The Moz/Smiths Top 100, Part 283: JULIE IN THE WEEDS

[Houdini]

In 2007, and early 2008, we put up polls for all 234 then released Morrissey and The Smiths-songs. More than 40,000 votes were cast and this resulted in The Morrissey/Smiths Top 100, or indeed, The Morrissey/The Smiths Top 234. In 2009/2010 we updated this chart with the 25 new songs that were released in 2008-2010. The final results of 2010, the 'Top 259', can be viewed here. Now, 4 years on, many people have asked me to continue with the polls as since the last one 25 new Morrissey-songs have been released.
So we'll start with the songs that were released in 2011, 2012 and 2013 and we'll end with the 18 songs from World Peace Is None of Your Business.

So here it goes. Let's hope for as big a turn-out as in 2007 and 2010 and, once again, vote with your heart, not with your mind.

Song 283: Julie In The Weeds (Morrissey/Boz Boorer)



Julie lie down
in the weeds and see
something new
something new
Julie from now on
all the pain of youth
it will not trouble you
it will not trouble you
North, East, South, West
no one has a clue
nobody quite knows what to do
Julie lie down
in the weeds and see
how I look at you
how I look at you
North, East, South, West
no one has a clue
nobody quite knows what to do

There are some people
who live in order to
tell others what to do
tell others what to do
as long as there remains
steel in my veins
they will not trouble you
they will not touch you
will not trouble you


Previous polls:

Part 282: Forgive Someone
Part 281: Drag the River
Part 280: One Of Our Own
Part 279: Scandinavia
Part 278: Oboe Concerto
Part 277: Mountjoy
Part 276: Kick the Bride Down the Aisle
Part 275: Smiler With Knife
Part 274: Kiss Me A Lot
Part 273: Staircase at the University
Part 272: I'm Not a Man
Part 271: Neal Cassady Drops Dead
Part 270: The Bullfighter Dies
Part 269: Earth is the Loneliest Planet
Part 268: Istanbul
Part 267: World Peace is None of Your Business
Part 266: You Say You Don't Love Me
Part 265: Satellite of Love
Part 264: The Kid's a Looker
Part 263: Action is My Middle Name
Part 262: People Are The Same Everywhere
Part 261: Safe, Warm Lancashire Home
Part 260: Treat Me Like a Human Being
Polls 259-1

EACH TIME YOU VOTE, YOU SUPPORT THE PROCESS!

 

[Old Mathew]

A beautiful song, in my opinion more stunning for its simplicity (which might cause others to overlook it.) One of the top four songs on the album, "Julie" reminds me of "I Don't Owe You Anything" and "I Know It's Gonna Happen Someday". I love the 50s vibe to it, and love the croon of "will not trouble you." Fantastic, and should have been on the album proper.

 

[Anonymous]

reminds me of suffer little children lyrically

 

[fredkocherpepsi]

Like the two bonus tracks that precede this one, it’s just too “samey” for me. It’s ok. I’m not a big song skipper so when I listen to the deluxe version I listen to it all the way through but I think tracks 15-17 are a bit of a lull to have back to back.

 

[Harsh Truth]

Textbook throwaway track but earns a 4 only because I feel it to be better than two album tracks.

 

[Maurice E Maher]

Really like this song - it's another Boz-written beauty.
It has a really unusual feel to it, and a simple but affecting melody. I've gone 8 but it's probably an 8.5 had there been the option.
I've said it before but it's amazing how Moz and the band went from writing songs as awful as 'People...' and 'Action...' to little gems like these in a relatively short space of time.

 

[Orson Swells]

Really like this song - it's another Boz-written beauty.
It has a really unusual feel to it, and a simple but affecting melody. I've gone 8 but it's probably an 8.5 had there been the option.
I've said it before but it's amazing how Moz and the band went from writing songs as awful as 'People...' and 'Action...' to little gems like these in a relatively space of time.

I concur. A really lovely gentle song probably better than most of the pre-Speedway songs on side two of Vauxhall.

 

[Chickpea]

Another one I loved from the first listen. One of those heart-swellers, for sure.

The only thing keeping it from going higher is that someone told me he thinks it sounds like a John Cougar Mellencamp song, which kind of ruined the accordion parts for me.

 

[123xyz]

Gave it a 7. Probably a bit too innocuous for me , both musically and lyrically. A summery, pleasant enough song ...

 

[Eraserhead]

Boz introduced this song on Jools Holland's radio program, last week. I think it's his recent favourite. A nice plaintive song with an enigmatic narrative. It's almost a 9, but I'll give it 8.

 

[MozIsGod]

I have mixed feelings about this one. I love it musically but it also contains some of the worst lyrics he's written. All things considered, it gets a 7.

 

[Eraserhead]

I have mixed feelings about this one. I love it musically but it also contains some of the worst lyrics he's written. All things considered, it gets a 7.

Worst lyrics ever wrtten?

Julie from now on
all the pain of youth
it will not trouble you

 

[Old Mathew]

I have mixed feelings about this one. I love it musically but it also contains some of the worst lyrics he's written. All things considered, it gets a 7.

Yeah I don't get this criticism either. There's very little difference between these lyrics and "Hand in Glove." The same song, separated only by 30 years, from the perspective of the narrator.

I know I can't convince people to like this song, but when I hear him sing "North east south west/ no one has a clue" I can't help but think while, yes, this is kind of a standard Morrissey song... but if anyone else sung such a lyric with such emotiveness we'd think, "Oh, what a great new artist."

Two other points:

1) It's the same lyrical perspective as "Lost." The above phrase versus "everybody's lost/ but they're pretending they're not?" Same sentiment, different words.
2) I forget my second point. I shouldn't have had that third glass of wine.
3) Oh yeah. Worst lyrics have to go to something like "Dagenham Dave." This doesn't even qualify to be in the heat. Standard? Fair enough. Worst? May I present to you "Roy's Keen...."

 

[Anonymous]

really. i dont see any connection to hand in glove with the lyrics but i do for sure with suffer little children. even the phrasing and phonetics kinda parallel the song.

 

[Anonymous]

It sounds like a throwaway 'Bona Drag' era B-side. Which isn't an entirely bad thing, but musically and lyrically it feels very light and disposable, so I can see why it didn't make the main album.

 

[Oh my god. it's Robby!]

for me, one of the worst he's made in at least a couple of years