Asian Rut
Morrissey Lyrics
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Strangely the sun still shone
Ooh Asian boy
What are you on?
Day oh so late
Strangely the sun still shone
Oh Asian boy
What are drugs are you on?
Oh...strange
Tooled-up Asian boy
Has come to take revenge
For the cruel, cold killing
Of his very best friend
Tooled-up Asian boy
Has come to avenge
The cruel, cold killing
Of his only friend
Ha! La, la, la, oh...
There's peace through our school
It's so quiet in the hall
It's a strange sign for one
Of what's to come
Tough and cold and pale
Oh, they may just impale you on railings
Oh, English boys
It must be wrong
Three against one?
Oh...
Brakes slammed, and
His gun jammed, and
As far as I could tell
Brave Asian boy
Was dealt a blow and fell
I'm just passing through here
On my way to somewhere civilized
And maybe I'll even arrive
Maybe I'll even arrive
The opening lyrics of Morrissey's song "Asian Rut" provide an eerie juxtaposition of a late day with the sun still shining. The singer addresses an Asian boy, asking what drugs he is on, setting an ominous tone. The chorus then reveals the reason for the Asian boy's demeanor: "Tooled-up Asian boy has come to take revenge for the cruel, cold killing of his very best friend." The lyrics paint a picture of a cold and violent world, where revenge and violence are a means to cope with loss and pain.
Line by Line Meaning
Day oh so late
It was really late in the day
Strangely the sun still shone
Despite the late hour, the sun was still shining
Ooh Asian boy
Morrissey noticed an Asian boy
What are you on?
He wondered what kind of drugs the Asian boy was taking
Oh Asian boy
Morrissey saw the same Asian boy again
What drugs are you on?
He asked the same question as before, wondering if the boy was still taking drugs
Tooled-up Asian boy
The Asian boy was carrying weapons
Has come to take revenge
He came to seek revenge
For the cruel, cold killing
The revenge was for a brutal murder
Of his very best friend
The victim was the Asian boy's closest friend
Has come to avenge
He had revenge in mind
The cruel, cold killing
The murder was calculated and merciless
Of his only friend
The victim was the only friend the Asian boy had
There's peace through our school
The school was quiet and peaceful
It's so quiet in the hall
The hall was very quiet
It's a strange sign for one
It was an unusual occurrence
Of what's to come
A sign of future events
Tough and cold and pale
The people responsible for the murder were cold-hearted and ruthless
Oh, they may just impale you on railings
They would not hesitate to hurt others, even to the point of killing them
Oh English boys
Morrissey addressed English boys
It must be wrong
He felt that the way they acted was not right
Three against one?
He questioned the unfairness of three people attacking one person
Brakes slammed and
The sound of brakes screeching was heard
His gun jammed and
The Asian boy's gun malfunctioned
As far as I could tell
From what Morrissey could see
Brave Asian boy
He admired the courage of the Asian boy
Was dealt a blow and fell
The Asian boy was hit and fell down
I'm just passing through here
Morrissey was just passing by
On my way to somewhere civilized
He was heading to a more civilized place
And maybe I'll even arrive
He wasn't even sure if he would make it there
Maybe I'll even arrive
He repeated his unsureness of making it to his destination
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: STEVEN MORRISSEY, MARK EDWARD CASCIAN NEVIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind