Morrissey A-Z: "You've Had Her"

[BookishBoy]

Our final song in the A-Z is this Morrissey/Boorer composition, a B-side on the "Certain People I Know" single.

What do we think?

And on a side note, it's hard to believe that we started this A-Z thing back on January 11th. Huge thanks to @This Charming Bowie who kicked the whole thing off and to all of the other regular posters on these threads including @Flibberty @Janice @Gregor Samsa @Ketamine Sun @SuedeMoz @gordyboy9 @Eldritch @Phranc & Open @Mozmar @Mayfly and to @Famous when dead for organisational stuff in the background - with apologies to anyone I've forgotten! I hope it's made everybody's 2021 a bit more interesting and I'm looking forward to doing this again with a Smiths A-Z in the New Year...(And maybe there'll be some new Morrissey songs to add, as well.)

 

[Southport Grandma]

Our final song in the A-Z is this Morrissey/Boorer composition, a B-side on the "Certain People I Know" single.

What do we think?

And on a side note, it's hard to believe that we started this A-Z thing back on January 11th. Huge thanks to @This Charming Bowie who kicked the whole thing off and to all of the other regular posters on these threads including @Flibberty @Janice @Gregor Samsa @Ketamine Sun @SuedeMoz @gordyboy9 @Eldritch @Phranc & Open @Mozmar @Mayfly and to @Famous when dead for organisational stuff in the background - with apologies to anyone I've forgotten! I hope it's made everybody's 2021 a bit more interesting and I'm looking forward to doing this again with a Smiths A-Z in the New Year...(And maybe there'll be some new Morrissey songs to add, as well.)

Thanks to all those involved. This has given me something interesting to look forward to every morning. As for the song it’s gentle enough without necessarily going anywhere.

 

[Gregor Samsa]

Thanks for the mention @BookishBoy. And thank you for doing this every day for god knows how many months. Like @Southport Grandma said, it’s been something interesting to look forward to each day. It really has. To think that each day we get to engage in meaningful discussions, debates and exchanges of opinions about the music we love the most is astounding. This project has shown that this site isn’t just a cesspool thriving on negativity and hate.

As for You’ve Had Her, I’ve loved it ever since I first heard it. It’s sounds nothing like any other Morrissey song, though. And the line/stanza As the words to all of the love songs/Start making sense/To the girl so far away kills me every time.

Now I very much look forward to the Smiths A-Z. I predict that the word ‘masterpiece’ is is going to get worn out!

 

[Light Housework]

So many modern songs put women down. This song does just the opposite.

 

[SuedeMoz]

@BookishBoy hats off to you for the A-Z project! It's been fun and I've discovered a few songs I missed the first time around and caused me to reexamine some that I'd dismissed. Thank you for that and for facilitating actual discussion about the music. With COVID and lockdown, etc. it has been something to look forward to daily. REALLY looking forward to 'The Smiths A-Z' (3 gems already found in the letter A).

About You've Had Her... lyrically and thematically I like it but find the sound a bit grating. I've mentioned in prior threads that while YA was stellar I find the b-sides rather forgettable. Of course, the glaring exception is Jack The Ripper.

 

[gordyboy9]

well done bookish,we are finally at the last hurdle,dont think i have missed one song,its been a blast going through every M song,loved 99 percent of them.im more of an M fan even though i lived through the smiths so i will probably skim the smiths A-Z from time to time.
had her is decent,bit slow,voice is decent.
had her-7 hads 10hers.
A-Z 10 the/10 end.

 

[Verso]

Thanks to @BookishBoy for guiding us through the alphabet and facilitating some of the only good conversation on the forum. It’s been a fun exercise to check in on throughout the endless pandemic.

An economical and insightful lament about hitting it and quitting it. Morrissey knows a little more about the player’s mentality than he lets on. Correct me if I’m wrong, but I’m pretty sure this is the first song Boz wrote for Morrissey. A rare instance of M using effects on his vocals, all in all it doesn’t feel like much more than an chord progression demo. It’s interesting that Mick Ronson really seemed to save his strength for the album tracks, as the Your Arsenal b-sides don’t even sound like they’re remotely related to the rest of the sessions. All that said, I’ve always liked this one.

 

[Phranc & Open]

@BookishBoy = Legend
Nice little tune, that shows, at least for me, a certain movement away from the Your Arsenal sound to something more intransparent and romantic.

