Is it too soon to talk about IANADOAC?

[spiritual atom bomb]

'white mosquito' is apparently a slang term for the homosexual act of ejaculating in a man's rectum, then inserting a straw into the rectum to suck out the semen.

Type any two words into Urban Dictionary and somebody will have defined it using straws, rectums, semen, anything you can imagine. I don't think this is a reliable interpretation.

For the record:
1. Jim - 5/10 (Much better live)
2. Love Is 1/10
3. Bobby 0/10
4. Dog on 2/10
5. Houses 7/10
6. Knockabout 5/10
7. Darling 5/10
8. River 6/10
9. Ruth 0/10
10. Secret 6/10
11. Hurling 5/10

An average of 3.8, which is just about right for the maroon misadventure that is Dog.

 

[Siris]

IANADOAC is definitely in my top 5 Morrissey albums, maybe even top 3. It is one of the albums that I can listen to from the beginning to the end without feeling the need to skip songs.

I personally love Bobby, but I had just come out of a Motown/Soul phase when I first heard it, so to me it was a very pleasant surprise! It never bothered me that not every single phrase is immediately understandable, as the lyrics allude to Bobby having a secret. So rather than considering the lyrics gibberish, I assumed that they were intentionally confusing.

Anyways, T.H. Auden's 'white mosquito' interpretation obviously piqued my interest, but, fortunately, Google led me to the wholesome website of the DEA where one can find a PDF with Slang Terms and Code Words for drugs. This list includes 'white mosquito', 'mexican mud', 'toot', 'a-bomb' and 'scag' as well as the more well-known 'ice', 'snow', 'blow' and 'horse'. I think that it's quite brilliant that the coded words do not immediately and explicitly reveal the nature of Bobby's secret and leaves room for our own interpretation.

 

[T. H. Auden]

Type any two words into Urban Dictionary and somebody will have defined it using straws, rectums, semen, anything you can imagine. I don't think this is a reliable interpretation.

For the record:
1. Jim - 5/10 (Much better live)
2. Love Is 1/10
3. Bobby 0/10
4. Dog on 2/10
5. Houses 7/10
6. Knockabout 5/10
7. Darling 5/10
8. River 6/10
9. Ruth 0/10
10. Secret 6/10
11. Hurling 5/10

An average of 3.8, which is just about right for the maroon misadventure that is Dog.

Anyway it's very vulgar and obscene, wether the interpretation is reliable or not

 

[Flibberty]

My personal ratings:

1. Jim Jim Falls - 7/10. A strong opener and the kind of song that very few other people would write.
2. Love Is on Its Way Out - 5/10. I can remember my disappointment when I first heard this one. Thankfully the rest of the album is superior.
3. Bobby, Don't You Think They Know? - 7.5/10. A very good vocal arrangement and I enjoy hearing Thelma Houston on a Morrissey song.
4. I Am Not a Dog on a Chain - 7/10. Some of the lyrics are a little obvious, but musically quirky and an interesting production.
5. What Kind of People Live in These Houses? - 8/10. A really solid backing track and a great vocal melody.
6. Knockabout World -7.5/10. Very catchy. In a different era this could have had a lot of radio airplay.
7. Darling, I Hug a Pillow - 6.5/10. Not quite up to the standard of most of the album. A little safe musically.
8. Once I Saw the River Clean -7.5/10. I like this one, but not as much as many people seem to.
9. The Truth About Ruth - 6.5/10. A very decent album track, but not a standout.
10. The Secret of Music - 7/10. I don't have any problem with Morrissey and the band experimenting like this.
11. My Hurling Days Are Done - 8.5/10. An elegant way to close the album.

