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.
Hey Joe
Morrissey Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Makes me feel so masochistic
The way you go down low deep into the neck
And I would do anything, and I would do anything and Patty Hearst
You're standing there in front of the Symbionese
Liberation army flag with your legs spread
I was wondering will you get it every night
And now that you're on the run what goes on in your mind
Your sisters they sit by the window
You know your mama doesn't sit and cry and your daddy
Well you know what your daddy said
Patty, you know what your daddy said
Patty, he said, he said, he said
Well, sixty days ago she was such a lovely child
Now here she is with a gun in her hand
Hey Joe, hey Joe, where're you going with that gun in your hand?
Hey Joe, I said where're you goin' with that gun in your hand?
I'm gonna go shoot my ol' lady
You know I found her messin' around town with another man
And you know that ain't cool, watch me
Hey Joe, I heard you shot your woman down
You shot her down to the ground, you shot her
Yes I did, yes I did, yes I did, I shot her, I shot her
I caught her messin' round with some other man
So I got on my truck, I gave her the gun and I shot her
I shot her, shoot her one more time for me
Hey Joe, where you gonna, where you gonna run to?
Where you gonna run to, Joe, where you gonna run to ?
Go get a cover, I'm gonna go down south
I'm gonna go down south to Mexico
I'm going down, down, down to Mexico where a man can be free
No one's gonna put a noose around my neck
No one is gonna give me life, no
I'm goin' down to Mexico, I'm going down
You're not going to hear 'em stand there
And look at the stars as big as holes in the arms
And the stars like a back truck electric flag
And I'm standing there under that flag with your carbine
Between my legs, you know, I felt so free of death beyond me
I felt so free, the F.B.I. is looking for me baby
But they'll never find me, no, they can hold me down like a
And I'm still on the run and they can speculate what I'm free
But daddy, daddy, you'll never know just what I was feelin'
But I'm sorry, I am no little pretty little rich girl
I am nobody's million dollar baby, I am nobody's patsy anymore
I'm nobody's million dollar baby, I'm nobody's patsy anymore
And I feel so free
In Morrissey's "Hey Joe", the singer is drawn in by the way the person playing the guitar makes them feel. They describe feeling "masochistic" and being enamored with the way the person plays low and deep on the guitar's neck. The subject turns to Patty Hearst, a woman who was famously kidnapped by the Symbionese Liberation Army in 1974. The singer wonders if Patty is sleeping with one of the members of the group or if she is just posing with their flag. The lyrics suggest that the singer is projecting their desire for something dangerous and sexually charged onto Patty Hearst and her situation.
The song then shifts to the famous folk song "Hey Joe" where the singer is seen shooting his lover after finding out she was cheating on him. The lyrics suggest that the singer is identifying with the singer's desire for freedom to "go down south" to Mexico and escape the consequences of their actions. The song ends with the singer feeling free, unrestrained by others' expectations of them.
The lyrics of "Hey Joe" are notoriously difficult to interpret, as they shift between different perspectives and situations. Some have suggested that Morrissey may have been exploring themes of sexual desire, political rebellion, and the struggle for personal freedom. Additionally, the song may be commenting on the cultural iconography of Patty Hearst, who was seen by some as a violent revolutionary and by others as a victim of brainwashing or Stockholm Syndrome.
Line by Line Meaning
Honey, the way you play guitar makes me feel so
I find your guitar playing so entrancing
Makes me feel so masochistic
It makes me enjoy pain and suffering
The way you go down low deep into the neck
Your guitar playing style involves delving deep into the instrument
And I would do anything, and I would do anything and Patty Hearst
I would do anything you ask, even if it involves committing a crime with Patty Hearst
You're standing there in front of the Symbionese
You are standing before the emblem of the radical group called the Symbionese Liberation Army
Liberation army flag with your legs spread
Your stance is provocative and bold as you stand in front of the radical group's banner
I was wondering will you get it every night
I wonder if you engage in intimate activities each night
From a black revolutionary man and his women or whether you really did
I question if rumors about your involvement with a black revolutionary man and his female companions are true
And now that you're on the run what goes on in your mind
What thoughts cross your mind while you are a fugitive?
