Morrissey to Mark Allen: “The Song "Rusholme Ruffians" is about going to a fair, and being stabbed. Fun Fairs in Manchester, are very violent things. These things where communities get together for fun and frolic etcetera, and somebody always ends up being stabbed, which of course adds to the excitement.”
Rusholme Ruffians
The Smiths Lyrics
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By the big wheel generator
A boy is stabbed
And his money is grabbed
And the air hangs heavy like a dulling wine
She is famous
She is funny
Doesn't mean a thing
To a mind consumed by brass (money)
And though I walk home alone
I might walk home alone...
...But my faith in love is still devout
The last night of the fair
From a seat on a whirling waltzer
Her skirt ascends for a watching eye
It's a hideous trait (on her mother's side)
From a seat on a whirling waltzer
Her skirt ascends for a watching eye
It's a hideous trait (on her mother's side)
And though I walk home alone
I might walk home alone...
...But my faith in love is still devout
Then someone falls in love
And someone's beaten up
Someone's beaten up
And the senses being dulled are mine
And someone falls in love
And someone's beaten up
And the senses being dulled are mine
And though I walk home alone
I might walk home alone ...
...But my faith in love is still devout
This is the last night of the fair
And the grease in the hair
Of a speedway operator
Is all a tremulous heart requires
A schoolgirl is denied
She said : "How quickly would I die
If I jumped from the top of the parachutes?"
La...
This is the last night of the fair
And the grease in the hair
Of a speedway operator
Is all a tremulous heart requires
A schoolgirl is denied
She said : "How quickly would I die
If I jumped from the top of the parachutes?"
La...
So...scratch my name on your arm with a fountain pen
(This means you really love me)
Scratch my name on your arm with a fountain pen
(This means you really love me)
Oh...
And though I walk home alone
I just might walk home alone
But my faith in love is still devout
I might walk home alone
But my faith in love is still devout
I might walk home alone
But my faith in love is still devout
La...
The Smiths' Rusholme Ruffians paints a vivid picture of the last night of a fair, full of violence, romantic yearning and adolescent angst. The verse introduces a violent incident where a boy is stabbed and robbed of his money. The atmosphere is heavy and oppressive, as if everyone is inebriated. The song's protagonist notices a girl who is famous and funny, but also preoccupied with consumerism. The singer's faith in love, however, remains strong despite the harsh and dangerous external conditions of the fair.
In the chorus, the singer repeats the phrase "I might walk home alone, But my faith in love is still devout" twice, as if assuring themselves that everything will be alright, despite any potential dangers or disappointments. The second half of the song sees the singer noticing a schoolgirl who is willing to die for love and hearing about someone being beaten up. The poem ends on a romantic note, as the singer erases self-doubt and asks their lover to portray their devotion by scratching their name on their arm with a fountain pen.
Line by Line Meaning
The last night of the fair
The evening marking the end of the fair
By the big wheel generator
Near the large Ferris wheel that generates power
A boy is stabbed
A male child is violently attacked with a sharp object
And his money is grabbed
His currency is taken by force
And the air hangs heavy like a dulling wine
The atmosphere is dense, like an intoxicating beverage
She is famous
She has attained widespread recognition
She is funny
She has a humorous personality
An engagement ring
A piece of jewelry given as a promise of marriage
Doesn't mean a thing
Carries no significant value
To a mind consumed by brass
To a mentality obsessed with wealth
And though I walk home alone
Despite walking without company
I might walk home alone...\n...But my faith in love is still devout
Although solitude may occur, belief in romance remains strong
From a seat on a whirling waltzer
Observing the spinning waltzer while seated
Her skirt ascends for a watching eye
Her dress lifts, exposed to a viewer
It's a hideous trait (on her mother's side)
An unattractive characteristic (inherited from her mother)
Then someone falls in love
A person experiences the sensation of love
And someone's beaten up
Another individual is physically attacked
And the senses being dulled are mine
My senses are numbed by these occurrences
This is the last night of the fair
It is the final evening of the fair
And the grease in the hair
The oily substance in one's hair
Of a speedway operator
The individual in charge of the speedway attraction at the fair
Is all a tremulous heart requires
All that an apprehensive heart needs
A schoolgirl is denied
A female student is forbidden
She said : "How quickly would I die\nIf I jumped from the top of the parachutes?"
She asked how fast she would perish if she leaped off the highest point of the parachutes
La...
Vocals, serving to add emphasis to the prior lines
So...scratch my name on your arm with a fountain pen\n(This means you really love me)
Write my name onto your skin, symbolizing true affection
Oh...
Sigh, expressing emotion or reaction to the preceding lyric
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: STEVEN MORRISSEY, JOHNNY MARR
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind