2: April 8th — The Smiths (1984) and Kitchen Sink Drama
Listen to The Smiths
Watch:
- “A Taste of Honey (1961) - Jo’s baby”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ee3larXwGk
- “Morrissey on TV-am - 1984”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-9lc5tPiom0
- “Morrissey & Marr Interview (Basque Television) (1985)”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uuv2n7OVSN0
- “The Smiths - What Difference Does It Make?”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XbOx8TyvUmI
- “The Smiths - Wonderful Woman (Troy Tate sessions, 1983, Unreleased)”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RSzX8ecXJpw
- “Jeane (2008 Remaster)”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=csn0e27Wp54
- “SANDIE SHAW 'LONG LIVE LOVE' 1965”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JDPQxyqlR2o&t=73s
- “Sandie Shaw & The Smiths - Hand In Glove”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DrjZSG8otkM
Blog question: What are some salient features of Morrissey’s lyrics on this record? Are there particular favorite lines of yours? As a whole, what sort of “world” are the Smiths creating? Do the Smiths live up to their great ambitions?
Bea Ross: My favorite line from The Smiths was from This Charming Man; “This man said, "It's gruesome that someone so handsome should care.” I liked these lyrics because they felt especially melodramatic to me; additionally, This Charming Man was my favorite song on the album because I liked the sassy little guitar riff.
ReplyDeleteI think the ‘world’ The Smiths are creating is one that contrasts much of the music of the 80s--a raw, music-centered sound that prioritizes excellent music over performance and theatrics. Songs cover topics that are deeper than “going out with your friends” or “dancing all night”; although this means lyrics can be morose and a little depressing, I think this delivers a far more realistic perspective on life and might be more relatable.
Morrissey talks about his desire to be anti-traditional-80s in an interview in 1984 when he addresses his band’s decision to not create music videos. I’m not sure I agree with Morissey’s stance on the music video, but I respect his principles and the fact that he seems to stay true to them. Overall, I think The Smiths live up to their goal to be down to earth and avoid the dramaticized vibe being pushed by mainstream entertainment. Their performances, album covers, interviews, and even the title of their first album are straight-forward and let the music speak for itself.
Andrew Myers:
ReplyDeleteMy favorite line from the songs I listened to this week was from "What Difference Does It Make?," and the lines were "And your prejudice won't keep you warm tonight...Oh, the devil will find work for idle hands to do." The song is, based on my somewhat rudimentary analysis, about a person who does bad things for someone else in an effort to win their affection and can never seem to get that affection reciprocated. This line pretty clearly lays out how doing bad things and holding "prejudice" will not keep you safe as the devil knows the wrongs you've committed and will find something for you to do.
In terms of what world the Smiths are trying to create through their music and through what they said in the interviews, I would classify it as one where the focus is on the music and not so much with any specific movement or group. In the "Morrissey and Marr interview (1985)," they explicitly state that they are not associated with any kind of movement or specific musical style. They intentionally had album covers that were not overzealous or outlandish, and instead opted for simple and/or humorous covers that fit with their non-traditional take on creating and releasing music.
I would say that the Smiths do live up to their great ambitions. They successfully stayed true to themselves (at least based on what I've seen so far), and a quote of Morrissey's during the "Morrissey and Marr interview (1985)" encapsulates that success incredibly well: "When groups make music videos, they're not thinking about music and it's a part of their lives, where they're shoving music and shoving their initial craft into the background..." That quote speaks directly to how the Smiths did not conform to the standards of music in the 80s that surrounded them; they chose their way of making, producing and releasing their music and didn't let anybody else tell them otherwise.
Personally, I have always thought of Morrissey’s lyrics as particularly salient because it is so lyrical and dramatic in a very distinctive and fascinating way. Although, I think the way Morrissey sings adds to the melodramatic nature of the songs. This is interesting because I was not aware that Morrissey wanted to portray a down-to-earth “world” with the Smiths and wanted his songs and lyrics to show real feelings. I can certainly see how this came across in the lyrics, but I also think there is another element that was more melodramatic that took away from the original intention of being straight-forward. I particularly liked the lyrics ”The devil will find work for idle hands to do / I stole and I lied, and why? / Because you asked me to!”in What Difference Does It Make because I can see how the message is very straight-forward, yet the imagery with the devil brings in the fantastical lyrical side of the Smiths I originally was drawn to.
