Morrissey A-Z: "Do Your Best and Don't Worry"

[BookishBoy]

Today's entry in the A-Z is this track from the Southpaw Grammar album. What do we think of it?

 

[The.Truth.]

I love it starting with that bass and then the guitars crash in. It's awesome. And the words and vocal performance are great. 10/10

 

[crotty32]

This whole Morrissey A-Z thread just shows the pure quality of his work.I love this song and the music.

 

[Famous when dead]

Enjoyed this one live a few times way back in the mists of time.
I'd like to have seen Boz on bass live - like the studio version as it stands out.
Upbeat lyrics unless you view the word 'hang' in its negative connotation which I doubt was intended.

Previous suggestions for lyrical influence:

"...You're watching yourself but you're too unfair..."
~ R'n'Roll Suicide - David Bowie

"Once I skulked wistfully through dim streets, aching after this unknown, hoping to pass by unnoticed in my drab dress and lopsided shoes with high heels."
~ Grand Central Station I Sat Down And Wept

Regards,
FWD.

 

[Anonymous]

I like this one, until the instrumental coda which is depressingly pedestrian.

 

[Gregor Samsa]

I, too, can live without the instrumental coda, but other than that it’s a helluva pop-rocker. Fun, uplifting and with a strong melody.

 

[Light Housework]

Today's entry in the A-Z is this track from the Southpaw Grammar album. What do we think of it?

I need this song!

 

[Flibberty]

Musically this is probably the weakest song on the album, and that's no surprise as it was a late and hurried inclusion. I wonder whether the album would have (disastrously) only had 7 tracks if this hadn't emerged.

Lyrically it is quite slight, but still one of the better songs on the album in that respect. Not exactly high praise.

Like most songs on Southpaw Grammar it drags on far too long and they should have cut at least the last 80 seconds.

Despite not being a standout song, I like the theme. As I teacher I am sometimes asked to write a tiny message in the student yearbook when the junior high school kids graduate, and I have opted for "Do your best and don't worry" a few times.

In the poll on the Hoffman board it ranked 123rd from 264 solo songs.

 

[Nikita]

Really weak song, lyrics seemed written by a 16 years old for a 13 years old audience.

 

[gordyboy9]

Musically this is probably the weakest song on the album, and that's no surprise as it was a late and hurried inclusion. I wonder whether the album would have (disastrously) only had 7 tracks if this hadn't emerged.

Lyrically it is quite slight, but still one of the better songs on the album in that respect. Not exactly high praise.

Like most songs on Southpaw Grammar it drags on far too long and they should have cut at least the last 80 seconds.

Despite not being a standout song, I like the theme. As I teacher I am sometimes asked to write a tiny message in the student yearbook when the junior high school kids graduate, and I have opted for "Do your best and don't worry" a few times.

In the poll on the Hoffman board it ranked 123rd from 264 solo songs.

you say this song drags on far too long and they should have cut the last 60 seconds,,,,you do know theres a thing called a stop button or you could say alexa stop.
personally i think its a very good M song especially his delivery.like the abrupt ending.

 

[Flibberty]

you say this song drags on far too long and they should have cut the last 60 seconds,,,,you do know theres a thing called a stop button or you could say alexa stop.
personally i think its a very good M song especially his delivery.like the abrupt ending.

Ah, so that would imply that no song could ever be criticized for being too long...

Listeners shouldn't need to hit the skip button if an album has properly timed songs. Southpaw Grammar doesn't imo.

And, as that's my opinion, I will state it because this thread is all about opinions. It would be dull if everyone agreed with each other.

 

[Eldritch]

you say this song drags on far too long and they should have cut the last 60 seconds,,,,you do know theres a thing called a stop button or you could say alexa stop.

So the listener should stop the song each time it begins to grate or edit it to his/her liking? What a great idea! The listener could also write some more lyrics for Best Friend on the Payroll, while he's at it.

Nah, this is just deadwood, a filler track on an album, which should have no filler at all. If you do only 8 songs, they all should count. The sentiment is nice but I get the feeling that Morrissey isn't convincing even himself. His vocals sound phlegmy too, which has been well documented too. Why didn't just wait for a week or two for his vocals to clear?

 

[gordyboy9]

So the listener should stop the song each time it begins to grate or edit it to his/her liking? What a great idea! The listener could also write some more lyrics for Best Friend on the Payroll, while he's at it.

Nah, this is just deadwood, a filler track on an album, which should have no filler at all. If you do only 8 songs, they all should count. The sentiment is nice but I get the feeling that Morrissey isn't convincing even himself. His vocals sound phlegmy too, which has been well documented too. Why didn't just wait for a week or two for his vocals to clear?

i always thought he had a bad cold on this record but it was pointed out to me that his singing voice changed because of his diet at the time,im sure it was to do with dairy products.

 

[gordyboy9]

Ah, so that would imply that no song could ever be criticized for being too long...

