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.
LifeGuard Sleeping
Morrissey Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Always needs to be mentioned
Who does she
Think she should be?
The shrill cry through darkening air
Doesn't she know he's
Had such a busy day?
Tell her sshhh
Somebody tell her sshhh
Oh, no way, no way, there's no movement
Oh, oh, hooray
Slowest
It was only a test
But she swam too far
Against the tide
She deserves all she gets
The sky became marked with stars
As an out-stretched arm slowly
Disappears
Hooray
Oh hooray
No, oh, oh, woh, there's no movement
No, oh, hooray
Oh, hooray
Please don't worry
There'll be no fuss
She was nobody's nothing
(What's your name?)
(What's your name?)
(What's your name?)
(What's your name?)
When he awoke
The sea was calm
And another day passes like a dream
There's no no way
(What's your name?)
(What's your name?)
(What's your name?)
(What's your name?)
(What's your name?)
(What's your name?)
(What's your name?)
(What's your name?)
(What's your name?)
The song Lifeguard Sleeping Girl Drowning by Morrissey offers a dark and melancholy look into a near-drowning incident. The song highlights the shallow nature of people who are attention seekers and are always in need of affirmation. The girl in the song was swimming alone and way too far out into the sea. As a result, she almost drowned in the sea. The lifeguard of the beach was sleeping when the girl was drowning and woke up only when the sea was calm again, which indicates that the girl might have died.
The shrill cry of the girl is a reference to the calls for help that she might have made while swimming. Despite her calls, nobody came to her aid, and she drowned alone. The line "Always looking for attention, always needs to be mentioned" highlights the tragic sense of people who are lonely and crave attention, leading them to make unhealthy relationships or engage in unhealthy activities to fill the void.
In the end, "She was nobody's nothing." It implies that nobody knew her, and nobody had a relationship or connection to her, which is tragic in every sense. Overall, the song explores the themes of loneliness, longing for attention, and the apathy of people towards each other.
Line by Line Meaning
Always looking for attention
The girl is constantly seeking attention and wants to be noticed.
Always needs to be mentioned
She has a deep desire to be talked about and acknowledged by others.
Who does she
Think she should be?
Morrissey is questioning the girl's sense of self-entitlement and a need to have a big ego.
The shrill cry through darkening air
Doesn't she know he's
Had such a busy day?
The girl is making too much noise by screaming for attention, oblivious of the fact that Morrissey has had a long and tiring day.
Tell her sshhh
Somebody tell her sshhh
Morrissey is asking someone to quiet the girl down and make her stop making so much noise.
Oh, no way, no way, there's no movement
Oh, oh, hooray
Slowest
The girl is not moving or doing anything exciting, but Morrissey is ironically cheering for her to continue with her mundane behavior.
It was only a test
But she swam too far
Against the tide
She deserves all she gets
The girl is taking unnecessary risks and will face the consequences of her actions.
The sky became marked with stars
As an out-stretched arm slowly
Disappears
As the girl succumbs to her fate, the sky marks her departure from the living world with stars, while her outstretched hand slowly disappears.
Please don't worry
There'll be no fuss
She was nobody's nothing
Morrissey is trying to reassure his listeners that the girl's death will not cause any commotion, and no one will miss her since she had no significant impact in anybody's life.
(What's your name?)
(What's your name?)
(What's your name?)
(What's your name?)
Morrissey repeats the question as if he's trying to ask the girl in her last moments what her name was, but it's too late now.
When he awoke
The sea was calm
And another day passes like a dream
There's no no way
The calmed sea signifies the end of the dramatic episode, and Morrissey wakes up to another day like yesterday - this time as if it was a dream that quickly passed by.
Lyrics © DOMINO PUBLISHING COMPANY, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: STEVEN MORRISSEY, MARTIN JAMES BOORER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
MatthewDean
One of his best tracks and that is saying so much. Cheers everyone from 2020.
Josh Grotesque
"Always looking for attention,always needs to be mentioned,who does she think she should be?" A line that really be it in 1994 resignates so strong in 2021. Really sums up today's youth & their desire for acceptance within the world of social media.
Hannah G
One of my all time favorites
Kamâl Atatürk
mine too.
Lady_ Liberty1977
Morbid poetry at its finest ❤
Ronen Yosef
Brilliant! Another masterpiece from Morrissey.
Jeroen Vermiljoen
my ex got mad when i said this song reminded me of her. but i think its beautiful.
Kamâl Atatürk
i am resting when listening to this master-piece.
Reni1919
That song is my life.
Juliana Rodríguez
Exquisite