ReplyDeleteIn a way, I think the Smiths lived up to their great ambitions. In the interviews, Morrissey does not seem very bothered about how others perceived the Smiths as he had a specific vision for that Smiths and I think this is exactly what makes the Smiths so successful. They really cultivated a unique style for themselves in the wave of British punk and made it work.
When I listen to The Smiths, it's almost always "This Charming Man," but this time around listening to the album, I tried my best to find a new song I liked best. And honestly, "This Charming Man" is still the best to jam out to, but I found many of the lyrics dark, romantic, and enticing. In "The Hand That Rocks The Cradle," there's a line that goes, "when the darkness lifts and the room is bright, I'll still be by your side because you're all that matters." At first I thought, "wow, that's kind of scary," especially because it follows a series of lines about a cleaver covered in blood and a piano. Well, then that is when I realized "The Hand That Rocks The Cradle" is a 1992 psych-thriller.
ReplyDeleteSo, here's my takeaway from those rather salient lyrics. As was mentioned last class, Morrissey is a crooner, soothing someone from something. Maybe life is a psychological thriller, filled with gore, and blood, and things that we'd rather not deal with...alone. Maybe The Smiths needed to hit us with reality before letting us know that when we have someone we love/cares about us, the world is less dim and dismal.
Or perhaps they felt like singing about a movie...
I'm not sure why it says "unknown" but I'm Hannah George, lol.
DeleteHi Hannah I totally agree and I think there's something strangely comforting about Morrissey's morose yet romantic lyrics.
DeleteI enjoyed the lyrics of "Still Ill," particularly the following: "I decree today that life/Is simply taking and not giving/England is mine, it owes me a living/But ask me why, and I'll spit in your eye/Oh, ask me why, and I'll spit in your eye/But we cannot cling to the old dreams anymore/No, we cannot cling to those dreams." I like that Mozz here is talking about entitlement and the expectations of the state to provide for his living, and this has relevance as England up until the 80s was heavily socialist-leaning under the UK Labour party, but of course this all changes with the government of Margaret Thatcher as leader of the Conservative Party and as Prime Minister.
ReplyDeleteAs to the world they're trying to build, I think, based on the interviews, that they want a world that's real/realist, with no pretensions, as is evidenced by their view of deeming music videos as unnecessary. There's no need for superfluous acts, and the music should speak for itself. The world should speak for itself. For the most part, they seemed to have lived up to their great ambitions. They're remained steadfast in their views regarding their music and how it should be consumed.
--Daniel Rivera
The lyrics in You've Got Everything Now really stood out to me. I understood it as something very unhealthy as if one is just using the person for validation, reassurance, and attention but doesn’t genuinely like them or want to pursue anything. When Morrissey said, "But did I ever tell you, by the way? I never did like your face" I saw it like using one's body for personal pleasure. And also like the basis of the song "in the back of your car" goes back to that idea.
ReplyDeleteMiserable Lie: "What do we get for our trouble and pain? Just a rented room in Whalley Range." I think this implies that "love" is a waste of time and it's filled with pain, lust, and a quick time.
In one of the interview's, Morrissey mentions that their music is meant to be thought provoking and I believe that. I don't think they are trying to create one image of what they are, or fitting into one category. I think they also made bold moves and really did what they want, which is dope.
-Lilia Antuna
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteRelistening to this album now with a more critical lens than before, I realize one of the prominent features of Morrissey's lyrics on this record is sexual frustration and ambiguity. In "Reel Around the Fountain" Morrissey writes "You can pin and mount me like a butterfly," which implies a desire for a soft, almost delicate type of interaction, but then goes on to say "Oh, meet me at the fountain/Shove me on the patio/I'll take it slowly." This is implying the complete opposite interaction, and really characterizes sexual frustration, ambiguity and confusion. The fact this is the first song of the album as well sets up that this is one of the major themes.
ReplyDeleteIn "What Difference Does it Make?" the first verse starts off "All men have secrets and here is mine/So let it be known" and later says "I think I can rely on you/And yet you start to recoil." The lack of transparency on who these lyrics are directed towards leaves Morrisey's intent up for interpretation.
