Does anyone here think Speedway is about Johnny Marr?

Viva Latte

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When ever I hear "I could have mentioned your name, I could have dragged you in" I think he's singing to Johnny, regarding the trial and how he didn't blame Johnny for anything, and then when he sings I've always been true to you I feel like crying its so beautiful, no matter whether its love or friendship, does anyone feel the same about the song???
 
I'm not sure, there have been so many songs which are supposed to be about Johnny. If you listen to a lot of lyrics in a lot of the songs you could interpret them in that way. Other popular ones are Billy Budd, I Keep Mine Hidden and I Won't Share You. You may be right but only one person really knows;)
 
When ever I hear "I could have mentioned your name, I could have dragged you in" I think he's singing to Johnny, regarding the trial and how he didn't blame Johnny for anything, and then when he sings I've always been true to you I feel like crying its so beautiful, no matter whether its love or friendship, does anyone feel the same about the song???

Speedway was released about the time of the Moz/Marr reconciliation, before the trial, and I certainly think it's about Johnny. (same with "Whatever Happens, I Love You")
 
So it was before the trial! then my theory about court and trial is wrong :p but maybe he was imagining a trial and how he wouldn't snitch on Johnny, poetic license and all that...
 
So it was before the trial! then my theory about court and trial is wrong :p but maybe he was imagining a trial and how he wouldn't snitch on Johnny, poetic license and all that...

That's really clutching at straws, sounds more like you WISH it were about JM than it actually being about him. I don't really think it is.

The whole "this song is about Marr!" thing is a bit over done now, I'm sure at least one track he's written would be referencing Marr, after all he was a big part of Morrissey's life. But certainly not the only one, Morrissey has more close friendships than just Johnny and it's quite possible songs like I won't share you, Billy Budd etc... they could be about other people too.
 
But it must be about a trial, and protecting someone you care about.

sure poets don't always write about themselves and people they know, he could have just imagined he was someone else, but yes, i like thinking its about Marr, the idea that it is makes me melt when I listen to the song.
 
I'm not sure, there have been so many songs which are supposed to be about Johnny. If you listen to a lot of lyrics in a lot of the songs you could interpret them in that way. Other popular ones are Billy Budd, I Keep Mine Hidden and I Won't Share You. You may be right but only one person really knows;)

julia?
 
I've never seen a pic of Julia ... anyone know what she actually looks like? For awhile I was under the impression she was one of the girls in Importance of being Morrissey, the one that says something like "the love of the one common sovereign which is Morrissey", but someone told me that wasn't her.
 
When ever I hear "I could have mentioned your name, I could have dragged you in" I think he's singing to Johnny, regarding the trial and how he didn't blame Johnny for anything, and then when he sings I've always been true to you I feel like crying its so beautiful, no matter whether its love or friendship, does anyone feel the same about the song???

I agree with everything you have said there. It's exactly what runs through my mind every time I hear that beautiful song. One of my most favouriteistististist songs ever.
 
Could be about Johnny. On the other hand, when did Johnny Marr "slam down the hammer"? Who ever did Morrissey wrong, I don't see how Johnny could be the one responsible for the depth of evil Morrissey hints at. Johnny didn't abuse him. He just ran out. Even if he somehow betrayed Morrissey in court, it was by omission only. Marr could hardly be accused of trying to "break Morrissey's spirit", even by Morrissey's melodramatic standards. It's someone else.
 
Could be about Johnny. (some words) It's someone else.
:confused: :D

also, when I typed in "Speedway lyrics" I was shocked and ashamed to discover that the fricken Counting Crows have a song with that title.

anyway, the "Slam down the hammer" part could be about a judge but I think it's just someone who is judge-mental. Sort of like the person that he is thinking of when he sings

"On the day that your mentality
Catches up with your biology"

or

"But no more apologies
No more, no more apologies
Oh, I'm too tired
I'm so sick and tired
And I'm feeling very sick and ill today
But I'm still fond of you, oh-ho-oh "

but then I think I understand every song and 98% of them are about wanting the one that doesn't want him back, at least in The Smiths.


And when you slam
Down the hammer
Can you see it in your heart ?
All of the rumours
Keeping me grounded
I never said, I never said that they were
Completely unfounded

So when you slam
Down the hammer
Can you see it in your heart ?
Can you delve so low ?
And when youre standing
On my fingers
Can you see it in your heart ? ... ah ...
And when you try
To break my spirit
It wont work
Because theres nothing left to break
Anymore
All of the rumours
Keeping me grounded
I never said, I never said that they were
Completely unfounded

You wont sleep
Until the earth that wants me
Finally has me
Oh youve done it now
You wont rest
Until the hearse that becomes me
Finally takes me
Oh youve done it now
And you wont smile
Until my loving mouth
Is shut good and proper
Forever

All of the rumours
Keeping me grounded
I never said, I never said that they were
Completely unfounded
And all those lies
Written lies, twisted lies
Well, they werent lies
They werent lies
They werent lies

I never said
I never said
I could have mentioned your name
I could have dragged you in
Guilt by implication
By association
Ive always been true to you
In my own strange way
Ive always been true to you
In my own sick way
Ill always stay true to you


To me this song is about an affair that may have actually gotten somewhere until the object of his affection had a change of heart, or actually more like a change of mind.

The rumours are those same old rumours and he never said, he never said...etc,

and he's telling this person "I don't owe you anything, but you owe me something" because he kept this person from being scandalized or made the subject of the same rumours that Morrissey is the subject of.

So my weaknesses in interpreting Morrissey's lyrics are that, to me there are no characters, maybe one or two songs, but all the rest is him singing as himself, and it's all true and directly from his life, and it's all about being in love or lusting after someone that either doesn't feel the same or hides that they do for some reason.
 
When ever I hear "I could have mentioned your name, I could have dragged you in" I think he's singing to Johnny, regarding the trial and how he didn't blame Johnny for anything, and then when he sings I've always been true to you I feel like crying its so beautiful, no matter whether its love or friendship, does anyone feel the same about the song???

Two lyrical references support your analysis! Firstly, Moz sings "in your own StrangeWay" which is a fairly obvious Smiths reference. And, of course, Marr once worked at a Speedway, hence the title...
 
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