Interesting Drug meaning

[Born In 1975]

So I had my iPod on "Moz shuffle mode" and this song came on. Hadn't heard this oldie and goodie in a while. I started thinking about the title and meaning of it and realized I might have misunderstood it all these years. Is he singing about a drug that is interesting (e.g. "hey Bob, those exstacy pills you are taking sound intersting. Can I have some?") or is it a drug that makes a person interesting (e.g. like smarts pills that are suppose to make you brighter)? In my 17 years as a fan, I never gave it much thought and just figured it was the former. But now that I think about it, a drug that makes a person interesting puts a whole new meaning to the song. Sounds like I had it wrong all these years. Anyone else?

 

[Dothatagain?]

I like the idea of the latter, but I do think it's the former, since the rest of the song seems to be about people turning to drugs because the old Tory policies left them so lost. But again - I do like that second reading!

 

[Drew a swallow]

It works on so many different levels. There's the pushers that 'ruin people's lives' conotation too that you didn't mention. I'd love to hear this on the upcoming tour (?)

 

[fergal_41]

I always just assumed it was about the massive growth of E's in the UK at the time, I've often pondered over the "Government scheme designed to kill your dreams" lyric though, that could mean any number of things...any thoughts on that? I've often thought that to be in reference to either education or drug laws at the time.

 

[mozfish]

I always just assumed it was about the massive growth of E's in the UK at the time, I've often pondered over the "Government scheme designed to kill your dreams" lyric though, that could mean any number of things...any thoughts on that? I've often thought that to be in reference to either education or drug laws at the time.

I always thought the government dreams was refering to the poll tax we had in the 80s/90s.??

 

[mozmal]

The government scheme bit referred to the dreadful jobs one had to take for a mere £23.50 pw, but hey, it really got the jobless figures down. I think the song just sums up the times and how some people simply turned to these interesting drugs to escape the tedium of life.

 

[lainey]

The government scheme bit referred to the dreadful jobs one had to take for a mere £23.50 pw, but hey, it really got the jobless figures down. I think the song just sums up the times and how some people simply turned to these interesting drugs to escape the tedium of life.

Sadly I remember Youth Training Schemes, I was on one in the 80's. Cheap labour. Employers let you work for a year for less than £30 week and toyed with the idea of keeping you on after the year with a decent wage but usually didn't. This was me and everyone I knew. Terrible times, no jobs......no hope

 

[Worm]

Part of the point of saying "interesting drug" is that the word "interesting" distances the speaker from the world of drugs*. "Excuse me, but what do you call that interesting drug you're taking?" is something an outsider, a square, would say. Kind of a comic way of positioning himself outside the drug world even as he ironically praises it. Listening to it, you couldn't really accuse Morrissey of promoting drugs-taking, while the humor leaves you off guard for the "Bad people on the Right" stuff. An elegant solution to the problem of criticizing the establishment without wishing to be a part of a tawdry subculture. I know, I know: Morrissey standing aloof. It's hard to believe, isn't it?

*As, for example, using the term "world of drugs" announces the speaker isn't exactly Timothy f***ing Leary.

 

[bored]

I thought it was about the abortion pill (RU-486).

The government scheme to keep people poor is empowered by people having children as disposable income goes down.

It fits in with all the lryics.

"Once poor, always poor"
Explained above

"You wonder why we're only half ashamed"
The moral dilemma of taking it.

"God it really really helped you"
Religious people tend to be pro-life.. so to me this is a play on that.

"There are some bad people on the right"
Again, ties in with the majority of people who are pro-life.
NOTE: This is taken from what is written on the wall in the video and Morrissey addressed it in an interview.. If anyone has it please post the quote.

Anyway.. that's what the song means to me.

 

[Jukebox Jury]

Sadly I remember Youth Training Schemes, I was on one in the 80's. Cheap labour. Employers let you work for a year for less than £30 week and toyed with the idea of keeping you on after the year with a decent wage but usually didn't. This was me and everyone I knew. Terrible times, no jobs......no hope

Correct.
In 1978 it started as the YOP (Youth Opportunity Scheme) (under Labour.... not Thatcher) and then became YTS (Youth Training Scheme).
In short, employers would 'take on' a handful of these recruits for free for 6 months.... and then simply take on another handful for the next 6 months etc.