Morrissey has said on multiple occassion that The Smiths were different from other bands and pop groups at the time. I think this record holds true to the kind of world they were creating. When thinking of the 1980s, especially mid-1980s, many of groups were flamboyant and loud. Morrissey and The Smiths on the other hand were quite melachony with their lyrics, yet their music was upbeat and very cheery.
The Smiths live up to this, and as Morrissey stated in countless interviews before, there wasn't a need for flashy music videos or flashy songs. The band wanted to put out "real things" in a "real, fundamental way." In the music videos that they did out, it's a performance almost if you are standing in the audience, as opposed to a story or mini-movie other videos did at the time. Morrissey's and The Smiths style is almost a call-back to an earlier time of performers; they are nostalgic for something and that is certainly shown in their lyrics, videos and overall demeanor.
I think one of the things The Smiths live up to, especially in this album, is their ability to capture the sound of a live performance. I think this adds to Alicia’s comments when stating that Morrissey’s and The Smiths style is a call-back to an earlier time of performers. If feels authentic and real because of this. Even the tiniest details like how Marr’s guitar is tuned slightly down from 440 hz to 432 hz (I play guitar and songs from this album are particularly frustrating to play) to a point where the music is slightly flat (in tuning) and it gives an even more authentic live feeling. Of course this was just a product of the circumstances of their poor recording conditions but is something that would stay throughout many of their future albums. One of the interesting songs from this album is “Suffer Little Children” where Morrissey says the names of the Moors murder victims (the meaning of the song) by name and obviously received backlash for this from many people including a family of a victim. Even as early as this, Morrissey was being problematic
ReplyDeletethis is Andrew Naranjo
DeleteI think debut albums, in general, are very hit-or-miss. Some are the artist's best album as they show all of the ideas that the artist have prior to releasing anything and a certain freshness, however, some fail to show the artist's true potential as they have not yet developed. I would definitely consider this album falling in the first category. While it isn't my favorite Smiths album, I do think that it has a sense of them wanting to put everything into it and wanting to make something great. I think the lyricism on this album has a sense of like relaxed struggle but with a sort of entitled sense. The Smiths create this world of carefree-ness with also all these things that Morrissey sees as being hard, however they're sort-of brushed off.
ReplyDeleteMy personal favorite lines from this album are both in 'You've Got Everything Now.' They are, "I don't want want a lover, I just want to be seen in the back of your car" and "Did I ever tell you, by the way? I never liked your face." I think these stuck out to me because they kind of reflect some lyrics of my favorite band, the 1975, such as "I don't want your body but I'd hate to see your body with somebody else" and "I don't want to be your friend, I want to kiss your neck." I think that these lyrics by both groups echo a sense of desire for connection without wanting to have any responsibility which I think is a powerful idea as it kind of just says that life is hard and sometimes you don't have it in you to fall in love.
Kind of funny but during our first class meeting last week, the introduction to "This Charming Man" kept going through my head.
Charlie Whitcomb
I totally agree with your comparison between The Smiths and The 1975! Similarly to you, The 1975 is another one of my favorite bands and I do see a lot of similarities between Matty Healy and Morrissey. They both speak about topics, particularly sexuality and politics, in a sort of nihilistic/negative but still relatable way.
DeleteAddison Harms
All of The Smiths' songs have lyrics that stand out to me in one way or another but I wanted to highlight the lyrics off of the songs "Still Ill" and "What Difference Does It Make?". In "Still Ill" Morrissey states: "Does the body rule the mind/Or does the mind rule the body?/I dunno..." which I love for the variety of different ways it could be interpreted. Like Alicia pointed out, sexual ambiguity and frustration is a big them on this album so this could possibly be interpreted as how Morrissey can't help who he is attracted to (this interpretation is strengthened by the fact that the following line in the chorus says "Under the iron bridge we kissed"). Alternatively it could be interpreted as a reflection on mental illness and whether possible feelings of depression/anxiety/departure from the norm are caused by the mind or body or the environment. As for the lyrics on "What Difference Does It Make?", I enjoyed the second verse that starts with "The devil will find work for idle hands to do...". I'm not quite sure what attracts me to these lyrics but I find that the duality of the relationship that Morrissey is describing (his partner making him feel ashamed while Morrissey continues to do anything for them) is very interesting and his vocal delivery pairs well with Marr's guitar.
