Morrissey A-Z: "(The) Truth About Ruth"

I love it. The dramatic music and the opera sample (I think?) and his singing are all so great. I love the guitar when it comes in. Sounds like a Lou Reed inspired tone. The lyrics are a puzzle. I think it's classic Morrissey weirdness that could have come from early in his career. 10/10
 
Also when I searched for "The Truth About Ruth" on youtube the score for a Roman Polanski film called "The Ghost Writer" has a track called "The Truth About Ruth."



There seems to be no connection. Leave it to Morrissey to get a possible reference to another cancelled artist but it's probably a coincidence.
 
probably the song i listen to the least on woof woof,that doesnt mean its a bad song.love the clear voice on this.
8 sleuths/10 truths.
 
The only Dog song I’ve never been able to get properly into.
There’s a large juxtaposition in the sequencing when this follows the sparkling, brilliant “Once I Saw The River Clean”: whereas that track used its warm production hand in hand with its synth mastery, this feels colder, less inviting. That’s not a reason to dislike it, but something just feels out of place.
The lyrics are OK, but behind the drama of Ruth’s revelations lies a more sympathetic subtext, commenting on older attitudes towards gay people.
The music is bombastic and throws all but the kitchen sink at it, just like “The Secret of Music” and parts of it I like, but compared to, say, some of the more powerful moments on Low In High School (which has plenty of songs that do this style well - I’ve made my case for tracks on that album already), it seems false, just decoration to hide a barely-there tune.
But maybe that was the point, chiming in with the lyrics of discovering and uncovering secrets of a person.
Still, it’s the only track on Dog that I could say I dislike: a feat, and a testament to that album’s brilliance.
5/10
 
While I love this album, this particular track just doesn't resonate with me at all. His voice is fantastic on it, but I can't ever get past the feeling that it sounds like one of those "songs" they put in the middle of a musical, to sort of move the plot along a bit, without bothering to write much of a tune.

Also, just the song's title - ugh. Morrissey loves his wordplay, of course, but at this point in his career it feels more like a tic than a good writing habit. Like, if he wrote "Meat is Murder" now he'd probably call it "The Lies About Pies".
 
This song might as well be from the Kill Uncle era. This is the song that I listened to the least of the Dog album (Thelma's howl I don't listen at all)
Average song, but there is something eerie about it.

5/10
 
While I love this album, this particular track just doesn't resonate with me at all. His voice is fantastic on it, but I can't ever get past the feeling that it sounds like one of those "songs" they put in the middle of a musical, to sort of move the plot along a bit, without bothering to write much of a tune.

Also, just the song's title - ugh. Morrissey loves his wordplay, of course, but at this point in his career it feels more like a tic than a good writing habit. Like, if he wrote "Meat is Murder" now he'd probably call it "The Lies About Pies".

Or maybe 'the bleat of the meat'?
 
It's an interesting & unusual Moz track, but I really like it. The voice is incredible, as it is throughout the whole album.
The opening, tinkling, piano seems to dominate to a large extent, (the tone reminds me of the music in those old black & white Charlie Chaplin movies), then we move into guitars, drums & booming bass. It's an interesting mix which somehow works really well.
 
This song for me along with the secret of music, hurling days, just take the brilliance off doggie on a chain.
I like the subject matter and his voice on this song, but for me that’s about it .
I don’t think this song fits in well with dog on a chain at all.
 
Along with “Bobby…” and “Love Is…”, this song is the very worst of IANADOAC. I know I rant and rave like lunatic about Gustavo being shit, but it’s just that I feel he’s being a liability for Moz. Like I’ve said before, he sure can play, but he can’t compose, and that leads to crappy songs soiling the albums.
 
Not one of the standouts on I Am Not a Dog on a Chain, but a very solid album track.

I don't have an issue with Gustavo's contribution to this song at all. We have heard much less interesting compositions from other band members over the years.

The lyrical theme is typical Morrissey, but they are not exactly the best words he has ever written (nor the worst).

In the poll on the Hoffman board it ranked 139th from 264 solo songs.
 
This song actually fares better on its own than as a part of the IANADOAC album, where I dislike its position between Once I Sas the river clean and Secret of music and tend to skip it as a resul.

Listening to it in this randomn order, it sits somewhere in the middle of the pack. Strong vocals, decent melody, somewhat abstract lyrics and stupid rhumes, although I like this line:
Some people right all their life just to take root

Opinions will probably differ on this one, but I would take this production over that lifeless production on half of the songs on KU.
7/10
 
One of the very few Morrissey songs that I do not like and do not listen to. Heard once all the way through and it is just too much like a musical number for me to take seriously.
 
The biggest problem with that track is it’s predictability. It’s not uptempo or super catchy so it’s not gonna get by on energy or just humming the hook etc. it’s got a nice structure but it’s just so familiar it saps the strength out of it. I’m not even sure it’s familiarity so much as it just kinda follows the obvious order. Best part are the lyrics and the way he enunciates. Still a fine song but I loved dog on a chain and this is the least of it imo. I actually think if the tempo were upped just a bit then that cold stark quality might ease and make the song more enjoyable (but maybe less of a statement)
 
Along with “Bobby…” and “Love Is…”, this song is the very worst of IANADOAC. I know I rant and rave like lunatic about Gustavo being shit, but it’s just that I feel he’s being a liability for Moz. Like I’ve said before, he sure can play, but he can’t compose, and that leads to crappy songs soiling the albums.
And after the time when you blamed him for a Jesse track you probably should have stopped. Even after you found out it was Jesse you said you were still making a good point because it sounded like something Gustavo would do. :thumb::ROFLMAO:
 
I will agree that it's in a strange place and following "Once I Saw The River Clean" is very difficult but I stick by what I said above. The drama of the track and the tones along with the very serious way he treats the vocals make this a strange but perfect Morrissey song.
 
And after the time when you blamed him for a Jesse track you probably should have stopped. Even after you found out it was Jesse you said you were still making a good point because it sounded like something Gustavo would do. :thumb::ROFLMAO:
That mistake doesn’t make the other songs I criticize any better. Your snide and your obnoxiousness won’t do you any favors this time.
 
Tags
morrissey a-z
Back
Top Bottom