Girl-with-the-Thorn
Still here.
Interesting, very interesting. I'd always thought of it as sexual, but it does seem possible that Morrissey could have taken it from Treasure Island, which I have shamefully never read. Bad English Literature student!
The derivation of "good lay" - a suggestion
- Thread starter wolramdave
- Start date
Eraserhead
Accept Myself
Maybe Treasure Island is sexual?.......maybe not.
X marks the spot (wink wink, nudge nudge..)
X marks the spot (wink wink, nudge nudge..)
wolramdave
Junior Member
The more I think about this the more it makes sense - presumably there is no referfence to it in the Mozipedia book ? (I've not read it - maybe it should be my next one once I've finished Treasure Island).
prisoner77
Member
Nice idea...Moz and R.L.Stevenson seem world's apart, though in the Disney film of Treasure Island "Long John Silver" is played by Robert Newton who play's Bill Sykes in Oliver Twist and he appears in another David Lean film "This Happy Breed" written by Noel Coward, all known to be on Morrissey's to do list.
billy scissors
a bit fond
Now I've heard it all,a good lay is about Treasure Island.I think its time I pissed off
D
DAVIE
Guest
We'll probably be finding out what the songs "Uptown Girl", "You Spin Me Around (Like A Record)" and "Pokerface" mean by the end of this..
Oh, knock it off. Of course it's not about Treasure Island, and nobody has argued it is. It just might use an archaic (and ambivalent) expression that also happens to be used in that book, and which would both perfectly fit the lyric and also in effect constitute a double entendre, which you might have noticed is a fairly frequent occurrence in Morrissey's lyrics. The notion is hardly preposterous. Which is more than can be said for some people's determination to believe it's all perfectly simple and straightforward.
cheers
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Girl-with-the-Thorn
Still here.
billy scissors
a bit fond
well thats put me in me place
Orson Swells
Well-Known Member
The Suedehead/Treasure Island debate always gets particularly heated.
PregnantForTheLastTime
Hideous trait.
Okay, wait-- just listening to both and I can't find this passage. Are we talking about, "Why do you come here, when you know it makes things hard for me, when you know, oh, why do you come?" Which line in the Pretenders song does it line up with? I'm intrigued, want to hear it. Thanks!
Orson Swells
Well-Known Member
It's the ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah after "I found a picture of you". The intro guitar is also a little bit Suedehead, I think.
PregnantForTheLastTime
Hideous trait.
I never noticed, but I agree, they sound like sister songs. Morrissey and Hynde are good friends, but I don't know how long they've actually known each other. He would surely have been very aware of her work, as he probably avidly followed her music journalism in the early days.
Anaesthesine
Angel of Distemper
So, Morrissey's "Ahhh ahhhs" sound like Chrissie's "woooh oh ohoos." I never noticed that before; it is a remarkably similar vocal line. I'm betting it's not at all deliberate. Morrissey and Chrissie have been so close for so long - they share the same influences and musical sensibilities. I'm sure they listen to each other's music as well. It's no surprise that they'd come up with similar-sounding vocals.
Still, it must have been a bit awkward when J. Marr joined the Pretenders (however short his tenure there). It's interesting that Andy Rourke also spent a bit of time in Chrissie's band.
Given their incredible duet on "Shame is the Name," it's time for them to stop dancing around each other, finally take the plunge and make some beautiful music together.
Still, it must have been a bit awkward when J. Marr joined the Pretenders (however short his tenure there). It's interesting that Andy Rourke also spent a bit of time in Chrissie's band.
Given their incredible duet on "Shame is the Name," it's time for them to stop dancing around each other, finally take the plunge and make some beautiful music together.
Reggie-Kray
Krayism
So, Morrissey's "Ahhh ahhhs" sound like Chrissie's "woooh oh ohoos." I never noticed that before; it is a remarkably similar vocal line. I'm betting it's not at all deliberate. Morrissey and Chrissie have been so close for so long - they share the same influences and musical sensibilities. I'm sure they listen to each other's music as well. It's no surprise that they'd come up with similar-sounding vocals.
Still, it must have been a bit awkward when J. Marr joined the Pretenders (however short his tenure there). It's interesting that Andy Rourke also spent a bit of time in Chrissie's band.
Given their incredible duet on "Shame is the Name," it's time for them to stop dancing around each other, finally take the plunge and make some beautiful music together.
Totally agree, that it could also be pure coincidence, but there is no doubting that the two songs are similar. as for the similar guitar intro, that must be down to either Reilly or Street. Perhaps it reminded Moz of the other song or maybe not. who knows?
Does anybody know where moz got the vocal outro for First Of The Gang from? The 'stole all hearts away-a-hay'? I heard a song from the 50's a couple of months ago and thought it must be the source, but I forgot the name of the song!
Amy
from the Ice Age to the dole age
I must be more blind than I thought - I've been looking at that picture for 10 minutes straight and I still have absolutely no idea what it is. A toilet? A sink?
D
Dave
Guest
it's a typewriter. I wasn't thinking. These were never part of your world and I feel so... old inside.
why would you think I'd post you a pic of a toilet though? lol maybe in the pigsty. I try to behave in General D.
why would you think I'd post you a pic of a toilet though? lol maybe in the pigsty. I try to behave in General D.
Amy
from the Ice Age to the dole age
it's a typewriter. I wasn't thinking. These were never part of your world and I feel so... old inside.
why would you think I'd post you a pic of a toilet though? lol maybe in the pigsty. I try to behave in General D.
I've never even seen a typewriter that looks like that
I feel like I've just emerged from the womb. & I thought maybe you were inferring that my mind was in the gutter, or something. 
Worm
Taste the diffidence
I'd noticed the Pretenders lift before. I'd be pretty shocked if Morrissey was using that as a message to Johnny Marr. Had he wanted to send a secret message, I'd think he'd have chosen to rip off a vocal phrase from one of Matt Johnson's songs. (Maybe he did and nobody realized it. )
No doubt he was delighted to get a call from Chrissie ("I just heard your new single, you thief...!") though.
I think in the debate about "Suedehead" it's worth recalling that-- while not quite a "concept album"-- "Viva Hate" centers around Morrissey's childhood in the Seventies and therefore it's probably not about Johnny Marr unless it's very oblique. Even "Break Up The Family", IMO, is about something specific in Morrissey's distant past, but its aura suggests The Smiths, which Morrissey was well aware of.
)No doubt he was delighted to get a call from Chrissie ("I just heard your new single, you thief...!") though.
I think in the debate about "Suedehead" it's worth recalling that-- while not quite a "concept album"-- "Viva Hate" centers around Morrissey's childhood in the Seventies and therefore it's probably not about Johnny Marr unless it's very oblique. Even "Break Up The Family", IMO, is about something specific in Morrissey's distant past, but its aura suggests The Smiths, which Morrissey was well aware of.
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