Listeners shouldn't need to hit the skip button if an album has properly timed songs. Southpaw Grammar doesn't imo.

And, as that's my opinion, I will state it because this thread is all about opinions. It would be dull if everyone agreed with each other.

what is a properly timed song,there is no such thing.if a song is recorded at five minutes and goes on the cd at five minutes then you cant change that unless you hit the fast forward button.

 

[The.Truth.]

Ah, so that would imply that no song could ever be criticized for being too long...

Listeners shouldn't need to hit the skip button if an album has properly timed songs. Southpaw Grammar doesn't imo.

And, as that's my opinion, I will state it because this thread is all about opinions. It would be dull if everyone agreed with each other.

But I think the idea of editing songs on this album misses the point. These songs and the way they were played on tour were about a different kind of presentation and there were long instrumental sections more like a sort of 70's hard rock style. That isn't extra material that is just added because they couldn't think how to end the song. So it's okay that it's not the style of music you like but the songs are definitely properly timed for the effect they're meant to have.
I think it would be dull if all the records sounded the same and were full of compact songs clocking in under three minutes. I like Dial-a-Clche as much as I like this if not more but they're very different songs.
Not attacking you for having an opinion but just saying that I think the music from this period probably made more sense to people that like this style of music. It's kind of "classic rock" or "arena rock" and lots of Morrissey fans probably don't like Led Zeppelin or The Who but if you do these songs don't seem too long.

 

[Mike Rourke]

But I think the idea of editing songs on this album misses the point. These songs and the way they were played on tour were about a different kind of presentation and there were long instrumental sections more like a sort of 70's hard rock style. That isn't extra material that is just added because they couldn't think how to end the song. So it's okay that it's not the style of music you like but the songs are definitely properly timed for the effect they're meant to have.
I think it would be dull if all the records sounded the same and were full of compact songs clocking in under three minutes. I like Dial-a-Clche as much as I like this if not more but they're very different songs.
Not attacking you for having an opinion but just saying that I think the music from this period probably made more sense to people that like this style of music. It's kind of "classic rock" or "arena rock" and I don't lots of Morrissey fans probably don't like Led Zeppelin or The Who but if you do these songs don't seem too long.

Long songs are fine if the music is sufficiently good or at least interesting - Morrissey must have several lasting over 6 minutes and most of them are great. But, like most of Southpaw Grammar, this song has got so little to it, musically, that dragging it out at the end is just painful. Admittedly, it works a little better on Southpaw the song.

 

[GirlAfraidWillNeverLearn]

Always interesting to see that every song can inspire divisive opinions. Never imagined this would be the case for Do Your Best And Don't Worry, which is a rare and uncharacteristic case of positive, uplifting encouragement.
I play this one quite often.

 

[Mayfly]

Am I the only one to think that the songs in the middle of SG, from the Boy Racer to this one, are so similarly sounding and interchangeable? I don't mind listening to them on their own but 5 in a row? This one has a vocal harmony that I like, and I find the title quite positive. Not the best lyrics, but something I can relate to.

 

[The.Truth.]

Long songs are fine if the music is sufficiently good or at least interesting - Morrissey must have several lasting over 6 minutes and most of them are great. But, like most of Southpaw Grammar, this song has got so little to it, musically, that dragging it out at the end is just painful. Admittedly, it works a little better on Southpaw the song.

I like it. There are times when Southpaw Grammar is my favorite Morrissey record. I think it's more about what you like than something being wrong with the songs. There is something effective about a long repetitive song that you can kind of get lost in. I'm not trying to argue everyone should like it and I'll stop because I'm repeating myself, but the point is I think it's about musical taste (which I might be lacking) and not some objective reason.
Remember that edit someone made cutting the drums off of the start of "The Operation?" Some people loved that edit but to me it's blasphemy.

 

[Flibberty]

what is a properly timed song,there is no such thing.if a song is recorded at five minutes and goes on the cd at five minutes then you cant change that unless you hit the fast forward button.

But I think the idea of editing songs on this album misses the point. These songs and the way they were played on tour were about a different kind of presentation and there were long instrumental sections more like a sort of 70's hard rock style. That isn't extra material that is just added because they couldn't think how to end the song. So it's okay that it's not the style of music you like but the songs are definitely properly timed for the effect they're meant to have.
I think it would be dull if all the records sounded the same and were full of compact songs clocking in under three minutes. I like Dial-a-Clche as much as I like this if not more but they're very different songs.
Not attacking you for having an opinion but just saying that I think the music from this period probably made more sense to people that like this style of music. It's kind of "classic rock" or "arena rock" and lots of Morrissey fans probably don't like Led Zeppelin or The Who but if you do these songs don't seem too long.

You're entitled to your opinions of course, but so is anyone else who comments on the songs.

Even people who worked on the album have stated that some songs were too long, so it's hardly a surprise that some fans agree with them.