Morrissey A-Z: "Once I Saw the River Clean"

[Deleted member 28251]

Reminds me a little of One of Our Own, and on balance I think I prefer that song. A mere 8/10 from me then.

 

[NealCassidy]

Reminds me a little of One of Our Own, and on balance I think I prefer that song. A mere 8/10 from me then.

Good call

 

[dotmatrix522]

I love it. It’s a beautiful ballad and one of my favorite Moz songs from the 21st century for sure.

 

[GirlAfraidWillNeverLearn]

Lyrical inspiration may have come from Patrick Kavanagh, whose poem "If You Ever Go To Dublin Town" is quoted in part in Autobiography (quoted part marked in bold):


If you ever go to Dublin town
In a hundred years or so
Inquire for me in Baggot street
And what I was like to know
O he was the queer one
Fol dol the di do
He was a queer one
And I tell you

My great-grandmother knew him well,
He asked her to come and call
On him in his flat and she giggled at the thought
Of a young girl’s lovely fall.
O he was dangerous,
Fol dol the di do,
He was dangerous,
And I tell you

On Pembroke Road look out for me ghost,
Dishevelled with shoes untied,
Playing through the railings with little children
Whose children have long since died.
O he was a nice man,
Fol do the di do,
He was a nice man
And I tell you

Go into a pub and listen well
If my voice still echoes there,
Ask the men what their grandsires thought
And tell them to answer fair,
O he was eccentric,
Fol do the di do,
He was eccentric
And I tell you

He had the knack of making men feel
As small as they really were
Which meant as great as God had made them
But as males they disliked his air.
O he was a proud one,
Fol do the di do,

 

[Ben Budd]

a rare highlight of the recent years, aided by my jogging up and down chester and talbot roads during lockdown and listening to this song

 

[crotty32]

To me a stone cold classic,one that will become many peoples favourite Morrissey song in the future.

 

[Private Widdle]

So good at high volume. The bass and percussion - in fact the whole track - is crying out for a bangin club version.

 

[Mozzer1980]

Number 3 in my song rankings from Dog album leading to the conclusion that I really like this song. It is the saturation with electronics that adds to its originality. This synth pop sound from the 80s in combination with sentimental lyrics it creates a delicious mixture. And, of course, raccoons are cute, as most animals are .

 

[Skylarker]

I honestly think this is in the top 10 songs he's ever recorded. To think that I wanted to be done after Low In High School, a third to half of which was total crap. Then he comes up with this.

I will never lose faith again. This I swear.

 

[Dirk Blaggard]

Almost, the whole of the soul, in words and writing, is on display here.
Taking what would, normally, be a run of the mile 80s wanna be a record- so common these days
and taking it higher than birds can fly

A vocal supreme and words that take you back in time, to his youth and lets be honest if you were born before 1979 and dragged up in the UK /Ireland, then maybe even your youth
For me, it reeked of the 70s and the warm hug of family

It almost seemed like M, has gone full circle back to the roads that knew him, the roads that grew him, the roads that aimed to slew him. Those lanes he loved and loathed.

Like a few others, have pointed out, it seems the further M got from his garden gate, the emptier his world became.

Manchester became London and not much changed but a little was lost. Dublin home as well as away
However, during the American and Italian years, the records came fast and they were good and often equal to the past in all regards bar words

This one record, to me, kicks in the gob , any doubter, any dumb hater. To those who say "he was shit, once Johnny went"
Its the best thing he has done since the 90s .

 

[Amy]

This song is "Morrissey" singing about Steven, just like Late Night, Maudlin Street, and in time it will be a classic.

The whole magic and sadness of it is that 'Steven' was a skint, hopeless, daydreaming teenager, living on Valium and his obsessions, never expecting that magic knock on the door - but Steven also had Mum, Dad, Nanny, Aunty Jean, his whole extended family just minutes away.
Then life happened, and time took them. There are some things the Sunset Marquis just can't compensate for.

 

[Ben Budd]

This song is "Morrissey" singing about Steven, just like Late Night, Maudlin Street, and in time it will be a classic.

The whole magic and sadness of it is that 'Steven' was a skint, hopeless, daydreaming teenager, living on Valium and his obsessions, never expecting that magic knock on the door - but Steven also had Mum, Dad, Nanny, Aunty Jean, his whole extended family just minutes away.
Then life happened, and time took them. There are some things the Sunset Marquis just can't compensate for.

fantastic post, this.