Steven Patrick Morrissey, better known as Morrissey, is a British singer an… Read Full Bio ↴Steven Patrick Morrissey, better known as Morrissey, is a British singer and lyricist of Irish descent born in Davyhulme, Manchester, United Kingdom on May 22, 1959.

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.

Mexico
Morrissey Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

In Mexico
I went for a walk to inhale
The tranquil, cool, lover's air
But I could taste a trace
Of American chemical waste
And the small voice said
"What can we do?"

In Mexico
I went for a walk to inhale
The tranquil, cool, lover's air
But I could sense the hate
From the Lone Star state
And a small voice said
"What can we do?"

It seems if you're rich and you're white
You'll be alright
I just don't see why
This should be so
If you're rich and you're white
You'll be alright
I just don't see why
This should be so

In Mexico
I lay on the grass
And I cried my heart out
For want of my love
Oh, for want of my love
Oh, for want of my love

It seems if you're rich and you're white
You think you're so right
I just don't see why
This should be so
If you're rich and you're white
Then you'll be OK
I just don't see why
This should be so

In Mexico
I lay on the grass
And I cried my heart out
For want of my love
For want of my love

For want of my love
For want of my love

Overall Meaning

The song "Mexico" by Morrissey reflects on the impact of American consumerism and imperialism in Mexico. The lyrics express Morrissey's experience of going for a walk in Mexico to "inhale the tranquil, cool, lover's air," but he can still taste the "American chemical waste" and sense the "hate" from the "Lone Star state" (which is a reference to Texas, where many anti-immigrant and anti-Latino sentiments have been expressed). Morrissey highlights the unequal treatment of rich, white Americans and Mexicans, questioning why being "rich and white" makes everything easier.

The chorus of the song repeats the idea that if you're "rich and white," you'll be "alright," but Morrissey doesn't understand why that should be the case. It seems that the song is a call to action, with Morrissey's inner voice asking repeatedly, "What can we do?" The final verse sees Morrissey laying on the grass and crying for his love, perhaps mourning the loss of innocence or the loss of Mexico's beauty due to environmental and political factors.

Line by Line Meaning

In Mexico
The singer is describing a location

I went for a walk to inhale
The singer is describing the action of walking

The tranquil, cool, lover's air
The singer is describing the atmosphere in Mexico

But I could taste a trace
The singer notices something unusual

Of American chemical waste
The unusual thing the singer noticed was American chemical waste

And the small voice said
The singer heard an inner voice

"What can we do?"
The inner voice expresses concern over the waste

I could sense the hate
The singer feels a negative energy

From the Lone Star state
The negative energy the singer feels is coming from Texas

It seems if you're rich and you're white
The singer is stating an observation

You'll be alright
Being rich and white is advantageous

I just don't see why
The singer is questioning this advantage

This should be so
The singer is saying it shouldn't be this way

In Mexico
The singer is describing a location

I lay on the grass
The singer is describing the action of lying down

And I cried my heart out
The singer is expressing strong emotion

For want of my love
The reason for the singer's strong emotion is the absence of love

Oh, for want of my love
The singer repeats the reason for their strong emotion

If you're rich and you're white
The singer is stating an observation

You think you're so right
Being rich and white can lead to feelings of superiority

Then you'll be OK
Being rich and white is advantageous

I just don't see why
The singer is questioning this advantage

This should be so
The singer is saying it shouldn't be this way

For want of my love
The reason for the singer's strong emotion is the absence of love

For want of my love
The singer repeats the reason for their strong emotion

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: STEVEN MORRISSEY, MARTIN JAMES BOORER, GARY DAY

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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