ReplyDeleteThe world that The Smiths create in their debut self-titled album is one that is very real and honest about subjects that could've been seen as taboo in popular at the time (sexuality, murder, etc...). As Bea said, their music stands in contrast to much of the popular music at the time. This is counter-culture take on pop music was further solidified by Morrissey staunch anti-music video stance. I find this stance really interesting as Morrissey was so concerned with the aesthetics of the band, as seen in the interview where he discusses choosing their single/album covers, but rejects the medium in which these aesthetics could have been expanded on. His stance does make sense in the context of the down-to-earth world he was trying to create, but I think a Smiths music video would have been interesting to see (perhaps a sort of "anti music video" like Here Comes Your Man by Pixies).
Addison Harms
As a person who has not interacted with the works of the Smiths, it is quite interesting to get to listen to and interpret their work. A common theme that I have seen in their music so far is that they stepped away from the norm of the music industry of the time. A line that stood out to me was “and your prejudice won’t keep you warm tonight” form the song “what difference does it make?”. The song overall makes me think of a person who is capable of forgiving and going passed the differences in relationships that they have. But what makes this line interesting is that there is a hint of judgement.
ReplyDeleteMy previous knowledge about the music industry of the 80s helps me interpret their work form a different angle. My understanding is that the 80s was known to be filled with outrageous fashion sense with loud colors and crazy hair, and it is interesting that the Smiths were in a sense ordinary, as in they strayed away from the mainstream culture. For one they did not really shoot music videos giving the spotlight entirely to their songs. Another way in which they showed their simplicity is through choosing a name that is so common. In being so simplistic and focused on not following the mainstream culture their entire style is more individualistic.
Evan Ibarra:
ReplyDeleteI apologize for how late this was; I had written a response earlier today but it hadn't submitted and I lost all my progress so after some fuming I came back to the keyboard to write.
I would consider myself a rather big Smiths fan, but I don't think I had listened to the ENTIRETY of this album before all the way through from track 1 to the end. I simply picked and chose songs I liked and didn't. This album isn't my favorite but it is quite good. Personally, my favorite aspect of the album is the focus on queer repression and sexuality as opposed to a more political stance (a la Meat is Murder). That isn't to say I don't like Meat is Murder, in fact it is probably my favorite album, but I do enjoy the melancholy camp of the first album. My favorite songs off of this album are probably Still Ill, Pretty Girls Make Graves and Hand In Glove. I do enjoy This Charming Man but I think at this point I have listened to it too many times it is starting to become dead to me. On of my favorite lyrics is the following stanza from Still Ill:
Ask me why, and I'll die
Oh, ask me why, and I'll die
And if you must, go to work, tomorrow
Well, if I were you I wouldn't bother
For there are brighter sides to life
And I should know, because I've seen them, but not very often
I feel like this stanza (I am not even sure if that is the right term for songs, but I suppose you understand what I mean) captures a lot of aspects of Morrissey's lyrics in this album and overall, specifically the melodrama of it all as well as this passive dismissal of advice HE GIVES. The melodrama comes in at the beginning of the set, with the repetition of "Ask me why and I'll die", which is, in my opinion, common in Morrissey's lyrics (see There is a Light That Never Goes Out). The following several lines of this song consist of Morrissey giving the optimistic advice, that work doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things, and while you are alive you should be experiencing the beautiful and good parts of it. He then passively dismisses this like its a review for a mediocre restaurant, admitting it doesn't happen very often. This is a part of the wit he uses in his other songs as well.
As someone who did not know The Smiths’ works previously, I found the music to be unique and original from other 80s artists I listen to. My favorite lyric from their works is from the song What Difference Does It Make: “The devil will find work for idle hands to do”. I thought it was beautifully said, and it implies that the singer is constantly bothered by bad thoughts or prone to committing some kind of crime, creating a loop of doing bad deeds and feeling ashamed or secretive as a result of it. Although in one of the videos, Morrissey said that their music is aimed to be straightforward, I thought the songs were the opposite. The lyrics to all their songs I listened to so far seem to have many different interpretations. I think the world the Smiths were trying to create was something down-to-earth. As said by Morrissey in an interview, he was against advertising his songs via music videos because he feared that his people would focus more on the video than the song itself. Morrissey also mentions how he wanted his songs to not have a genre and to make them anti-traditional, which I think he was successful in doing. Their works managed to accrue much attention without the music videos and with taboo themes like sexuality and loss of innocence.
