Thoughts on Speedway...

P

Partic Doonan

Guest
It's rather straightforward that for the majority of the song Moz is talking to the media. Sometimes I feel that he's directly alluding to the Joyce case as well, though. After all, the case does date back to the earliest Morrissey solo days. Up until the line "FOREVER", the narrative is pretty clear. After that point it gets interesting. When he says "...all those lies... they weren't lies...", is he basically admitting that all of the bad things that the press said about him were true?

The most intriguing part though, is the song's close. I feel that Morrissey completely switches who he is singing to. The bit "I could have mentioned your name... I could have dragged you in... guilt by implication, by association... I've always been true to you..." strongly makes me believe that he's singing to Johnny Marr. Morrissey has never said bad things about Johnny, but the legal arrangements of The Smiths were made by them both. In other words, Morrissey COULD have dragged Johnny in, into the media's hate, but didn't, because he loved him.

Does anyone agree with my ramblings? ...or have any thoughts?
 
> It's rather straightforward that for the majority of the song
> Moz is talking to the media. Sometimes I feel that he's directly
> alluding to the Joyce case as well, though. After all, the case
> does date back to the earliest Morrissey solo days. Up until the
> line "FOREVER", the narrative is pretty clear. After
> that point it gets interesting. When he says "...all those
> lies... they weren't lies...", is he basically admitting
> that all of the bad things that the press said about him were
> true?

i agree with what you are saying. i think the lyrics are pointed in that direction. I guess you could argue that he could be talking about a lover, and that the rumours are true that he does have lovers. I always thought he was admitting in now my hear is full, that has found someone to be intimate with and that he could of admitted this to the world, but didn't?

Hnia
> The most intriguing part though, is the song's close. I feel
> that Morrissey completely switches who he is singing to. The bit
> "I could have mentioned your name... I could have dragged
> you in... guilt by implication, by association... I've always
> been true to you..." strongly makes me believe that he's
> singing to Johnny Marr. Morrissey has never said bad things
> about Johnny, but the legal arrangements of The Smiths were made
> by them both. In other words, Morrissey COULD have dragged
> Johnny in, into the media's hate, but didn't, because he loved
> him.

> Does anyone agree with my ramblings? ...or have any thoughts?
 
> It's rather straightforward that for the majority of the song
> Moz is talking to the media. Sometimes I feel that he's directly
> alluding to the Joyce case as well, though. After all, the case
> does date back to the earliest Morrissey solo days. Up until the
> line "FOREVER", the narrative is pretty clear. After
> that point it gets interesting. When he says "...all those
> lies... they weren't lies...", is he basically admitting
> that all of the bad things that the press said about him were
> true?

I've always thought the song was to Johnny Marr as many others are to like Billy Bud and Break Up The Family. It's my favorite on the record. The most emotional.
> The most intriguing part though, is the song's close. I feel
> that Morrissey completely switches who he is singing to. The bit
> "I could have mentioned your name... I could have dragged
> you in... guilt by implication, by association... I've always
> been true to you..." strongly makes me believe that he's
> singing to Johnny Marr. Morrissey has never said bad things
> about Johnny, but the legal arrangements of The Smiths were made
> by them both. In other words, Morrissey COULD have dragged
> Johnny in, into the media's hate, but didn't, because he loved
> him.

> Does anyone agree with my ramblings? ...or have any thoughts?




asleep.gif
 
> i agree with what you are saying. i think the lyrics are pointed
> in that direction. I guess you could argue that he could be
> talking about a lover, and that the rumours are true that he
> does have lovers. I always thought he was admitting in now my
> hear is full, that has found someone to be intimate with and
> that he could of admitted this to the world, but didn't?

> Hnia

Now My Heart is Full is about Morrissey's love of the film Brighton Rock. The names he rings off in the song (Dallow, Spicer, Pinky, Cubitt) are the names of characters from the film.
 
When the NME (spit) reviewed "Vauxhall and I", the made the assumption that "Speedway" was about them. After all, they started off the whole "Morrissey is racist" row back in 1992. So those rumours were true?
 
> While Morrissey is most likely discussing his relations with the English press in this song, it is still poetry, which allows for his veiled comments to be veiled however he likes. And so he puts it in a context of a relationship (boy-girl? boy-boy?), which means that not every line has to match what his true meaning might be. Besides, it's not like he's Keats or Wilde, you know.

Plus, regarding someone else's short-sighted comment: just because he mentions some characters from a book doesn't mean that the whole song is about his love for a movie. There are quite a few other images in "Now My Heart is Full," none of which has to do with Brighton Rock. It's called allusion.
 
