Morrissey A-Z: "America Is Not the World"

[BookishBoy]

Next up in the alphabetical list is this, the opening track of You Are The Quarry. What do we think?

(It has reminded me of the Pitchfork review of YATQ from back in May 2004, one of the most interesting Morrissey album reviews I've ever read.)

 

[marred]

This is the worst song he has ever written. The music is quite good but the lyrics are woke as hell and sound like they were written by a Morrissey aged twelve.

 

[Oh my]

I loved the song! It somehow lost most of its sense after Obama... as if it was a prophecy that stated "X will never happen"... but when X happened, then the prophecy is less interesting.
If I am not wrong, he never played it live again after Obama was elected. It would not make much sense.

 

[Flibberty]

I think Jerry Finn's production was exactly what this album needed after the slightly stale feeling of Maladjusted. The sound of this track is excellent and Morrissey was in as good a voice as ever.

I don't think it's a particularly interesting Alain tune, and I think the criticism that the band hadn't progressed at all is valid.

The lyrics are not exactly subtle, but I don't have a problem with the sentiment. Morrissey has always been about the outsider, so it is no surprise that he championed the "black, female or gay" in this context. And it is typical of him that even when desperately in need of rekindling his fan base, he still risked antagonizing a bunch of them with the opening track (the same could be said to a lesser extent of the next album).

 

[Ship of Ghouls]

I loved the song! It somehow lost most of its sense after Obama... as if it was a prophecy that stated "X will never happen"... but when X happened, then the prophecy is less interesting.
If I am not wrong, he never played it live again after Obama was elected. It would not make much sense.

It was never actually played live after the Quarry tour. 3-4 times I think it was played.

 

[BookishBoy]

Yes, the lyrics on this one feel a bit sixth-form college to me but I totally agree about the sound of it - it sounds gorgeous, vocally and musically.

 

[Nerak]

This is the worst song he has ever written. The music is quite good but the lyrics are woke as hell and sound like they were written by a Morrissey aged twelve.

Morrissey does agree with everything 'woke' except hounding randoms on Twitter because they said something stupid.

 

[Trans]

Great song and I think the directness is good in a song like this. We don’t need ambiguous political statements and all the complaints are valid or we’re valid ones. It part of what made Obama’s presidency historic. It felt like a good opening track on a sorta comeback album. Strong and clear but still relaxed in musical tone. It’s got a great melody

 

[Nerak]

He could sing 'rarely' black, female or gay.

That'll probably hold true for his lifetime at least.

 

[GirlAfraidWillNeverLearn]

Never liked this one. It's a pretty bad opening track as well.

The lyrics in the first two verses are clumsy, but it gets better from "steely blue eyes" on and I always thought the (beautiful) last stanza felt like it actually belonged to a different song (the "see with your eyes" part).

It's a shame about the music and vocals, both are very nice. The subject matter could have been interesting, had he refrained from reducing it to clichés and silly insults.

 

[BookishBoy]

Never liked this one. It's a pretty bad opening track as well.

The lyrics in the first two verses are clumsy, but it gets better from "steely blue eyes" on and I always thought the (beautiful) last stanza felt like it actually belonged to a different song (the "see with your eyes" part).

It's a shame about the music and vocals, both are very nice. The subject matter could have been interesting, had he abstained from reducing it to clichés and silly insults.

Yes! I mean, how bizarre that the same song contains:

Well. America, you know where
You can shove your hamburger

and then also:

See with your eyes
Touch with your hands, please
Hear through your ears
Know in your soul, please
For haven't you me with you now?

 

[GirlAfraidWillNeverLearn]

Yes! I mean, how bizarre that the same song contains:

Well. America, you know where
You can shove your hamburger

and then also:

See with your eyes
Touch with your hands, please
Hear through your ears
Know in your soul, please
For haven't you me with you now?

What is he even saying? The "steely blue eyes" part refers to Bush, no?

But who is he offering his heart to? The American people?

 

[GirlAfraidWillNeverLearn]

He could sing 'rarely' black, female or gay.

That'll probably hold true for his lifetime at least.

Right and they also only ever played it three times in 2004, which in itself says a lot, because every other Quarry song (bar Camden) has been played at least ten times as much.

James Buchanan was allegedly gay, btw.

 

[Nerak]

Right and they also only ever played it three times in 2004, which in itself says a lot, because every other Quarry song (bar Camden) has been played at least ten times as much.

James Buchanan was allegedly gay, btw.

Might have been loads - but I assume he means voters knowingly voting for a gay President.

 

[Nerak]

What is he even saying? The "steely blue eyes" part refers to Bush, no?

But who is he offering his heart to? The American people?

Steely blue eyes could be a personification of America, like Uncle Sam.

He does seem to be singing a love song to the country.

 

[Trans]

Yes! I mean, how bizarre that the same song contains:

Well. America, you know where
You can shove your hamburger

and then also:

See with your eyes
Touch with your hands, please
Hear through your ears
Know in your soul, please
For haven't you me with you now?

probably thinking that people should learn things more from there senses and experience instead of a media haze or some political factionalism and that this would help American politics. Would fit with his anti media beliefs

 

[GirlAfraidWillNeverLearn]

Steely blue eyes could be a personification of America, like Uncle Sam.

He does seem to be singing a love song to the country.

Clearly. Does the last part mean then that America will be better off because he's with it now?

"For haven't you me with you now?"

 

[Nerak]

Clearly. Does the last part mean then that America will be better off because he's with it now?

"For haven't you me with you now?"

No - I think he's pleading with them to notice the depth of his love.

And I guess if they've noticed his love, they might become less steely.

 

[Flibberty]

I don't think there's anything particularly contradictory about the lyrics. He loves America, but hates certain aspects of its culture and global presence.

I'm sure we all have things that we love, yet also hate parts of.

 

[GirlAfraidWillNeverLearn]

It's not contradictory. It's just the quality and style of writing in the second part that's very different from the first verses.