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.
Judy Is A Punk
Morrissey Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Judy is a runt
They both went down to Berlin, joined the Ice Capades, whoa ooh
And oh, I don't know why
Oh, I don't know why
Perhaps they'll die, oh yeah
Perhaps they'll die, oh yeah
Perhaps they'll die, oh yeah
Second verse, same as the first
Jackie is a punk
Judy is a runt
They both went down to Berlin, joined the Ice Capades, whoa ooh
And oh, I don't know why
Oh, I don't know why
Perhaps they'll die, oh yeah
Perhaps they'll die, oh yeah
Perhaps they'll die, oh yeah
Perhaps they'll die, oh yeah
Third verse, different from the first
Jackie is a punk
Judy is a runt
They both went down to Frisco, joined the SLA, whoa ooh
Oh, I don't know why
Oh, I don't know why
Perhaps they'll die, oh yeah
Perhaps they'll die, oh yeah
Perhaps they'll die, oh yeah
Perhaps they'll die, oh yeah
(Goodbye)
The Morrissey song "Jackie is a Punk" is a cover of the original song "Judy is a Punk" by the punk legends, The Ramones. The song is incredibly short, clocking in at only one minute and 20 seconds long. The lyrics, like most Ramones songs, are simple yet ambiguous. The song tells the story of Jackie and Judy, two individuals who went to Berlin and joined the Ice Capades, and then went to Frisco and joined the SLA (which stands for the Symbionese Liberation Army, a radical left-wing militant organization).
The repeated phrase "Oh, I don't know why, perhaps they'll die" suggests a sense of fatalism and uncertainty - the characters' actions are inscrutable, and it's unclear whether they will meet a bad end. Morrissey's cover of the song speeds up the tempo and adds a sense of urgency to the lyrics.
Overall, "Judy is a Punk" is a classic example of punk's trademark brevity and sparseness. The lyrics offer a glimpse into a rebellious, anarchic lifestyle that is difficult to understand or predict.
Line by Line Meaning
Jackie is a punk
Jackie is a rebellious troublemaker
Judy is a runt
Judy is small and insignificant
They both went down to Berlin, joined the Ice Capades, whoa ooh
They both traveled to Berlin to join the famous ice skaters' team, for no apparent reason
And oh, I don't know why
The artist is bewildered by their actions and doesn't understand the reason behind them
Oh, I don't know why
The artist is still wondering why they did it
Perhaps they'll die, oh yeah
There is a possibility that their actions may lead to fatal consequences
Perhaps they'll die, oh yeah
The singer repeats the possibility of death, emphasizing the seriousness of their actions
Perhaps they'll die, oh yeah
The artist again repeats the possibility of death in a final warning
Perhaps they'll die, oh yeah
The possibility of death is still present, and the artist is resigned to its occurrence
Jackie is a punk
Jackie's rebellious nature is reiterated
Judy is a runt
Judy's insignificance is mentioned once more
They both went down to Berlin, joined the Ice Capades, whoa ooh
Their actions are repeated exactly, with no further explanation
And oh, I don't know why
The singer is still perplexed by their inexplicable behavior
Oh, I don't know why
The singer is still unable to fathom why they did what they did
Jackie is a punk
Jackie's defiance is restated once more
Judy is a runt
Judy's lack of importance is emphasized yet again
They both went down to Frisco, joined the SLA, whoa ooh
They both went to San Francisco to join the infamous Symbionese Liberation Army, known for their acts of terrorism and violence
Oh, I don't know why
The singer is still at a loss to explain their motivations
Oh, I don't know why
The singer is still unable to comprehend their actions
Perhaps they'll die, oh yeah
The artist once again warns of the potential fatal consequences of their involvement
Perhaps they'll die, oh yeah
The possibility of death is repeated for a fourth time, underscoring its inevitability
Perhaps they'll die, oh yeah
The artist is resigned to the idea of their deaths and it is almost a foregone conclusion
Perhaps they'll die, oh yeah
The final repetition of the potential for death is a warning and a lament
(Goodbye)
The song ends with a final farewell to the doomed Jackie and Judy
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DOUGLAS COLVIN, JEFF HYMAN, JOHN CUMMINGS, THOMAS ERDELYI
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Pat Duffy, Nous Defions
Jackie is a punk Judy is a runt
They both went down to Berlin
Joined the Ice Capades
And oh I don't know why ×2
Perhaps they'll die ×4
Second verse same as the first
Jackie is a punk Judy is a runt
They both went down to Berlin
Joined the Ice Capades
And oh I don't know why × 2
Perhaps they'll die ×4
Third verse different from the first
Jackie is a punk Judy is a ×××t
They both went down to Frisco
Joined the S.L.A.
And oh I don't know why × 2
Perhaps they'll die × 4
Pete Larsen
The bass player's doing it right.
Dick Willoughby & the Dirty Stop Outs
guitarist's got no guts :P
Mikael K
Thats whats i was thinking too! lol. Down-picking or gtfo
magaz
His legs aren't quite far enough apart lol
fab del
After a blogger discovered a young Morrissey's criticisms of The Ramones from an article back in 1976, the singer addressed his comment in a new interview. Not only does he no longer think the Ramones are "rubbish" but he had nothing but praise for the punk pioneers:
"When I bought the Ramones first album on import, I was enraged with jealousy because I felt they had booted the New York Dolls off the map. I was 100% wrong. Three days after writing that Ramones piece, I realized that my love for the Ramones would out-live time itself. And it shall. Well, it virtually has already. If the Ramones were alive today, they'd be the biggest band in the world."
Monster Blister
My favorite singer singing my favorite song of my favorite band,dreams come true!!!!!
ana teresa albano cury
Digo o mesmo. Salve, Ramones!
zep head
Can you imagine Moz fronting a "new" Ramones? I can, it would be fucking insane!
Jorge Obando
Perfect trio 😊
Mackenzie Puetz-Bateman
This actually sounds really good, jeez