 

[Janice]

Firstly. I can’t believe it’s been running since January 11th.
Secondly: it’s been a god daily read, so thank you, BB.

You’ve Had Her, and it’s all over now; FOR US.
I find this quite sinister with the music. But equally, thrilling .

 

[This Charming Bowie]

Thanks a lot @BookishBoy for doing this for almost 10 months! Your dedication is astounding: you are a legend!

As for the song, it’s a fine way to close on. Nothing that interesting, with a chord progression that foreshadows “Boxers”, heavily flanged guitar that creates a more murky sound world than we’re perhaps used to. It’s suspenseful, and this assists the pretty dark lyrics that show a slimeball character using women as nothing more than trinkets, losing interest in them time and time again. Aside from this intriguing theme (a common one in the Southpaw era), the track kind of fades into the background.

6/10 (song)

10/10 for the A-Z

 

[Mozzer1980]

@BookishBoy great job !!! It was nice to wake up every morning and check what's new in in A-Z thread . I will come back to it more than once .

You’ve Had Her - a very atmospheric song shrouded in mystery.

 

[Lionsy]

Thank you for posting these threads, I rarely comment but I read almost all of them!

You've had her is my joint favourite Morrissey song (Joint with swallow on my neck!), I think someone from here (Viva hate?) did a mix with some drums in too, which is also fantastic.

Part of me wishes no more Morrissey songs are released so you can have a lay in until 7am for at least one day of the week.

 

[Watson]

Heartfelt thanks to BookishBoy for putting together this magnificent thread! It's been an excellent read and has thrown up some brilliant, insightful and wise comments.

Very much looking forward to The Smiths A-Z.

You've had her would be a key part of a 'Best of the B-Sides' album. Atmospheric, dreamy, emotive...lovely.

 

[Ben Budd]

I weirdly like it. as mentioned above the girl so far away line is magnificent.

 

[Flibberty]

Thanks @BookishBoy and I look forward to The Smiths next year. I completely understand you wanting to take a break first.

 

[Flibberty]

A substandard b-side and I wonder how much time Mick Ronson spent on the production (or whether this is one of the songs he had to miss due to his health issues).

The overall sound is distracting rather than atmospheric, and it feels like a misfire.

In the poll on the Hoffman board it ranked 234th from 264 solo songs.

 

[Thewlis]

One of my least played Moz-songs.
Still not a bad song, promising rather, with better production it could have been a stunner like I’d Love To.

7,1

It’s about time Moz made a Z-song

 

[Southport Grandma]

Thanks to @BookishBoy for guiding us through the alphabet and facilitating some of the only good conversation on the forum. It’s been a fun exercise to check in on throughout the endless pandemic.

An economical and insightful lament about hitting it and quitting it. Morrissey knows a little more about the player’s mentality than he lets on. Correct me if I’m wrong, but I’m pretty sure this is the first song Boz wrote for Morrissey. A rare instance of M using effects on his vocals, all in all it doesn’t feel like much more than an chord progression demo. It’s interesting that Mick Ronson really seemed to save his strength for the album tracks, as the Your Arsenal b-sides don’t even sound like they’re remotely related to the rest of the sessions. All that said, I’ve always liked this one.

I think the “Certain People I know” b-sides were recorded separately and after “Your Arsenal”. IIRC Mick Ronson wasn’t well around the time of “Jack The Ripper”? Someone on here will know more or have a better memory.

 

[That's Enough For Me]

Hats off to @BookishBoy for a monumental effort. Thank you!

This is a great track to finish on and for me forms a trilogy where 'I'd Love To' is Episode 1, this is Episode 2 and Sweetie Pie is the final part of the story.

Meanwhile, at Blackburn Bus Station in 1993, it was all over now.

 

[Deleted member 30524]

Well I have to say this morning does have an end of term felling...
And of course without whom...
Bookish boy and Famous when drunk... A big thanks.

This project has been a big help through some rough miserable times for some.

I’ve particularly enjoyed racing to this thread of a morning to read gordyboy reviews. Naturally biased of course but very entertaining to read over my coffee.
I also have enjoyed This charming Bowie’s take on things.
As I learned a few things from reading their reviews on how a song is constructed ECT.

Unfortunately the last review isn’t very Positive for this song.
In short it’s 4king Horrific . Sounds like it was recorded on the moors in mid December. It’s cold, empty.
And probably the worst thing I’ve heard on here since 11 January....