BookishBoy
Well-Known Member
We kick off the C-section (sorry) with this song from Your Arsenal. What do we think of it?
Morrissey A-Z: "Certain People I Know"
- Thread starter BookishBoy
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We kick off the C-section (sorry) with this song from Your Arsenal. What do we think of it?
Your Arsenal is a curious album. If you heard just the singles, you'd have no idea how good it is. We Hate... and Fatty were almost like novelty singles, and this is nice, but still a bit slight. All the stronger songs were left on the album -- and they make also these singles sound better in context. As for the lyrics... I have no idea really. I can't even understand if by "certain people I know" he means different people in each verse or the same and I have never bothered to find out.
Yeah, Your Arsenal is a fine album but you would never know it from the 3 U.K. singles. The first two were so derided that some were declaring Morrissey's career to be entirely over, and this is just very thin.
Musically it is probably the weakest song on the album due to it being a limp Marc Bolan knockoff, and even Mick Ronson's production can't entirely save it.
The lyrics are very dispensable, even if they are amusing in places.
Jack the Ripper on the b-side massively outshines it, and it shouldn't have been chosen as a single.
In the poll on the Hoffman board it ranked 176 from 264 solo songs.
Musically it is probably the weakest song on the album due to it being a limp Marc Bolan knockoff, and even Mick Ronson's production can't entirely save it.
The lyrics are very dispensable, even if they are amusing in places.
Jack the Ripper on the b-side massively outshines it, and it shouldn't have been chosen as a single.
In the poll on the Hoffman board it ranked 176 from 264 solo songs.
BookishBoy
Well-Known Member
I absolutely love this song! Yes it's lyrically light / meaningless, yes it's a shameless Bolan rip-off but it's just so jaunty and it makes me smile every single time I hear it. Morrissey could sing literally any old crap over this backing and it would still sound fab.
J
Janice
Guest
Bolan rip off or not, I like it. A pity it didn’t hang around too long in the set list a few years ago.
Gregor Samsa
I straighten up, and my position is one of hope.
I actually like the lyrics. A good, yet humorous, take on class and, to some extent, alienation. Musically it’s a brisk, good hearted glam/rockabilly-ish number with a strong vocal melody. It’s miles and miles better than the other two singles (Fatty and We Hate).
The Bolan influence was more than musical at the time. Probably helped along by Ronson too.
Alain:
Not forgetting the Boz/John’s Children connection also.
Nothing bad to say about this song as my like for anything rockabilly pre-dates Morrissey.
Regards,
FWD.
(T.Rex art is a RSD later release used for illustration).
Alain:
Not forgetting the Boz/John’s Children connection also.
Nothing bad to say about this song as my like for anything rockabilly pre-dates Morrissey.
Regards,
FWD.
(T.Rex art is a RSD later release used for illustration).
D
Deleted member 29417
Guest
Love the song, love the video.
T
Trans
Guest
I really enjoy the song. It’s funny and makes an interestingly amusing point with the lyrics. The music matches his tone and bounces along splendidly. I always thought that your Arsenal kinda had an airy feeling at times and songs like this and hate kinda embody that which I appreciated when next to other songs
As @Gregor Samsa noted, the strongest of the three singles from Your Arsenal. There isn't a whole lot to say about the lyrics, they're slight and ambiguous in a way that was easy to forgive back in those days because the spirit behind it all was just so strong. I love the album track, but the definitive version is obviously the explosive rendition that appears on Beethoven Was Deaf.
That's Enough For Me
Member
I originally heard the line 'they break their necks and cant afford to get them fixed' 'They break their necks and count to four to get their fix'
The Bolan connection wasn't widely made amongst fans at the time. It's only the advent of the internet that's means that 'everybody's clever nowadays'
The Bolan connection wasn't widely made amongst fans at the time. It's only the advent of the internet that's means that 'everybody's clever nowadays'
T
Trans
Guest
It’s funny to think how people get annoyed when morrissey does some impulsive thing or takes some weird risk and doesn’t play by the professional rule book but he told us all in 92 that he takes his cue from other impulsive risky people so we shouldn’t be quite so surprised
GirlAfraidWillNeverLearn
Well-Known Member
This used to be one of my favourite Morrissey songs at one point. The great video and Arsenal being my favourite album probably helped.
Still love it, I just played it too often.
I still think the first verse is hilarious.
Still love it, I just played it too often.
I still think the first verse is hilarious.
Last edited:
GirlAfraidWillNeverLearn
Well-Known Member
Ah, Mr. Shoes, I see you have also taken courage!
Always! We are Morrissey fans after all!
Kinda surprised this weren't a bigger hit for Moz.
It's got the catchy jangle tune and it's got the relatable relation
of how ya like certain folks and ya don't like certain others.
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