 

[ZOOM FROM GLOOM]

My personal ratings:

1. Jim Jim Falls - 7/10. A strong opener and the kind of song that very few other people would write.
2. Love Is on Its Way Out - 5/10. I can remember my disappointment when I first heard this one. Thankfully the rest of the album is superior.
3. Bobby, Don't You Think They Know? - 7.5/10. A very good vocal arrangement and I enjoy hearing Thelma Houston on a Morrissey song.
4. I Am Not a Dog on a Chain - 7/10. Some of the lyrics are a little obvious, but musically quirky and an interesting production.
5. What Kind of People Live in These Houses? - 8/10. A really solid backing track and a great vocal melody.
6. Knockabout World -7.5/10. Very catchy. In a different era this could have had a lot of radio airplay.
7. Darling, I Hug a Pillow - 6.5/10. Not quite up to the standard of most of the album. A little safe musically.
8. Once I Saw the River Clean -7.5/10. I like this one, but not as much as many people seem to.
9. The Truth About Ruth - 6.5/10. A very decent album track, but not a standout.
10. The Secret of Music - 7/10. I don't have any problem with Morrissey and the band experimenting like this.
11. My Hurling Days Are Done - 8.5/10. An elegant way to close the album.

Agree with this breakdown.

I think JJFalls chorus is one of M’s best!
up there with NMHeart Is Full, JTRipper, Nobody Loves Us. It’s gigantic and moving.
A classic in my book.

 

[Crisstti]

1. Jim Jim Falls - 8/10. Great opener. Sounded great live in Leeds.
2. Love Is on Its Way Out - 6.5. Lovely melody but the lyrics are bit repetitive and simplistic.
3. Bobby, Don't You Think They Know? - 9.5/10. I adore this song and I adore Thelma Houston. Even my non-fan wife loves this one.
4. I Am Not a Dog on a Chain - 7/10. Interesting song, it's grown on me a lot.
5. What Kind of People Live in These Houses? - 8/10. Smithsy as heck, very catchy. Wish he'd sing it live.
6. Knockabout World -8.5/10. One of his catchiest singles ever. Simply a fantastic pop song and, again, sounds great live.
7. Darling, I Hug a Pillow - 8/10. Big fan of this one, the lyrics are quintessential Morrissey. Loving you is a trauma no one else should face, or sit still for.
8. Once I Saw the River Clean -10/10. Put simply, a masterpiece.
9. The Truth About Ruth - 6/10. The weakest song on the album, in my view, but a very nice vocal melody and nice message.
10. The Secret of Music - 7.5/10. This one divides opinion but I like that it's different. Great bass work from Mando.
11. My Hurling Days Are Done - 10/10. See no.8

Pretty much my ratings. It's an amazing album.
Love Jim Jim Falls, Bobby, Dog, Knockabout World. River, and My Hurling Days are Over is probably the best song on the album.

 

[gordyboy9]

Bobby is fantastic, it could be about hard drugs and sexuality at the same time. Both dangerous themes. For example, 'white mosquito' is apparently a slang term for the homosexual act of ejaculating in a man's rectum, then inserting a straw into the rectum to suck out the semen. It's always exciting when Morrissey explores such subjects. "Bobby, don't you think they know?" is such a powerful line. Some even say it could be pointing back to "Inspector, don't you know?" in LNMS, and we know that 'bobby' is a slang word for police inspector/constable in England. One source also made this beautiful video:

ffs im having my breakfast.

 

[No 27]

Bobby is fantastic, it could be about hard drugs and sexuality at the same time. Both dangerous themes. For example, 'white mosquito' is apparently a slang term for the homosexual act of ejaculating in a man's rectum, then inserting a straw into the rectum to suck out the semen. It's always exciting when Morrissey explores such subjects. "Bobby, don't you think they know?" is such a powerful line. Some even say it could be pointing back to "Inspector, don't you know?" in LNMS, and we know that 'bobby' is a slang word for police inspector/constable in England. One source also made this beautiful video:

It gives me a boner.

