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.
We
Morrissey Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And how sad have we been?
We'll let you know
We'll let you know
Oh, but only if, you're really interested
You wonder how
We've stayed alive 'till now
We'll let you know
But only if, you're really interested
We're all smiles
Then, honest, I swear, it's the turnstiles
That make us hostile
Oh
We will descend
On anyone unable to defend
Themselves
Oh
And the songs we sing
They're not supposed to mean a thing
La, la, la, la
Oh
You're lonely
Oh, you're lonely
Oh
Get off the roof!
Oh
Your arsenal!
We may seem cold, or
We may even be
The most depressing people you've ever known
At heart, what's left, we sadly know
That we are the last truly British people you'll ever know
We are the last truly British people you will ever know
You'll never never want to know
Morrissey's song "We" is a satirical and ironic commentary on the state of British culture and society at the time of its release in 1992. The lyrics suggest that the British are a depressed and apathetic people, who have lost touch with their heritage and are increasingly hostile and defensive towards outsiders. The song begins with a question that is posed to the audience: "How sad are we? And how sad have we been?" This rhetorical question is telling, as it implies that Morrissey believes the British people have become a joyless and melancholy bunch.
The chorus of the song, "We'll let you know, we'll let you know, but only if you're really interested," suggests that the British people are defensive and insular, suspicious of outsiders and reluctant to engage with the wider world. Morrissey goes on to imply that the turnstiles of British society - a metaphor for immigration control - are to blame for this hostility. When he sings "we're all smiles, then, honest, I swear, it's the turnstiles that make us hostile," he is suggesting that the British are only friendly to those who have already gained entry; newcomers are met with suspicion and hostility.
The final verse of the song, "We may seem cold, or we may even be the most depressing people you've ever known," suggests that Morrissey himself is among this group of people. The repeated refrain, "We are the last truly British people you'll ever know," is an ironic statement, as it suggests that the very things that make the British unique - their history, culture, and traditions - have been eroded to the point where they are no longer recognizable. Morrissey laments the fact that the future of British society looks bleak, and that the last remaining vestiges of what makes Britain great are slowly disappearing.
Line by Line Meaning
How sad are we?
We are not happy people.
And how sad have we been?
We have been unhappy for some time now.
We'll let you know
We may tell you if you ask.
We'll let you know
We may tell you if you ask.
Oh, but only if, you're really interested
But we will only tell you if you are truly interested.
You wonder how
You may be curious as to how.
We've stayed alive 'till now
We have managed to survive up until this point.
We'll let you know
We may tell you if you ask.
We'll let you know
We may tell you if you ask.
But only if, you're really interested
But we will only tell you if you are truly interested.
We're all smiles
We may appear to be happy.
Then, honest, I swear, it's the turnstiles
But it is the turnstiles (symbolizing life's disappointments) that make us hostile.
That make us hostile
And thus, we become angry.
We will descend
We will attack.
On anyone unable to defend
And we will target those who cannot fight back.
Themselves
Whether it be physically or emotionally.
And the songs we sing
The songs we perform.
They're not supposed to mean a thing
Are not meant to have any particular significance.
La, la, la, la
Oh
They are just filler amidst our despair.
You're lonely
Oh, you're lonely
Oh
You may be feeling lonely.
Get off the roof!
Don't do anything drastic.
Your arsenal!
Your only defense.
We may seem cold, or
We might seem unfeeling.
We may even be
And we may actually be.
The most depressing people you've ever known
The most sorrowful individuals you've ever encountered.
At heart, what's left, we sadly know
Deep down, we are aware that there's not much left for us.
That we are the last truly British people you'll ever know
We feel like we represent the last true essence of what it is to be British.
We are the last truly British people you will ever know
We believe that we embody Britain's very identity.
You'll never never want to know
But you probably won't care to get to know us.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: MORRISSEY, WHYTE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Hawksnacks -
We hate it when our friends become successful
We hate it when our friends become successful
Oh, look at those clothes
Now look at that face, it's so old
And such a video !
Well, it's really laughable
Ha, ha, ha
We hate it when our friends become successful
And if they're Northern, that makes it even worse
And if we can destroy them
You bet your life we will
Destroy them
If we can hurt them
Well, we may as well
It's really laughable
Ha, ha, ha
You see, it should've been me
It could've been me
Everybody knows
Everybody says so
They say :
"Ah, you have loads of songs
So many songs
More songs than they'd stand
We hate it when our friends become successful
We hate it when our friends become successful
Oh, look at those clothes
Now look at that face, it's so old
And such a video !
Well, it's really laughable
Ha, ha, ha
We hate it when our friends become successful
And if they're Northern, that makes it even worse
And if we can destroy them
You bet your life we will
Destroy them
If we can hurt them
Well, we may as well
It's really laughable
Ha, ha, ha
Just listen
La, la-la, la-la
Anjali
We hate it when our friends become successful
We hate it when our friends become successful
Oh, look at those clothes
Now look at that face, it's so old
And such a video !
Well, it's really laughable
Ha, ha, ha
We hate it when our friends become successful
And if they're Northern, that makes it even worse
And if we can destroy them
You bet your life we will
Destroy them
If we can hurt them
Well, we may as well
It's really laughable
Ha, ha, ha
You see, it should've been me
It could've been me
Everybody knows
Everybody says so
They say :
"Ah, you have loads of songs
So many songs
More songs than they'd stand
We hate it when our friends become successful
We hate it when our friends become successful
Oh, look at those clothes
Now look at that face, it's so old
And such a video !
Well, it's really laughable
Ha, ha, ha
We hate it when our friends become successful
And if they're Northern, that makes it even worse
And if we can destroy them
You bet your life we will
Destroy them
If we can hurt them
Well, we may as well
It's really laughable
Ha, ha, ha
Just listen
La, la-la, la-la
Try to Calm me now
We hate it when our friends become successful
We hate it when our friends become successful
Oh, look at those clothes
Now look at that face, it's so old
And such a video
Well, it's really laughable
Ha, ha, ha
We hate it when our friends become successful
And if they're northern, that makes it even worse
And if we can destroy them
You bet your life we will destroy them
If we can hurt them
Well, we may as well, it's really laughable
Ha, ha, ha
You see, it should've been me
It could've been me
Everybody knows
Everybody says so
They say, "Ah, you have loads of songs
So many songs, oh, songs and they can stand, and middle eighth
Break a fade, just listen"
La, la-la, la-la
miss demeanor
When I was 5 I vividly remember my mom playing this song getting ready for work now I'm just finding this again and it brings me so much nostalgia aww❤️
RJ Badman
Let's be honest: All the dislikes are probably by Morrissey.
How I See It
Powergame or northerners 😂
Edward Sarinana
Salvatore Gravano perhaps Marr or Marr wants a ReUnion! 😂😂😂😂😂
PUNKISINTHEDETAILS
Yup. He hates it when his friends become successful.
יעקב לוי
Lolllll definitly
Gabrialla Vossli
😂😂😂
Huus67209 Huus67209
I don't know you Morrissey but I love you through your lyrics. I'm an older man now. I'm 50 years and I look back at your lyrics and your lyrics are like my life. I've listening to The Smiths since I was 17. 1984. I love EVERY word Morrissey says.
Mike Thompson
Bit much.... almost fanatical...
Dagmar
@Mike Thompson could be me!