Sandie Shaw wrote a song about Moz

M

Mimi

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Or at least I think so...... I bought a cd of hers with some BBC sessions last year and there's a song on it called "Nothing less than brilliant". From the very first listen - considering her and Morrissey's connection - I figured that it was probably about him. I dunno, it just describes him very well, or rather the way he was back then in the early eighties. Does anyone else know it?
 
> Or at least I think so...... I bought a cd of hers with some BBC
> sessions last year and there's a song on it called "Nothing
> less than brilliant". From the very first listen -
> considering her and Morrissey's connection - I figured that it
> was probably about him. I dunno, it just describes him very
> well, or rather the way he was back then in the early eighties.
> Does anyone else know it?

I don't know much of Sandie Shaw's back catalog, but I DO know that she wrote a song about him called "Steven, You Don't Eat Meat." I'm not sure where else it's available, but I have it on her "Are You Ready To Be Heartbroken" 12-inch. It also contains her version of "Hand In Glove."

What are your reasons for suggesting "Nothing Less Than Brilliant" may have been written about Morrissey?
 
Re: Sandie Shaw wrote another song about Moz

I have the single for that song. I never thought it was about Morrissey because of some of the lyrics: "you may be ragged & torn; tattered & worn out", "you stumble & fall in the dark...", etc... I'm not sure if Sandie would have described Morrissey in that way. Pretty nice song, nonetheless, though...

Now "Steven, You Don't Eat Meat?", that's another story. The fact that it's essentially a love song to Morrissey makes it spectacular. I really like the music as well as Sandie's cute little vocal inflections. "You don't eat meat... but you eat your heart out, Steven... It's time to get even, I'll make it up to you..." I thought it was camp when I first heard it, but now I love it. Also, if you listen close to the ending after the last line "Oh, Steven..." you can make out Sandie saying "You little charmer..."

-c
 
Re: Sandie Shaw wrote another song about Moz

> I have the single for that song. I never thought it was about
> Morrissey because of some of the lyrics: "you may be ragged
> & torn; tattered & worn out", "you stumble
> & fall in the dark...", etc... I'm not sure if Sandie
> would have described Morrissey in that way. Pretty nice song,
> nonetheless, though...

Those were the lines that led me to think that the song was about Morrissey..... She sings about someone who's just not appreciated by the world for the special person he/she is. I thought that described pretty well the Morrissey of then who was still dealing with the aftermaths of his bedsit years.

There's an acoustic version with just a piano on my cd which is simply gorgeous.... her voice is really amazing.

> Now "Steven, You Don't Eat Meat?", that's another
> story. The fact that it's essentially a love song to Morrissey
> makes it spectacular. I really like the music as well as
> Sandie's cute little vocal inflections. "You don't eat
> meat... but you eat your heart out, Steven... It's time to get
> even, I'll make it up to you..." I thought it was camp when
> I first heard it, but now I love it. Also, if you listen close
> to the ending after the last line "Oh, Steven..." you
> can make out Sandie saying "You little charmer..."

But it took me ages to appreciate this one, and sometimes I still think it's just plain silly. But it's interesting, yes.
 
> I don't know much of Sandie Shaw's back catalog, but I DO know
> that she wrote a song about him called "Steven, You Don't
> Eat Meat." I'm not sure where else it's available, but I
> have it on her "Are You Ready To Be Heartbroken"
> 12-inch. It also contains her version of "Hand In
> Glove."

Oh that's a bit of an old hat, isn't it? I like it but sometimes think it's a bit simple. I like her version of Hand in glove, but more for the instrumentation which is nicer than on the original.

> What are your reasons for suggesting "Nothing Less Than
> Brilliant" may have been written about Morrissey?

Like I wrote to Carlos, it describes someone who's just constantly ignored or despised by the world although he/she is very special. It's a song that could have been written with Morrissey in mind. Though I can't be sure, I think considering the time and the person who wrote it it's quite likely.

I might sit down and write out the lyrics for you later on tonight so you can make your own mind up. You should get it though anyway, it's good!
 
> I might sit down and write out the lyrics for you later on
> tonight so you can make your own mind up. You should get it
> though anyway, it's good!

Ooooh, that would be nice.
Thanks!
 
> Ooooh, that would be nice.
> Thanks!

Well there you go:

There's nothing crueler than
a cheap joke at your expense
it just doesn't make any sense
not at all

you may be wrecked and torn
your face is hangered and drawn
but what you feel inside
is a diamond that's on fire

and you stumble and fall in the dark
they kick you aside like a worthless stone
but I know just how rare you are
and you're nothing less than brilliant in my eyes
how you sparkle, how you glow

There's nothing hungrier than
a dream trying to come true
it eats right into you
to your soul

you may be tattered and torn
you may be shattered and worn out
but what you feel inside
is a ruby that's on fire

and you stumble and fall in the dark
they kick you aside like a worthless stone but
I know how precious you are
and you're nothing less than brilliant in my eyes
how you sparkle, how you glow...........

...........

So - does it fit Morrissey or is it just wishful thinking that made me draw that conclusion?
 
> Well there you go:



Well...I guess it COULD be interpreted as being intended for Morrissey, though I'm not sure she actually thought of him as the beaten-down, underappreciated martyr that she's supposedly singing about. When did she write/record this (did she pen the actual lyrics?).
 
> Well...I guess it COULD be interpreted as being intended for
> Morrissey, though I'm not sure she actually thought of him as
> the beaten-down, underappreciated martyr that she's supposedly
> singing about. When did she write/record this (did she pen the
> actual lyrics?).

As far as I know she wrote the lyrics and someone else the tune. It was first recorded around 1984. And remember how they first met? He just turned up at her door after having written her letters and at first she thought of him as quite a weirdo. And beaten-down, underappreciated pretty much sums up what Morrissey used to say about himself all the time (or still does ?!). And then considering she was quite a bit older.... I dunno, maybe there were some mothering feelings involved aswell.
 
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