ReplyDelete- Jenny Cho
Xzandalyn Kallstrom:
ReplyDeleteOn this record, the most memorable features of Morrissey's voice is his wailing and moaning and screaming parts in especially the songs "Miserable Lie", "Pretty Girls Make Graves", and 'What Difference Does It Make?". My favorite lines from this album are "Does the body rule the mind or does the mind rule the body?" from "Still Ill" and all the lyrics from "What Difference Does It Make?", because they are so deep and heavy in emotion (and I relate to them). The Smiths are creating a world of frustration and pain and emotion that is backed by Morrissey's lyrics and voice alone. They have a very beautiful and ethereal sound to them that always puts me in a trance. I have always liked this album, but if the Smiths only created this album, they wouldn't have lived up to their great ambitions. I think that the Smiths more impressive and unique songs come later in their discography.
Upon further reflection, I had a different perspective of some of the music by The Smiths self-titled album. The music on this record is distinct from the lively eighties pop, the brooding post-punk, and synthesized new wave. The juxtaposition of Johnny Marr's guitar playing and Morrisey's lyrics awards the listeners an experience that engages the senses. The songs are reminiscent of poetry and storytelling, where the music and lyrics go hand in hand. In the seminar, a classmate pointed out that this album shows a man realizing that he is gay in Pretty Girls Make Graves after I commented about it being misogynistic. With that in mind, I listened to the album again and noticed more songs that solidified the reasoning for me.
ReplyDeleteIn the seventh track, Still Ill, Morrisey describes an intimate rendezvous with an unnamed person. It could be interpreted as a metaphor for a changing world. However, I feel like it can be relevant towards this character's sexuality as well. He sings, "Does the body rule the mind / Or does the mind rule the body? / I don't know." To me, the character is asking himself (assuming he identifies as male) if he can decide to be attracted to people of the same gender or not? Can he go against the way he physically reacts to this individual? Is it something in his mind? Following in the chorus, Morrissey sings, "Am I still ill? / Oh... / Oh, am I still ill?" Almost like he's lamenting his actions and emotions. In the previous decade, homosexuality was no longer considered a mental disorder by psychiatrists. Although, that probably didn't stop many people in the following years from changing their perspective on it. Therefore, the character might think that he is "ill" for having any romantic or sexual feelings with a man. Maybe for having those feelings at all. This could be a reach.
Serafina Valisa
ReplyDeleteThis was my first time listening to The Smiths album in full and with any consideration, and I really enjoyed it. At a base level, this album was relaxing and simple, which as many people have pointed out is a bit different than the traditional 80s sounds at the time, which were more lively, colorful, and in your face. The Smiths' whole philosophy seems to have rested on being a simple, straightforward band, even down to their name which they said was chosen because it's a very common last name. I found the lyrics
“I've never had a job
because I've never wanted one
I've seen you smile
but I've never really heard you laugh
so who is rich and who is poor?”
to be very poignant because it is taking a jab at the people around them who pretend to have it all, while in reality they're unhappy. The question of "who is rich and who is poor" stuck out to me because it highlights how the idea of riches or wealth is subjective. From this, I can surmise that The Smiths seem to believe in the little things in life rather than gaudy displays of wealth; they believe that their happiness in life is more valuable than someone's well-paying job. I think that all ties back to the band's goal to tell their unique stories in a straightforward way without the fluff they feel other bands had at the time (such as music videos). And I think that they do live up to their ambitions in many ways. They seem to do it in a very pretentious way, but they stay true to their brand throughout this album, and I think throughout much of their career.
Some salient features of Morrissey's lyrics are his obvious sexual frustration and inner demons. It seems as if he feels alone and doesn't quite know the right way to express himself or how to work through his feelings. I also see a lot of ambiguity and vagueness in the lyrics. I think that this also plays into The Smiths’ desire to be different from other bands by leaving the lyrics a bit up to interpretation.
p.s. I'm so sorry for how late I'm posting this.