Morrissey A-Z: "We'll Let You Know"

[BookishBoy]

Today's song is this Morrissey/Whyte composition, from Your Arsenal.

What do we think?

 

[Light Housework]

"We will descend, on anyone unable to defend themselves." and "The songs we sing, they're not supposed to mean a thing." are the lines that have grabbed me this time round.

 

[Phranc & Open]

Well, I let you know, that the song takes some risks with it's lengthy, bizarre and dooming middle part. In the 90s, only Morrissey could get away with it (see Black eyed Susan, Southpaw) in adding some very lovely vocal melodies. Threatening like a march of hooligans to the arena with a bequiffed Morrissey as their leader (in a golden, blue or red women blouse).

 

[Deleted member 30524]

A beautiful piece of music all round, with the theme of the song being about football hooliganism, and some great lines especially the turnstiles that make us hostile one.

I listened to YA all day yesterday in the car and for me this was a stand out song, though slightly misplaced RE it’s place on the album.

I’m not to sure what the pipes are about at the very end though, can only think it has something to do with sectarianism ???

 

[Gregor Samsa]

One of my most cherished all-time favorites. I mention it in the same breath as The Never Played Symphonies, NMHIF, Pigsty, Sunday and so on... I love the atmosphere, the mixture of melancholy and aggression, I love the outsider theme of the lyrics, and the Englishness of it all. It's a daring song all around, but it never comes across as a try-hard experimental. Its twists and turns all seem very natural and organic.

 

[This Charming Bowie]

Another classic song here. Beautiful Whyte melody on guitar contrasts with Moz’s deeply dark lyrics diving into the theme of football hooliganism and its potential links to outsiderdom. The way the song swings into this eerily pastoral mid-section is pretty terrifying, especially when paired with the found sound: it’s a real musical story.
Moz is very powerful here, holding his own over the instrumentation while also inhabiting a first-person perspective: some (now and at the time) blindly mistook this for showing wayward sympathy for football violence. As it always is, that’s not the case.
The ending really drives the point home, everything plunging into inescapable pitch blackness and chilling lines echo around the soundscape.
Brilliantly executed and told - a magnificently dark song and another Arsenal classic.
10/10

 

[Southport Grandma]

The production and playing on this is magnificent. That ghostly falsetto line “Is it London I love?” before the instrumental interlude gets me every time.

 

[Janice]

The soundtrack of Carlisle Baz in the early to late 89’s.
A song I often feel reaches a great crescendo and has me barking the the end words out.
I just wish I could enjoy this as a top fan, with a box set, Japanese rarity and vegas 35. And maybe a gold YA
Moz / Janice

 

[gordyboy9]

great song as everyone above has said,some great lines in this,ahh the good old fitba hooligans watched many a documentary on this subject over the decades.
9 turnstiles/10 hospital appointments.

 

[Bonaparte Shandy]

Mr Shandy (not I) was the real hooligan, I simply loitered in the background thrilling at the sheer LUSTFULNESS of it all. Oh, Mr Shandy was a sight (Levi 501 jeans, Fred Perry polo shirts, white button down shirts and Crombie jackets) as he rampaged across the terraces of Parks Boundary, Burden and Edgeley prior returning to his spiritual home up in the darker heights of what became the Kippax Stand at Maine Road. Football today, so 'easy' so careful and safe. So pointless. The true hooligans of the 1970s, wherever ye may be - we salute you (and fully expect you to kick our heads in). It's fine.

 

[Nikita]

Probably in my top ten of his solo songs.

 

[Janice]

Mr Shandy (not I) was the real hooligan, I simply loitered in the background thrilling at the sheer LUSTFULNESS of it all. Oh, Mr Shandy was a sight (Levi 501 jeans, Fred Perry polo shirts, white button down shirts and Crombie jackets) as he rampaged across the terraces of Parks Boundary, Burden and Edgeley prior returning to his spiritual home up in the darker heights of what became the Kippax Stand at Maine Road. Football today, so 'easy' so careful and safe. So pointless. The true hooligans of the 1970s, wherever ye may be - we salute you (and fully expect you to kick our heads in). It's fine.

I really think you’re far too good for this Mr Shandy. It’s time to live and not exist
You’re the last, truly British, woman I do not know.

 

[Deleted member 29227]

Not only a simply brilliant track, but Moz's delivery, story telling, & timing are (as ever) impeccable.
It seems mostly quite light & innocent, & almost saunters along in a teasing manner as we await the crescendo. It slowly winds up then reaches the climax & takes on a darker dimension; then before you know it, within 40 seconds, it's all over. A remarkable piece lyrically, & musically, for sure.
'Get off the roof!'
Genius.

 

[Flibberty]

Mick Ronson's production is probably still the best of any Morrissey album as this song shows.

Alain's comments about Morrissey dictating the musical structure of the song are interesting, too. What with that and the sound effects, Moz made a big contribution to just the instrumental part of the song. Not that I'm dismissing Alain's contribution as well, of course.

The lyrics are interesting and very few other songwriters would venture near them.

In the poll on the Hoffman board this ranked 20th from 264 solo songs.

 

[Famous when dead]

Never imagined hearing this crop up in a skateboarding movie many years later, but it worked quite well.
It's a shame Alain didn't delve in to more detail via the Twitter listening party regarding this track (other than Morrissey shaping the verses).
I'm not sure the recorder (not penny whistle/flute) is overly significant as Boz indicated it was random/free form and done via Ronson and without particularly listening to the track.
Another song in the higher echelons of the collection.
Regards,
FWD.

 

[BookishBoy]

Never imagined hearing this crop up in a skateboarding movie many years later, but it worked quite well.
It's a shame Alain didn't delve in to more detail via the Twitter listening party regarding this track (other than Morrissey shaping the verses).
I'm not sure the recorder (not penny whistle/flute) is overly significant as Boz indicated it was random/free form and done via Ronson and without particularly listening to the track.
Another song in the higher echelons of the collection.
Regards,
FWD.

Yes, I tried to include a clip from Mid90s but the ones on YouTube won't embed here - I guess movie copyright stuff. That's a lovely scene, though.

 

[Mayfly]

It is a fantastic album track on its own. Thematically, it forms a trilogie with Glamourous Glue and National Front Disco. I think Ronon’s production gave the music the rough and though edges needed to accompany the British working class / skinheads culture theme. Simple wonderful..

 

[Deleted member 30524]

Not only a simply brilliant track, but Moz's delivery, story telling, & timing are (as ever) impeccable.
It seems mostly quite light & innocent, & almost saunters along in a teasing manner as we await the crescendo. It slowly winds up then reaches the climax & takes on a darker dimension; then before you know it, within 40 seconds, it's all over. A remarkable piece lyrically, & musically, for sure.
'Get off the roof!'
Genius.

Jesus .... I thought you were describing my bedroom exploits

 

[Deleted member 30524]

The soundtrack of Carlisle Baz in the early to late 89’s.
A song I often feel reaches a great crescendo and has me barking the the end words out.
I just wish I could enjoy this as a top fan, with a box set, Japanese rarity and vegas 35. And maybe a gold YA
Moz / Janice

Janice I’m of the sensitive type of men, and I couldn’t knock the skin of a rice pudding..
Also I struggle to pull the ring off a coors can nowadays....

I’m sure Santa will be good to you and bring you all the Japanese imports and Vegas tackle ...roll on crimbo

 

[Deleted member 29227]

Jesus .... I thought you were describing my bedroom exploits

The '40 seconds' part?