Morrissey A-Z: "Jim Jim Falls"

BookishBoy

Well-Known Member






Our song for today is this Morrissey/Tobias composition, the opening track on IANADOAC. (And for anybody who's curious, the second clip above is well worth watching from about the 2.00 mark, as you get to see Jim Jim Falls in all its glory.)

What do think we of this one?
 
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I absolutely adore this song. One of the all-time great Morrissey choruses, for me. The vocal melody, the rush of it, and my god those lyrics!

If you're gonna sing, then sing
Just don't talk about it
If you're gonna live, then live
Don't talk about it
If you're gonna kill yourself
Then for god's sake
Just kill yourself


For anyone to sing those last lines in our current era of "mental health awareness" is...unlikely. For Morrissey to sing them, having been saving lives in song since 1983, is hilarious and flat-out brilliant. What I'd give to hear a festival crowd belting out this song - maybe in another world.
 
I concur with Bookish Boy’s assessment here: a fantastic song, a great album opener, telegraphing some of the new developments to come. I was thrilled to hear the pride position of the synths, adding some new rubbery textures, illuminated by Chiccarelli’s excellent production. Super guitar tones, too: there’s life after meaningless distortion (don’t get me wrong, I like and love some of these louder tracks - YOR is one of my all-time favourite Moz albums - but it was nice hearing a change-up)! Lyrics also encapsulate a difficult subject (again) into a small space of time and lyrical format: it throws it back to the simpler pop lyrics of songs perhaps Morrissey would have loved when he was younger. It still oozes wit and genuine empathy to the subject to “go out and do something with your life”, pushing them to achieve more goals. One of his newer staples, I should imagine.
10/10
 
Musically and melodically it’s nothing short of glorious. But I do have some problems with the lyrics. Some people will insist that he is singing to himself, but I can’t shake the feeling that he is urging depressed people to kill themselves. Or maybe he is just fed up with drama queens using the threat of suicide to get what they want. I’m kind of on the fence. Ultimately, however, I think it’s a good song and a strong opener.
 
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Depression and mental illness is tricky these days because everyone is more aware of it but it doesn't necessarily mean they're better at helping you with it or, more importantly, being nicer people in order to prevent you feeling that way in the first place. When noone acknowledged my depression and anxiety years ago, I could at least tell myself that my ongoing misery was justified. Now that these things are 'supposedly' recognised more, I feel a certain guilt for still not being able to cheer up. Yes, people may be more aware of the problem, but is there any more help than there used to be?
 
great track,start of the song could be the prodigy,typical M lyrics about death,the police should play this song through a megaphone when people are at the top of a building threatening to jump.
8 jims/10 falls.
 
This made me laugh out loud when I first heard it and I agree that it's a very strong way to open the album.

A bold song both lyrically and musically, and I appreciate that Morrissey is still taking chances.

It could have been a little shorter for me, but that's a minor quibble.

In the poll on the Hoffman board, partly boosted by its newness no doubt, it ranked 17th from 264 solo songs.
 
This made me laugh out loud when I first heard it and I agree that it's a very strong way to open the album.

A bold song both lyrically and musically, and I appreciate that Morrissey is still taking chances.

It could have been a little shorter for me, but that's a minor quibble.

In the poll on the Hoffman board, partly boosted by its newness no doubt, it ranked 17th from 264 solo songs.
17th.
🤷‍♂️
 
Fantastic song that just soars. The certainty of the narrator is reflective of the confidence that emanates from the whole album. The song makes me feel strong and defiant
 
This made me laugh out loud when I first heard it and I agree that it's a very strong way to open the album.

A bold song both lyrically and musically, and I appreciate that Morrissey is still taking chances.

It could have been a little shorter for me, but that's a minor quibble.

In the poll on the Hoffman board, partly boosted by its newness no doubt, it ranked 17th from 264 solo songs.
17th?? This song blows.
 
The problem with Moz trying new musical styles (which is very welcome) is that when he comes in, he sounds exactly the same.

Bowie, is an example of someone who could make a song not sound like Bowie.

That said, I like this one.
 
I like this song, fits in well with the album and a decent opener...
Musically there seems to be loads going on and I hear different things upon each listen.....17 th on the Hofmann scale???
I would challenge this ....

Where is the Hofmann of late???
He hasn’t been on here for months?
Wonder if covid has caught up with him, or perhaps he’s repented and gone off to Africa to do some charity work??
 
It's a cracking piece of music - big congrats to Jesse T. The quality of his compositions on this album is amazing.
The chorus has all the euphoria of a prime-time Smiths single (the singing melody is a little similar to 'William...').
Not a huge fan of the lyrics. The falling in love theme from the opening lines isn't really developed, and other lyrics feel a bit lazy/phoned in.
But overall a really good song.
 
Musically and melodically it’s nothing short of glorious. But I do have some problems with the lyrics. Some people will insist that he is singing to himself, but I can’t shake the feeling that he is urging depressed people to kill themselves. Or maybe he is just fed up with drama queens using the threat of suicide to get what they want. I’m kind of on the fence. Ultimately, however, I think it’s a good song and a strong opener.
I think the song‘s narrator who “fooled and fell” at Jim Jim Falls wants the potential jumpers to join them or stop wasting time. It’s typical Morrissey. Dark and funny. The ghost wants company.
 
Brilliant song, brilliant chorus and bold lyrics. Slightly let down by the synth horns, as are a few songs on the last two albums - I think that it’s a stylistic choice though rather than the refusal to get a proper orchestra in!
 
I've always wondered what I'm 'missing' with this song because I just don't like it at all. No vocal melody of any kind, no melody anywhere really - behind Morrissey is just an 'experimental', discordant mish-mash of sound. If this is Moz trying to get 'modern', it's crap and doesn't suit his voice.
 
I'm completely puzzled by the praise this song is getting here. The music is something a teenager could cobble together on Ableton after a 5-minute tutorial and the lyrics are so pathetic they're barely even worth mentioning. This epitomizes the Morrissey of 2021: devoid of subtlety and bordering on creative bankruptcy. The thought of putting this track alongside his best work is a juxtaposition akin to blasphemy.
 
I've always wondered what I'm 'missing' with this song because I just don't like it at all. No vocal melody of any kind, no melody anywhere really - behind Morrissey is just an 'experimental', discordant mish-mash of sound. If this is Moz trying to get 'modern', it's crap and doesn't suit his voice.
I'd agree the song is a little over-rated. The intro is gimmicky, the lyrics aren't great, and the verse melody is pretty forgettable.
But there is a real euphoria to the chorus (music and singing melodies), and the middle eight/instrumental section really soars.
 
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