quotes already known material (All the lazy dykes). Originally titled "Home is ?", intended for Quarry and recorded in demo form with completely different music by Alain Whyte, the lyrics depict Morrissey's uprooting and search for home very well. It impressed me more live in Berlin on location at the Arte concert, than later on record.
 
Last edited:
Coincidentally played this to my girlfriend last night, she’d never heard it. It moved her to tears on the first listen which she says has never happened before. She described it as the saddest song she’d ever heard. Played it again and she cried again. She says she doesn’t want to listen to it anymore, after that. Can’t say I blame her.

It’s absolute peak Morrissey in my opinion. His voice is unsurpassed, his lyrics are still amazing. The tempo and arrangement showcase his talents perfectly. I just wish he’d wait until he had 8-10 songs of this quality before releasing an album (assuming he can get a deal).

Although he’s been heavily mining the themes of alienation, rejection, yearning and disillusionment for almost forty years, he’s sufficiently talented as a writer to provide a new insight into them, and this is the perfect distillation.

Funnily enough, I didn’t much like it when I first heard it, now I think it has a deep emotional power that almost means it needs to handled carefully.

If you strip away all the layers of bullshit, his lack of reliability as a witness and teller of stories, his paranoia, his deeply questionable political affiliations, his haphazard quality control, his attention seeking public statements, Morrissey is ultimately a crooner, in the classic tradition. Arguably the greatest lyricist of all time, and possessor of one of the most magnificent ever voices.

It’s songs like this that mean I can never, ever, walk away as a fan. He’s proven he can hit this level, at this stage in his career, and this is what he needs to aim for every time. Total magic.
 
One of the few bright spots on 'Low in High School', this is a really nice track. I do wish he'd stop playing it live though - the whole song builds towards that soaring final note, and as he can't sing it live, it always ends up being an anti-climax. Maybe shift the key down a couple of notes or something, but don't just give up and not even attempt the ending - it's lame.
 
For me, it is a song that captures the soul sound of the older Morrissey brilliantly.

He still sings about not belonging to anyone or anywhere, but he would not have used a phrase like “wrap your legs around my face just to greet me” 20 years ago.

I feels like a thunderstorm building up, and then exploding in the final par. Hear the strength and power of his voice as he reaches the closing line “How many times I saved myself?” and hits the high notes. It gets me every time.
I for one do think it’s something he would have said 20 years prior, he’s always had that bit of cheeky “carry on” humour which has mixed results when paired with such emotive vulnerability - “some girls” “dear god, please help me” “Alsatian cousin”
 
I for one do think it’s something he would have said 20 years prior, he’s always had that bit of cheeky “carry on” humour which has mixed results when paired with such emotive vulnerability - “some girls” “dear god, please help me” “Alsatian cousin”
Let me get my hands on your mammary glands.
 
Love it,a truly "big" song.If I was trying to impress on to someone how truly unique and talented Morrissey is this is one of many tracks I would play.
 
Certainly one of the better songs of the late era. As @The.Truth. mentioned above, the verse is superior to the chorus but I think it ultimately hangs together as powerful whole. It actually sounds like a "Morrissey song" where a lot of his recent stuff simply doesn't to my ears. Would be very curious to hear the original Alain version.
 
Tags
morrissey a-z
Back
Top Bottom