 

[uwotm8]

I want to rate the tracks too

Jim Jim falls - 7/10
Love is on its way out - 7/10 ..okay song but really like the second half
Bobby don't you think they know - 7/10 ..pretty good single not up there with his best but as others have said I don't get the hate.
I am not a dog.. 5/10 don't like the lyrics but a decent song like the vocals.
What kind of people.. 6/10
Knockabout world - 6/10
Darling I hug a pillow - 6/10 ..really like the end of this one too
Once I saw a river clean - 6/10 ..not a masterpiece for me like it is for a lot of people but I quite enjoy it.
The truth about Ruth - 5/10
The secret of music - 3/10 ..dislike this song listened to it about twice ever though should probably give it more of a chance!
My hurling days are done - 7/10 really nice ballad at the end close to an 8 for me and maybe my favourite on the album.

Overall I guess I'd rate the album a 6/10 I mostly enjoy it but don't listen to it much now. FWIW Years of refusal was his last great album for me

 

[ERT]

Jim Jim falls - 9/10
Love is on its way out - 7/10
Bobby don't you think they know - 8/10
I am not a dog on a chain - 7/10
What kind of people live in these houses? - 8/10
Knockabout world - 7/10
Darling I hug a pillow - 8/10
Once I saw a river clean - 9/10
The truth about Ruth - 5/10
The secret of music - 2/10
My hurling days are done - 9/10

Total 7/10

 

[9 x Fined]

I too, will play along.

Jim Jim falls - 9/10
Love is on its way out - 10/10
Bobby don't you think they know - 5/10
I am not a dog on a chain - 9/10
What kind of people live in these houses? - 10/10
Knockabout world - 7/10
Darling I hug a pillow - 7/10
Once I saw a river clean - 9/10
The truth about Ruth - 9/10
The secret of music - 2/10
My hurling days are done - 8/10

Total 7/10

 

[Gregor Samsa]

I too, will play along.

Jim Jim falls - 9/10
Love is on its way out - 10/10
Bobby don't you think they know - 5/10
I am not a dog on a chain - 9/10
What kind of people live in these houses? - 10/10
Knockabout world - 7/10
Darling I hug a pillow - 7/10
Once I saw a river clean - 9/10
The truth about Ruth - 9/10
The secret of music - 2/10
My hurling days are done - 8/10

Total 7/10

I… I am speechless.

 

[Mozmar]

I too, will play along.

Jim Jim falls - 9/10
Love is on its way out - 10/10
Bobby don't you think they know - 5/10
I am not a dog on a chain - 9/10
What kind of people live in these houses? - 10/10
Knockabout world - 7/10
Darling I hug a pillow - 7/10
Once I saw a river clean - 9/10
The truth about Ruth - 9/10
The secret of music - 2/10
My hurling days are done - 8/10

Total 7/10

TSOM is, without doubt, a solid 9.

 

[jmb066]

Jim Jim - 6
Love Is - 7
Bobby - 6
Dog on - 7
Houses - 9
Knockabout - 8
Darling - 9
River - 9
Ruth - 2
Secret - 5
Hurling - 10

Total 7/10

 

[skull]

Bobby is his worst "single" ever. Most of us know that.

No. Those are Fatty, My love life and Roy's keen

 

[Nobody of importance]

I'm a terrible critic/reviewer. I like what I like and can't explain why. IANADOAC is a really good album. I'd say it's his best of the last 3 (not including California Son since it's a covers only album).

It holds a weird memory for me too because I got the record the day my employer sent us home as everything was shutting down because of COVID. I listened to that record so much that spring/summer. Can't believe it's been3 years already.

 

[Phranc & Open]

No. Those are Fatty, My love life and Roy's keen

Sacrilege.

 

[nicky wire's legs]

one day i should really listen to this album! i've only heard "love is on it's way out" which i do like.

 

[Amy]

Anyway it's very vulgar and obscene, wether the interpretation is reliable or not

It's disgusting crap from Urban dictionary and there was no need to repeat it here.

 

[skull]

No. Those are Fatty, My love life and Roy's keen

This doesn't mean they're not catchy, they are, but not better than Bobby. My love life is sooooo mediocre, cheasy and cheap... Fatty is repetitive and worse than the worst b side, even Roy is a better effort, musically and lyrically.
This habit of considering the past always better than the most recent music is blind.