Morrissey A-Z: "Drag the River"

BookishBoy

Well-Known Member



Our song for today is "Drag the River" from the deluxe edition of World Peace Is None of Your Business.

What do we think of this one?
 
What a pleasant introduction. So soothing, relaxing. Then enters Moz's voice, complimenting it. A welcome, yet somewhat conventional song, from an album that I often have issue with.

Won't you join me, join me, join me, join me?
 
I mean, the verses of this song are breathtakingly beautiful and then it breaks my heart that there's no more singing after the 3-minute mark! I just want it to come back one more time, but it never does. Sigh...
 
7 years on, I’m still undecided. Pretty poor on my behalf. I never seek it out alone, but on hearing it whilst driving, I find it pleasant
As it’s not available on vinyl, I’m not doing it justice
Backside full of splinters for me here x
 
This is a magnificent song. I will never understand that this was recorded roughly the same time as, for example, Kiss Me a Lot. I love everything about this song. It's atmospheric, soothing, warm and melodic - everything that the album proper isn't (which goes for most of the bonus tracks). And the vocal melody is classic Moz. The verses are tugging at my heartstrings and the chorus just soars. And the best part? It's not even the best WP bonus track! For the love of God, Moz, write more of these!
 
great song,great lyrics,great music.like the way you think its ending then starts back up again.
 
This one came in at number 184 in the poll on here, with an average score of 7,41.

 
Another water-themed track.
Alliteration again.
Always felt this was formed around the idea of Virginia Woolf's death or something similar (with things like Shakespeare's Sister setting the tone many years prior).
Her drowning in Lewes is pretty coastal.
Liked & listened to.
FWD.
 
The thing I find most interesting about the lyric here is that he's quoting himself (like he does on Forgive Someone as well).
"Every second of my life" is reminiscent of Life Is A Pigsty and "On the coastal shore", though not verbatim, reminds me of Everyday Is Like Sunday.

I also wonder if "drag the river" was taken from Baldwin's Giovanni's Room. The expression is used a couple of times at a pivotal point in the story and it appears he took some phrases from it before (during The Smiths). It seems the lyric (or poem, actually) was built around this line, so maybe something he wrote down and picked up again after some time?

A very pleasing song that showcases the warmth and depth of his maturing voice.
 
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Generally speaking I think the quality of the World Peace is None of Your Business bonus tracks is very strong and I only wish that they'd been released during an era when b-sides were still a major thing. A staggered release of non-album tracks was a much more interesting way to discover them than having them all plonked on a special edition.

The softer sections of this track are particularly impressive and I also enjoy the wordy nature of the lyrics. They generally flow very well and fit Morrissey's voice very well.

The louder parts of the music are a little jarring and probably could have been recorded a little better.

In the poll on the Hoffman board it ranked 75th from 264 solo songs.
 
You feel the ebb and flow of the water in the music, and sense the drama of being swept away by the current.
From my perspective, the collaboration with Joe C. has made the music more vivid and cinematographic., augmenting the listening experience (when it is well done).

And the words provide a beautiful reflection on death, one of his obsessions.

I also find the photo on top of the page very appropriately chosen.
 
You feel the ebb and flow of the water in the music, and sense the drama of being swept away by the current.
From my perspective, the collaboration with Joe C. has made the music more vivid and cinematographic., augmenting the listening experience (when it is well done).

And the words provide a beautiful reflection on death, one of his obsessions.

I also find the photo on top of the page very appropriately chosen.

A very fitting image indeed, though I always associate it with the caption he gave it - "pastor of pasta" :lbf:

PastorOfPasta.jpg
 
Simply put, one of the best songs recorded in that session - should never have been relegated to a bonus track. How this didn't make the proper album, and 'Kiss Me a Lot' did is mind-blowing.
 
Simply put, one of the best songs recorded in that session - should never have been relegated to a bonus track. How this didn't make the proper album, and 'Kiss Me a Lot' did is mind-blowing.
Not really. Apart from my profound objection to all the flack Kiss Me A Lot gets (which I realise is entirely subjective), it just fits the album much better than Drag The River...
 
This is the photo where Moz looks closely to see where he dropped his smartphone in the river. His idea to drag the river for his personal effects was the inspiration behind this song.

Think he's looking for his specs...
 
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