Your sisters they sit by the window
Your sisters remain by the window, anxiously waiting for you
You know your mama doesn't sit and cry and your daddy
Your mother does not sit and weep for you, and neither does your father
Well you know what your daddy said
You are aware of what your father voiced about the situation
Patty, you know what your daddy said
Patty, you are already aware of your father's opinions and remarks
Well, sixty days ago she was such a lovely child
Merely two months ago, Patty was an innocent and charming girl
Now here she is with a gun in her hand
Now she exhibits a radical transformation, wielding a firearm
Hey Joe, hey Joe, where're you going with that gun in your hand?
Hey Joe, where are you headed with that firearm?
Hey Joe, I said where're you goin' with that gun in your hand?
I am questioning you about where you are taking that weapon, Joe
I'm gonna go shoot my ol' lady
I am heading to shoot my significant other
You know I found her messin' around town with another man
I discovered her to be engaged in unfaithful actions with another male
And you know that ain't cool, watch me
That behavior is unacceptable, so watch me as I take action
Hey Joe, I heard you shot your woman down
Joe, I have heard that you shot and killed your partner
You shot her down to the ground, you shot her
You fired at her, sending her to the ground, your shot proving deadly
Yes I did, yes I did, yes I did, I shot her, I shot her
Indeed, I shot her down
I caught her messin' round with some other man
I found her to be engaging in unfaithful acts with another man
So I got on my truck, I gave her the gun and I shot her
I drove my car to her, handed her the weapon, and shot her dead
I shot her, shoot her one more time for me
I shot her once more, so shoot her one last time for me
Hey Joe, where you gonna, where you gonna run to?
Joe, where do you plan on escaping to?
Where you gonna run to, Joe, where you gonna run to ?
I am curious where you will try to flee, Joe
Go get a cover, I'm gonna go down south
Go fetch some shelter, for I am heading downwards to Mexico
I'm gonna go down south to Mexico
I am headed to Mexico, in the southern direction
I'm going down, down, down to Mexico where a man can be free
I am journeying to Mexico, where men can enjoy a sense of liberty and freedom
No one's gonna put a noose around my neck
I will not be oppressed or killed in a violent manner
No one is gonna give me life, no
No one shall seek to imprison me for long periods of time
I'm goin' down to Mexico, I'm going down
I am bound for Mexico, headed downwards
You're not going to hear 'em stand there
You will not be able to hear them as they stand nearby
And look at the stars as big as holes in the arms
They will gaze at the expansive and stunning night sky
And the stars like a back truck electric flag
And the stars resemble the bold and colorful emblem of the Electric Flag music group
And I'm standing there under that flag with your carbine
I am situated under that flag, with your rifle by my side
Between my legs, you know, I felt so free of death beyond me
The gun held between my legs makes me feel exempt from death and destruction
I felt so free, the F.B.I. is looking for me baby
I feel truly free, even though the FBI is searching for me
But they'll never find me, no, they can hold me down like a
No matter what, they will never apprehend me despite their efforts
And I'm still on the run and they can speculate what I'm free
I remain on the run, with the authorities only able to speculate about my freedom
But daddy, daddy, you'll never know just what I was feelin'
Father, you can never understand my true emotions in this situation
But I'm sorry, I am no little pretty little rich girl
I apologize, but I am not a docile and wealthy girl
I am nobody's million dollar baby, I am nobody's patsy anymore
I am not someone's expensive and powerless toy, nor am I a pawn to anyone anymore
I'm nobody's million dollar baby, I'm nobody's patsy anymore
I am no longer anyone's valuable and tame beneficiary, nor am I anyone's scapegoat
And I feel so free
I am truly free and liberated
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
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