Marr's displeasure with the title of "Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others" - The Guardian

From Leiber and Stoller to Lennon and McCartney: the alchemy of the duo - The Guardian
Songwriting duos have given pop some of its finest moments. Laura Barton looks at how they work – and what happens when they don't

Excerpt:

Sometimes, of course, the kind of quibbles that Stoller described in his relationship with Leiber can escalate into something more destructive; the legendary songwriting duo Bacharach and David, for instance, came apart at the seams when Burt Bacharach decided that Hal David's half of the deal – writing the lyrics – was the easy part. Similarly, Johnny Marr was reportedly much put out that, having written a particularly pretty tune, Morrissey gave it the rather less fetching title Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others.

 

[Anonymous]

This was the brilliance of The Smiths. If indeed Marr felt that way, which I highly doubt, he misses the entire point and the charm of The Smiths. Another reason, why Morrissey is/was The Smiths. Along with the other lawnmower parts, Marr played his part and only his "part", which were those lovely, lovely tunes, the best! But without Moz, The Smiths are.....well.....John Maher's prior band, "White Dice."

 

[celibate]

I could name a few more nice tunes from Johnny getting a strange title

it's vacation news

 

[Amy]

Can't blame Marr at all for feeling that Moz wasted the music to "Some Girls..." - he put lazy, 'comedy' lyrics over one of Marr's best melodies. It worked both ways though - "Unloveable" has much better lyrics, but Marr let him down with a very flat and monotonous musical accompaniment.

 

[Anonymous]

Re: Article: Marr's displeasure with the title of "Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others"

Another lyric Marr was displeased with was Unhappy Birthday. Johnny felt the lyrics just didn't match up to the strength of the tune.

Where did you read that?

 

[billybu69]

Nice tune? Some girls has to be one of the most beautiful pieces of music ever written for guitar, I fully understood how Marr might be slightly irked by the title it was given.

 

[bored]

SGABTO is one of my favourite songs musically and lyrically. I like the title a lot. It's unique.

 

[Anonymous]

i love the oddball contrast of the 'some girls' music and the lyric. in fact, i think the sexual ambivalence and fear of the body expressed in the lyric adds extra poignancy to the music. plus i love morrissey's melody on it. one of my fave smiths tunes, as is.

 

[Anonymous]

spam

Spoiler

Try www.morrisseysworld.blogspot.com

It's replaced Morrissey-solo as the Morrissey-endorsed number 1 unofficial news site.

Morrissey-solo is all but funished.

 

[Anonymous]

I agree with Marr, it's a shit title.

 

[Because]

"Send me the pillow, the one that you dream on, and I'll send you mine"

Love or hate most of the lyrics, they're worth it just for that small interlude. I don't know if I've ever heard one of Johnny's tunes match better with one of Morrissey's lyrics.

 

[Anonymous]

perhaps Morrissey should've come up with something truly inspirational like Marr's 'Down on the Corner'?

"You run around, On the rebound
Everyone says you're going all the way down
Out of your mind, All of the time
Stare at the wall, She's got it all now
What's goin' on?
Time slips away, You got it all wrong
I saw her today and that's all
Get up off the ground, Back on your feet
It's easily done, She didn't mean to hurt no one
Walk on down that street where we need you
Down on the corner"

 

[Anonymous]

Less fetching titles? Are you fkn kidding? One of the best Smiths titles ever! Strange when a genius doesn't know genius staring him back in the face

 

[Iona Mink]

Re: Article: Marr's displeasure with the title of "Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others"

"Send me the pillow, the one that you dream on, and I'll send you mine"

Love or hate most of the lyrics, they're worth it just for that small interlude. I don't know if I've ever heard one of Johnny's tunes match better with one of Morrissey's lyrics.

I'm not sure he can take the credit for that interlude.

SEND ME THE PILLOW YOU DREAM ON
(Hank Locklin - 1958)

Send me the pillow that you dream on
Don't you know that I still care for you?
Send me the pillow that you dream on
So darling, I can dream on it, too

Each night while I'm sleeping oh, so lonely
I'll share your love in dreams that once were true
Send me the pillow that you dream on
So darling, I can dream on it, too

Send me the pillow that you dream on
Maybe time will let our dreams come true
Send me the pillow that you dream on
So darling, I can dream on it, too

I've waited so long for you to write me
But just a memory's all that's left of you
Send me the pillow that you dream on
So darling, I can dream on it, too

So I can dream on it, too

 

[sycophantic_slag]

Performed live, this track is even more brilliant. SGABTO was released as a single in its own right (in Germany). It is truly an outstanding song--and a good closing song for The Queen is Dead.

A more important question to ask is, What type of song/lyrics was Johnny expecting?

 

[Guernie]

I always liked the odd names picked for the songs . Part of charm of The Smiths !

 

[gavross]

Lazy journalism. Jonny Marr is regularly quoted as this being one of his favourite Smiths songs both musically and lyrically.

 

[Because]

Re: Article: Marr's displeasure with the title of "Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others"

I'm not sure he can take the credit for that interlude.

SEND ME THE PILLOW YOU DREAM ON
(Hank Locklin - 1958)

Send me the pillow that you dream on
Don't you know that I still care for you?
Send me the pillow that you dream on
So darling, I can dream on it, too

Each night while I'm sleeping oh, so lonely
I'll share your love in dreams that once were true
Send me the pillow that you dream on
So darling, I can dream on it, too

Send me the pillow that you dream on
Maybe time will let our dreams come true
Send me the pillow that you dream on
So darling, I can dream on it, too

I've waited so long for you to write me
But just a memory's all that's left of you
Send me the pillow that you dream on
So darling, I can dream on it, too

So I can dream on it, too

Knew someone was going to quote that. Genius steals and all that I suppose. Either way, its still beautiful.

 

[Dave2006]

Re: Article: Marr's displeasure with the title of "Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others"

For Iona and Because
Not Hank, but Johnny Tillotson


Dave

 

[Anonymous]

Actually Johnny has previous stated in at least one interview how he was slightly put out after delivering what he thought was one of his strongest riffs only to get back slightly frivolous 'Carry On' style lyrics. I guess he was expecting something more serious to fit the music. but that's all part of the unique charm of the Smiths.