> Now My Heart is Full is about Morrissey's love of the film
> Brighton Rock. The names he rings off in the song (Dallow,
> Spicer, Pinky, Cubitt) are the names of characters from the
> film.

You crushed my viewpoint like, like a rose.

hnia :(

I'll have to check that out, thanks...
 
Morrissey actually explained himself abour the line "I never said that they [the rumours] were completely unfounded " some years ago in the french magazine "Les inrockuptibles" by telling that he just wasn't stupid enough to come and deny every thrash, among which the racism, that the media has put on him cos that what's the press expected .
 
> Now My Heart is Full is about Morrissey's love of the film
> Brighton Rock. The names he rings off in the song (Dallow,
> Spicer, Pinky, Cubitt) are the names of characters from the
> film.

EEUUGGGHHHHH!!!!!

Oh Heaven help us...
 
Do you know about the trial of Oscar Wilde?

Speedway lends itself so well to this story: especially the "I could have mentioned you name..." part.

Why the song is called Speedway, is much harder to fathom.

E.
 
> When the NME (spit) reviewed "Vauxhall and I", the
> made the assumption that "Speedway" was about them.
> After all, they started off the whole "Morrissey is
> racist" row back in 1992. So those rumours were true?

This is what I thought as well, as we all know Mozzer really dispies the BBC, England has turned there backs on our beloved Mozzy.

Although there are a lot of hints in the record about the court case. on The More you Ignore Me " I bear more grudges than lonely high court judges" He thinks the judge in the case was a complete idiot.....
 
> Do you know about the trial of Oscar Wilde?

> Speedway lends itself so well to this story: especially the
> "I could have mentioned you name..." part.

> Why the song is called Speedway, is much harder to fathom.

> E.
David Bret mentions in his book Landscapes Of The Mind that Speedway is the name of a coastal thoroughfare which runs through Santa Monica.In the fifties it was known for having many uncloseted gay clubs,bars and bath-houses.Actors such as James Dean and Rock Hudson used to cruise their. He also mentions that it is now one of Morrissey's favorite sojourns. I'm not sure if that really adds any meaning to what the song is about or not.
 
Brighton Rock

> Now My Heart is Full is about Morrissey's love of the film
> Brighton Rock. The names he rings off in the song (Dallow,
> Spicer, Pinky, Cubitt) are the names of characters from the
> film.

Just in case you'd rather read it than watch it, "Brighton Rock" is a book written by Graham Greene (sp?).


swimsuit.jpg
 
> You crushed my viewpoint like, like a rose.

> hnia :(

> I'll have to check that out, thanks...

I'm sorry. :(

The disillusionist is back again...
 
> It's rather straightforward that for the majority of the song
> Moz is talking to the media. Sometimes I feel that he's directly
> alluding to the Joyce case as well, though. After all, the case
> does date back to the earliest Morrissey solo days. Up until the
> line "FOREVER", the narrative is pretty clear. After
> that point it gets interesting. When he says "...all those
> lies... they weren't lies...", is he basically admitting
> that all of the bad things that the press said about him were
> true?

> The most intriguing part though, is the song's close. I feel
> that Morrissey completely switches who he is singing to. The bit
> "I could have mentioned your name... I could have dragged
> you in... guilt by implication, by association... I've always
> been true to you..." strongly makes me believe that he's
> singing to Johnny Marr. Morrissey has never said bad things
> about Johnny, but the legal arrangements of The Smiths were made
> by them both. In other words, Morrissey COULD have dragged
> Johnny in, into the media's hate, but didn't, because he loved
> him.

> Does anyone agree with my ramblings? ...or have any thoughts?

But of course all of Morrissey's songs are about _me_. That's why I love them so much.
 
Well put.

> But of course all of Morrissey's songs are about _me_. That's
> why I love them so much.

I think that about sums up why most of Morrissey's lyrics have always been so timeless as well--the human condition never changes.


pearls.jpg
 
> David Bret mentions in his book Landscapes Of The Mind that
> Speedway is the name of a coastal thoroughfare which runs
> through Santa Monica.In the fifties it was known for having many
> uncloseted gay clubs,bars and bath-houses.Actors such as James
> Dean and Rock Hudson used to cruise their. He also mentions that
> it is now one of Morrissey's favorite sojourns. I'm not sure if
> that really adds any meaning to what the song is about or not.

...and the grease in the hair of the speedway operator is all a tremulous heart requires.
 
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