As Morrissey stated recently on 'The One Show'.... he didn't want to work and neither did many other people..... these schemes were designed to 'kill the dreams' of those looking to seek a life on the dole as to refuse meant your dole was stopped.
The latter few years this has been New Labour's ''New Deal'' programme.

Jukebox Jury

 

[Worm]

I thought it was about the abortion pill (RU-486).

The government scheme to keep people poor is empowered by people having children as disposable income goes down.

It fits in with all the lryics.

"Once poor, always poor"
Explained above

"You wonder why we're only half ashamed"
The moral dilemma of taking it.

"God it really really helped you"
Religious people tend to be pro-life.. so to me this is a play on that.

"There are some bad people on the right"
Again, ties in with the majority of people who are pro-life.
NOTE: This is taken from what is written on the wall in the video and Morrissey addressed it in an interview.. If anyone has it please post the quote.

Anyway.. that's what the song means to me.

Good interpretation. Except the line "look around/can you blame us?" seems to imply the people in the song are taking drugs to escape the hell around them. I guess it be heard as "Can you blame us for not wanting to bring a kid into the world" or even "Look around at all these goddamn breeders with their disgusting snot-nosed brats in tow". But I tend to think it's about recreational drugs*. You could be right, though.

*Yes, RU-486 is a recreational drug to Madonna, but she doesn't count.

 

[Oh my god. it's Robby!]

i cannot say "what" the song is about, but i do not think it is about "drugs"
unless you mean in the way religion is the opiate of the masses
no, i am not saying it is about religion either, but kind of in that he is talking about "drug culture"
i mean you did not have to be on e or acid or whatever to enjoy hanging out with those people back in the day

 

[Worm]

i cannot say "what" the song is about, but i do not think it is about "drugs"
unless you mean in the way religion is the opiate of the masses
no, i am not saying it is about religion either, but kind of in that he is talking about "drug culture"
i mean you did not have to be on e or acid or whatever to enjoy hanging out with those people back in the day

Of course not. You could also be a journalist or a narc.

 

[Morning Star]

I always understood the song being about the rise of e culture and acid house in Britain, which left many youngsters apolitical, while the Thatcher Government lurched further to the right.
There's a quote from Morrissey about its connection to ecstasy in Johnny Rogan's 'Morrissey' book I think, but I've packed my copy a box as I'm moving.

 

[bored]

Good interpretation. Except the line "look around/can you blame us?" seems to imply the people in the song are taking drugs to escape the hell around them. I guess it be heard as "Can you blame us for not wanting to bring a kid into the world" or even "Look around at all these goddamn breeders with their disgusting snot-nosed brats in tow". But I tend to think it's about recreational drugs*. You could be right, though.

*Yes, RU-486 is a recreational drug to Madonna, but she doesn't count.

Can you blame us for aborting a child? Look around.. how can we bring a child into this life?

 

[Giant]

well since Moz had done ecstacy around the period of this song lets not over analyze it. He said "he took the drug looked in the mirror and saw someone incredibly attractive and then the drug wore off so he knew it was an illusion."

there fore and interesting drug...the govt thing is merely how oppresive the politics of the day are

 

[Oh my god. it's Robby!]

i lubs it when people take Moz so literally
he's a poet kids

 

[Brel]

The song is about self medicating in order to escape bleak economic and social prospects. It doesn't preach or point fingers and I think it's timeless. "A young married couple in debt. Ever felt had?" could be a slogan for modern times. "Once poor, always poor" could rival it as a slogan for Britain throughout my lifetime.

 

[anon x]

The song is about self medicating in order to escape bleak economic and social prospects.

Spot on.

 

[Oh my god. it's Robby!]

I didn't. I wrote it isn't about actual drugs.

not you dude, others