He was the lead singer of The Smiths, one of the most influential alternative bands in the 1980s. The group split up in 1987 and Morrissey started a successful solo career.
His first solo album, Viva Hate was released only six months after The Smiths split, in March 1988. The album's first single "Suedehead" peaked at #5, a higher position than any Smiths single had ever achieved. In 1990, Bona Drag, a collection of his solo singles and b-sides, including popular songs such as "The Last of the Famous International Playboys" and "Everyday is Like Sunday" (which also appears on "Viva Hate")
His second album 1991's Kill Uncle was not as well received as his first, with neither single achieving the Top 20. In 1992, the Mick Ronson-produced Your Arsenal was released and included singles such as "Tomorrow" and "We Hate It When Our Friends Become Successful". A live album, Beethoven Was Deaf, followed in 1993.
In 1994, Morrissey released Vauxhall and I, which contained "The More You Ignore Me, The Closer I Get", his biggest hit in the United States, where it peaked at #46. Later that year, Morrissey also recorded a one-off project with Siouxsie of Siouxsie and the Banshees: they sang in duet on the single Interlude.
After "Vauxhall and I", Morrissey released Southpaw Grammar (1995) and Maladjusted (1997), both of which failed to produce a UK Top 20 single.
A period of musical inactivity followed in the late 90s and early 2000s, which was due to failure in finding a suitable label, according to a 2004 interview with Jools Holland. After seven years without a new album release, You Are the Quarry was released on May 17, 2004 (but one day later in the USA). The first single, Irish Blood, English Heart, was released internationally on May 10, 2004. The single reached number three in its first week of sales in the UK singles chart. To date, this is the highest placing chart position for Morrissey in his entire career as both a solo artist and the lead singer of The Smiths (the 2006 release You Have Killed Me also debuted at number three in its first week in the charts). It has sold over a million copies, making the album his most successful, solo or with The Smiths.
Ringleader Of The Tormentors, produced by former David Bowie producer Tony Visconti, was released in April 2006. The album went straight to the top of the UK Album charts.
Morrissey released a new Greatest Hits collection in February 2008, including two new songs: All You Need Is Me and That’s How People Grow Up, both released as singles. Morrissey is now signed to Decca Records.
In 2009, Morrissey released his latest album, Years of Refusal, which was produced by Jerry Finn, his final production credit before his death. Later in the year, Morrissey released the B-sides collection Swords.
2009 also saw the re-releases of Maladjusted and Southpaw Grammar, two of his most critically maligned albums. The Maladjusted re-release ditched two of its singles, Papa Jack and Roy's Keen, in favour of several other tracks from the period, such as I Can Have Both. Sorrow Will Come in the End, written about Morrissey's vicious legal battle with Smiths drummer Mike Joyce, was also re-instated to the UK edition. Southpaw Grammar retained all of its original tracks, albeit re-sequenced, but recieved the addition of other tracks from that time period, including the new album closer Nobody Loves Us.
Two other Morrissey releases came in 2009; The HMV/Parlophone Singles '88-'95 and Swords, the former a 3 CD compilation of singles and B-sides from Viva Hate through to Vauxhall and I, the latter a compilation of B-sides from You Are The Quarry, Ringleader of the Tormentors, and Years of Refusal.
A new Very Best Of collection was released in 2011, accompanied by a UK tour.
Morrissey's eleventh solo album, 'Low in High School', was released on November 17th, 2017. ' Low in high School' was produced by Joe Chiccarelli same producer as Morrissey’s ‘World Peace is None of Your Business’.
Morrissey's twelth studio album "California Son" is released on 24 May 2019 on the singer's label étienne and licensed on BMG, the album is a collection of cover versions. It is recorded in 2018 by Joe Chiccarelli, a frequent collaborator of Morrissey.
Morrissey's new studio album, I Am Not A Dog On A Chain, is scheduled for March 2020 release by BMG. The album was recorded in St-remy, France, with producer Joe Chiccarelli.
Asian Rut
Morrissey Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
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