Meat Is Murder
The Smiths Lyrics
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Closer comes the screaming knife
This beautiful creature must die
This beautiful creature must die
A death for no reason
And death for no reason is MURDER
And the flesh you so fancifully fry
Is not succulent, tasty or kind
It's death for no reason
And death for no reason is MURDER
And the calf that you carve with a smile
Is MURDER
And the turkey you festively slice
Is MURDER
Do you know how animals die ?
Kitchen aromas aren't very homely
It's not "comforting", cheery or kind
It's sizzling blood and the unholy stench
Of MURDER
It's not "natural", "normal" or kind
The flesh you so fancifully fry
The meat in your mouth
As you savour the flavour
Of MURDER
NO, NO, NO, IT'S MURDER
NO, NO, NO, IT'S MURDER
Oh...and who hears when animals cry ?
The Smiths' "Meat is Murder" is an impassioned plea against the consumption of meat and the subsequent slaughter of animals for food purposes. The song's opening lines, "Heifer whines could be human cries, Closer comes the screaming knife" point to the parallels between the sounds made by the animals led to their death and the cries of human beings. The lyrics then underline the senseless nature of the act of killing animals for meat, arguing that it is murder when there's no justification for it. The singer then attacks the idea that meat is a delicacy or comfort food and questions the very idea of how animals are killed - "Do you know how animals die?"
The song's final refrain, "NO, NO, NO, IT'S MURDER, Oh...and who hears when animals cry?" powerfully works to drive the message home that slaughtering animals for meat is cruel, unnecessary and lacks social approval. The song aims to highlight that humans cause immeasurable pain and suffering to these innocent creatures for nothing more than personal pleasure, and the act itself is morally and ethically indefensible. Morrissey's message is simple, yet effective; we need to rethink our consumption patterns, as eating meat means supporting animal cruelty.
Line by Line Meaning
Heifer whines could be human cries
The sounds of animals in distress are similar to that of human cries
Closer comes the screaming knife
The animal is brought closer to the knife that will kill it
This beautiful creature must die
The animal is beautiful, yet must be killed
A death for no reason
The animal is being killed without any valid reason
And death for no reason is MURDER
The act of killing an animal without any purpose is murder
And the flesh you so fancifully fry
The meat that you cook in an elaborate manner
Is not succulent, tasty or kind
The meat that you cook is not good or beneficial in any way
And the calf that you carve with a smile
You cut the flesh of a calf with a happy expression on your face
Is MURDER
This act is the killing of a living being
And the turkey you festively slice
You are cutting a turkey during a festive meal
Is MURDER
The act of killing the turkey is a murder
Do you know how animals die ?
As a consumer, you may not be aware of the inhumane treatment of animals before they are killed for consumption
Kitchen aromas aren't very homely
The smells coming from the kitchen are not pleasant
It's not "comforting", cheery or kind
Cooking meat is not a pleasant or happy act
It's sizzling blood and the unholy stench
Cooking meat releases the smell of blood and an unpleasant odor
Of MURDER
The presence of these smells indicates the murder of animals
It's not "natural", "normal" or kind
Killing and eating animals is not a natural, normal, or kind act
The flesh you so fancifully fry
Repetition of the earlier line
The meat in your mouth
The meat that you eat
As you savour the flavour
Enjoying the taste of meat
Of MURDER
Repetitive assertion that the act of eating meat is actually murdering animals
NO, NO, NO, IT'S MURDER
It's again emphasized that it is indeed murder and not a natural process
NO, NO, NO, IT'S MURDER
Repetitive assertion that it is indeed murder and not a natural process
Oh...and who hears when animals cry ?
An animal's cries of pain and torture are often ignored
Lyrics © Kanjian Music, Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: STEVEN MORRISSEY, JOHNNY MARR
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind