Morrissey A-Z: "Mexico"

[BookishBoy]

Today's song is this Morrissey/Boorer/Day composition, a B-side on the "First of the Gang to Die" single and also included on the deluxe edition of You Are the Quarry.

What do we think?

 

[Verso]

It's hard not to love the sound of Morrissey crooning over that dreamy Santo & Johnny chord progression. This is a great song, I thought so in 2002 and I still think so now. And though I like the lyrics, I think this could've easily been something of a modern classic of his had he written a more straightforward song of love and longing. That lush and lazy production is unique (and preferable) to almost every other sound on Quarry, it's a shame there wasn't more where this came from.

 

[Phranc & Open]

Inspired by the beautiful people of Mexico, with perfect teeth, hair and skin, this is a fine track from the Quarry sessions. But again: the live version from 2002 sounded even more intense. A shame this gem lives a hidden life on the DVD version of the "First of the gang" single. Gaz: dearly missed and unfairly dismissed

 

[This Charming Bowie]

First time hearing this...and it’s great! Beautiful, Vauxhall-ish chord progression, made even more airy with the buoyant production afforded to it. A simple paean to the people of Mexico, who make up a large percentage of his fan base still today, it’s lyrically pretty thin, but serves the purpose of the story: “If you’re rich and white, then you think you’re right” is an example of a great line here. A nice vocal performace, as well. It is a shame that it has been buried (not even on Swords, if I remember correctly), but, unless I play it often, I’m not sure how long it’s going to stay in my brain.
Still, very much above average.
7/10

 

[Light Housework]

Exquisite

 

[gordyboy9]

always been a favourite of mine,you can almost feel the mexican heat coming from this record,i think this is the time when we got M s grown up voice.another breezy track,good vocal and good music,i could play this on repeat all day and never get bored with it.
9 vivas/10 mexicos.

 

[Deleted member 29227]

An absolute gem of a song this one.
I love the lazy plodding pace of it all, the shimmering guitar work, & the pronounced bass throughout, but Moz's vocals are the highlight for me.
Majestic.

 

[Flibberty]

A pleasant b-side, but I don't think the studio version quite matches the live performances from 2002. The atmosphere feels a little subdued. At the time it was good to hear Morrissey expanding his lyrical horizons.

I can't really agree that Gary Day was a loss on a creative level. Mando has proven himself a useful collaborator (with Home is a Question Mark a highlight).

In the poll on the Hoffman board it ranked 204th from 264 solo songs.

 

[Deleted member 29227]

First time hearing this...and it’s great! Beautiful, Vauxhall-ish chord progression, made even more airy with the buoyant production afforded to it. A simple paean to the people of Mexico...

To my mind it's not so much a "paean to the people of Mexico" but more expressing sympathy & outrage on behalf of the people of Mexico who have to endure the impact of chemical & environmental pollution from the oil producing rich, white neighbours in the 'lone star state' that is Texas, who clearly don't give a shit about such things. Shame is the name.

 

[Anonymous]

I can clearly remember this being one of the very early new tracks that was performed ahead of the release of 'Quarry' - downloading it here, and loving it. Then - eventually - the studio version emerged months later as a B-Side, and it just sounded so limp. All the power and drama stripped from it - exactly the same fate that would happen to 'Art-Hounds' a few years later.

A real shame, as I can never listen to the official studio version without feeling disappointed. The live 2002 version is great, and the definitive one for me.

 

[Mayfly]

It was a nice gesture to dedicate a song to his Mexican fanbase, one of his better geographically themed songs in this century.
The line "If you're rich and white, then you think you're right" stops it from being a happy, lazy, holiday song to be enjoyed with a Margarita.
Seems like I should look up its 2002 live version.

 

[Eldritch]

Because this was played live regularly in the pre-Quarry era, I assumed that this would be one of the key tracks on the album. But instead it was condemned to the most useless format ever, the DVD single, and left off Swords. The "for the want of my love" refrain reminds me of Judas by Depeche Mode. Now the song sounds like a lovely little loiter, but also something of a missed opportunity. With some more precise lyrics and a bit more decisive production this could and easily should have been on Quarry instead of some more self-pitying material on the album.

 

[That's Enough For Me]

Can't listen to this one without hearing Suzanne Vega's 'In Liverpool'

 

[skull]

I love this!

 

[anonymous]

Can't listen to this one without hearing Suzanne Vega's 'In Liverpool'

Thanks for that lovely Suzane Vega song I didn't know.Carry on and list your hidden gems!

 

[BookishBoy]

I've not heard this before today, but having listened to it a few times now it's rather...lovely? Nothing spectacular but as others have said there's just a real warmth to the production of it and his voice is wonderful here.

 

[stux]

Much prefer the live version

 

[This Charming Bowie]

To my mind it's not so much a "paean to the people of Mexico" but more expressing sympathy & outrage on behalf of the people of Mexico who have to endure the impact of chemical & environmental pollution from the oil producing rich, white neighbours in the 'lone star state' that is Texas, who clearly don't give a shit about such things. Shame is the name.
Definitely, yes. I was more trying to say that he obviously sympathises with the people of Mexico and laments the leakage of the destructive aspects of American culture. Which you’ve summed up nicely already.

 

[SuedeMoz]

Touching, poignant, and beautifully done without sounding pandering. Also agreed that the 2002 version is even better.

 

[Jen M]

First time I've heard it. Dreamy in a Lazy Sunbathers kind of way which is a compliment.