Do you think "Swallow on my Neck" refers to a hickie?...yes/no;why?

[zlosey]

in the song swallow on my neck do you think morrissey is referring to a hickie?

"he drew a swallow on my neck and more i will not say, he drew a swallow deep and blue and soon everyone knew"

 

[Kewpie]

FYI, if you scroll down this thread, you find old threads discussing about the song lyrics.

You might find the answer in there.

 

[Scarlet Ibis]

It's about Jake drawing fake tattoos on him. Mostly.

 

[MILVA]

I still have to meet people with swallow-shaped lips.

So I guess I'd say no.

But then again... I'm open for surprises.

 

[Mr. Tibbles]

in the song swallow on my neck do you think morrissey is referring to a hickie?

"he drew a swallow on my neck and more i will not say, he drew a swallow deep and blue and soon everyone knew"

Google "drawing swallow on neck" and see what you get. There's an answer out there.

 

[mick ransommich]

...found this on google.. and it was a quote from ME!!

The lyrics focus on a deep and blue swallow tattoo drawn on the neck of the main character, who lives weird adventures among crematoriums and funeral parlours. It has been suggested a reference to Morrissey's former personal assistant and friend Jack Walters, who had a bad habit in making fake tattooes.

he drew a swallow on my neck: a tattoo of a swallow on your neck is a 'gay thing'. It is supposed to be the 'lovebite' that Jake Walters gave Morrissey.

In Mark Simpson's book 'Saint Morrissey' it reads: "It is no great surprise that tattoos often appear above the collar and beyond the cuffline in Morrissey's work, for example the single, Swallow On My Neck (which may actually be a Morrisseyan term for love bite)"... The Jake Walters reference was made because he was pictured on a few of the
covers at the time of this song, and indeed Jake was credited with the pictures on the rear of 'Vauxhall And I', which had a Swallow tattoo on it. Morrissey referred to Jake Walters regularly during this period. (Mick Ransom, Stockton On Tees, England).

http://www.worldofmorrissey.com/template.asp?id=51

 

[Mr. Tibbles]

...found this on google.. and it was a quote from ME!!

The lyrics focus on a deep and blue swallow tattoo drawn on the neck of the main character, who lives weird adventures among crematoriums and funeral parlours. It has been suggested a reference to Morrissey's former personal assistant and friend Jack Walters, who had a bad habit in making fake tattooes.

he drew a swallow on my neck: a tattoo of a swallow on your neck is a 'gay thing'. It is supposed to be the 'lovebite' that Jake Walters gave Morrissey.

In Mark Simpson's book 'Saint Morrissey' it reads: "It is no great surprise that tattoos often appear above the collar and beyond the cuffline in Morrissey's work, for example the single, Swallow On My Neck (which may actually be a Morrisseyan term for love bite)"... The Jake Walters reference was made because he was pictured on a few of the
covers at the time of this song, and indeed Jake was credited with the pictures on the rear of 'Vauxhall And I', which had a Swallow tattoo on it. Morrissey referred to Jake Walters regularly during this period. (Mick Ransom, Stockton On Tees, England).

http://www.worldofmorrissey.com/template.asp?id=51

I found this too:

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_the_symbolism_of_a_swallow_tattoo

 

[andy.s]

it has to do with the fact that morissey is gay, and I will defend this notion forever!!

 

[sistasheila]

he did sang it live in 2000


wow what i setlist..*jealous*

A Swallow On My Neck
Ouija Board, Ouija Board
Billy Budd
Hairdresser On Fire
November Spawned A Monster
Half A Person
Lost
Now My Heart Is Full
I Am Hated For Loving
Meat Is Murder
Boxers
The Teachers Are Afraid Of the Pupils
I Can Have Both
Is It Really So Strange?
Break Up the Family
Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me
/Shoplifters Of the World Unite


concerning the hicky someone on here someone called martin maher claimed:
:http://forums.morrissey-solo.com/showthread.php?t=43412&highlight=swallow+neckclaimed

another swallow thread
http://forums.morrissey-solo.com/showthread.php?t=75257&highlight=swallow+neck

 

[fergal_41]

I sort of believe that is what it's in refernce to really....sort of a double meaning but very intentionally. It's the "and more I will not say" bit that secures it for me.
Half the beauty of the song is the curiosity of what he really means though, for me at least, fantastic song

 

[vivabob]

 

[Hellie]

I thought a swallow on your neck was a gay lovebite.

Call me naive.

 

[EPbabe]

I thought a swallow on your neck was a gay lovebite.

Call me naive.

Thank god I'm not the only one thinking that.

 

[I am a Ghost]

One often sees chavs, scumbags and scanghounds with tattoos of swallows on their necks. Ugh.

 

[oye terence]

Swallow tattoos are often seen as having a meaning based on loyalty and fidelity, much like the bird, I believe swallows have a mate for life.

He drew
A swallow, deep and blue
And soon, everyone knew

This could possibly mean a declaration about a life long mate, friend or otherwise.

One of my all time favorite songs.

 

[GingerSnap]

Swallow tattoos are often seen as having a meaning based on loyalty and fidelity, much like the bird, I believe swallows have a mate for life.

He drew
A swallow, deep and blue
And soon, everyone knew

This could possibly mean a declaration about a life long mate, friend or otherwise.

One of my all time favorite songs.

That is very true. Also, sailors used to get swallow tats based on their time at sea.

 

[Unwitting Observer]

Yes, I agree with some, in that I don't think there's a fixed meaning for swallow tattoos.

So, it's either literal, or it refers to a hickey. One or the other. ()

In all seriousness, I always thought it was literal. As in, Jake drew a swallow on his neck with ink. Maybe I'm naive, but I thought it sounded a sweet notion. Like he drew a swallow on Moz's hand first (pictures exist of that) and then drew one on his neck, and at that split second Moz changed his mind about Jake (or made it up, whichever) and decided to have some sort of intimate relationship with him.

...yes, I've spent a lot of time enjoying and thinking about this particular song.

 

[EPbabe]

Yes, I agree with some, in that I don't think there's a fixed meaning for swallow tattoos.

So, it's either literal, or it refers to a hickey. One or the other. ()

In all seriousness, I always thought it was literal. As in, Jake drew a swallow on his neck with ink. Maybe I'm naive, but I thought it sounded a sweet notion. Like he drew a swallow on Moz's hand first (pictures exist of that) and then drew one on his neck, and at that split second Moz changed his mind about Jake (or made it up, whichever) and decided to have some sort of intimate relationship with him.

...yes, I've spent a lot of time enjoying and thinking about this particular song.

I always thought it was about a hickie and I found this song so embarrassingly gay that I just skipped it (and still skip) every time it was coming up.

 

[King Leer]

There's a much older thread that gets into the meaning of this quite deeply -- that I contributed to I believe.

In gay culture, or rather in the context of homosexual relations in prison, the image of the "swallow" on a neck can mean that you in fact, swallow. On its own it's a symbol of freedom.

"deep and blue (blew)"...Morrissey loves this kind of word play.

 

[mick ransommich]

I always thought it was about a hickie and I found this song so embarrassingly gay that I just skipped it (and still skip) every time it was coming up.

'embarrasingly gay'???? ep, explain!!