Two more to complete your aching hearts...
that second one slipped my radar. What a bizarre idea for an ending. Morrissey’s ?
Relegating this song to a relatively obscure B-Side was an act of criminality - somebody should be dragged to The Hague and hauled before the International Criminal Court to defend their decision for hiding this song away. And what defence could they possibly have? Insanity?
Love those hidden crimes, only for thieves like us to find.
Anyway, in hindsight, I don’t feel it belongs on Viva or Bona. It and Never Learn, for me, belong together. The Suedehead and Everyday singles are more like little albums, worlds unto themselves.
And the line ‘dyed his hair gold’ and the gold sleeve, I wonder if that was intentional? probably not. But for me those songs sound like the color gold. I can’t explain.
On that wrong note ...
“In a brave but outrageously premature display of solidarity [with David Bowie] Morrissey arrived in school (St Marys) one morning with his hair streaked blond. According to Morrissey, he was summarily sent home, though his clas-mates have no recollection of this. However, Chris Power does recall Morrissey's amusing attempt to disguise the controversial gold streak by re-dyeing the offending locks black. The hair-colouring episode (which is recalled in this song) may have had a secondary cause, as Mike Ellis speculates: The day of the blond flash was also the first time I ever saw him wear spectacles. He was quite self-conscious about glasses then."
from songmeanings.com, but is the above quote from Mozipedia?
I also remember some interview where he mentions trying to dye his hair gold and it coming out green instead.
Also I don’t think he’s singing about the breakup of a relationship, not entirely. He sings a lot about his youth on Viva Hate and this song, he could very well be singing about the loss of his younger self.
And I can’t imagine this song without Vini and his golden touch.