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Boxers
Morrissey Lyrics


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Losing in front of your home crowd
You wish the ground
Would open up and take you down
And will time never pass?
Will time never pass for us?

Your weary wife is walking away
Your nephew is true
Well, he thinks the world of you
And I have to close my eyes
Oh...

Losing in front of your home town
The crowd call your name
They love you all the same
The sound, the smell, and the spray
You will take them all away
And they'll stay
Till the grave

Your weary wife is walking away
Your nephew, is true
Well, he thinks the world of you
And I have to close my eyes
Oh...

Losing in your home town
Hell is the bell
That will not ring again
You will return one day
Because of all the things that you see
When your eyes close

Your weary wife - walking away
Your nephew, it's true
He still thinks the world of you
And I have to dry my eyes
Oh...

Overall Meaning

"Boxers" is a song by Morrissey that explores the themes of failure, regret, and acceptance. The opening lines describe the feeling of shame and humiliation that comes with losing in front of one's home crowd. The singer wishes for the ground to open up and swallow him, feeling like time is standing still and that he'll never overcome this defeat.


The next verse introduces two supporting characters: the singer's weary wife and his nephew, who still thinks the world of him. The wife is walking away, possibly due to his repeated failures or the strain of their relationship. The nephew, on the other hand, sees his uncle's worth beyond his defeats and admires him for it.


The chorus repeats the opening lines with a twist. This time, the singer is winning in front of his home town, and the crowd is cheering his name. He revels in the moment, taking in the sights, sounds, and smells of the experience. He vows to take them away with him, even beyond the grave.


The song's final verse reflects on the cycle of success and failure, presenting the idea that even the worst defeats can lead to future victories. The singer will return one day to his home town, stronger from everything he's been through. He sees things with a new perspective when his eyes close, hinting at a matured outlook on life.


Overall, "Boxers" is a reflective song that acknowledges the pains of life but offers hope for the future.


Line by Line Meaning

Losing in front of your home crowd
Feeling defeated in front of people from your own town


You wish the ground
Hoping for something to happen to help you escape the situation


Would open up and take you down
Wanting to disappear from the public eye


And will time never pass?
Feeling stuck in a negative situation with no end in sight


Will time never pass for us?
Desperately wishing for a resolution to this ongoing problem


Your weary wife is walking away
Your partner is leaving you due to your struggles


Your nephew is true
Your family members still support and believe in you


Well, he thinks the world of you
He has great respect and admiration for you


And I have to close my eyes
It's difficult to face the reality of the situation


Losing in front of your home town
Feeling defeated in your own neighborhood


The crowd call your name
Despite the loss, people still recognize and appreciate you


They love you all the same
Despite the loss, people still have respect and admiration for you


The sound, the smell, and the spray
The sensory experience of the sport is deeply ingrained in you


You will take them all away
Winning makes the negative aspects of the sport disappear temporarily


And they'll stay
The positive impact of winning lingers in people's memories


Till the grave
The impact of winning lasts for a lifetime


Hell is the bell
The sound of losing is almost unbearable


That will not ring again
Not wanting to experience the pain of losing again


You will return one day
Hope for a future return to success


Because of all the things that you see
Believing that this experience will lead to growth and success in the future


When your eyes close
Mentally reflecting and processing the negative experience


He still thinks the world of you
Even through tough times, family members still have love and respect for you


And I have to dry my eyes
It's difficult to stay positive in the face of such overwhelming defeat




Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ALAIN WHYTE, STEVEN MORRISSEY

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comments from YouTube:

@WolfieDany

Losing in front of your home crowd
You wished the ground
Would open up and take you down
And will time never pass?
Will time never pass for us?

Your weary wife is walking away
Your nephew, it's true
Well, he thinks the world of you
And I have to close my eyes

Losing in front of your home town
The crowd call your name
They love you all the same
The sound, the smell, and the spray
You will take them all away
And they'll stay 'til the grave

Your weary wife is walking away
Your nephew, it's true
Well, he thinks the world of you
And I have to close my eyes

Losing in your home town
Hell is the bell
That we'll not ring again
You will return one day
Oh, because of all the things
That you see when your eyes close

Your weary wife walking away
Your nephew, it's true
He still thinks the world of you
And I have to dry my eyes



@nicolefafutis1965

Losing in front of your home crowd 
You wish the ground 
Would open up and take you down 
And will time never pass? 
Will time never pass for us?

Your weary wife is walking away 
Your nephew is true 
Well, he thinks the world of you 
And I have to close my eyes 
Oh...

Losing in front of your home town 
The crowd call your name 
They love you all the same 
The sound, the smell, and the spray 
You will take them all away 
And they'll stay 
Till the grave

Your weary wife is walking away 
Your nephew, is true 
Well, he thinks the world of you 
And I have to close my eyes 
Oh...



All comments from YouTube:

@biblical5510

Probably one of the most beautiful songs ever made

@eduardoteodorobracamonteal397

alma matters, nobody loves me

@sadakichihartmann1827

Very few people in history were/ are able to capture such profound and elegant sadness in a 4-minute pop song.

@grantharrismusic

My thoughts exactly. I don't think anything else has made me feel more desolate and sad than the lyrics to this song.

@VanirTraditionalist

Some of his greatest lyrics, one of his most brilliant songs, undoubtedly his best band. Alain Whyte was Morrissey’s secret weapon.

@Leo-qe3gl

King crimson fan listening to morrissey ??😮

@VanirTraditionalist

@@Leo-qe3gl great music is great music, regardless of style and genre.

@Leo-qe3gl

@@VanirTraditionalist 😌

@richardm6673

One of my favorite songs ever. Moving. Beautiful. Love it. The video doesn't do it justice. I always wondered why this song did not generate more traction. Morrissey made so many incredible songs... Jack the Ripper, Lifeguard on Duty, Paint a Vulgar Picture, Do your best and don't worry, Will never marry, and countless others. What a gift he gave to us. Thanks, SPM.

@brysonhall7846

paint a vulgar picture is the smiths most unnderrated sonfg

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