Morrissey makes an accidental grammatical error on a song???

[Dave]

On The Streets I Ran:

'Here everybody's friendly, but nobody's friends...'

Should it not be 'nobody are friends?'

Or is it 'Here everybody's friendly, but nobodies(?) friends' in the sense that they are the friends of nobody, as appose to being 'nobody are friends'?

:

stop the presses!

joking. when I get back from the post office I'll examine this matter thoroughly.

 

[Kewpie]

stop the presses!

joking. when I get back from the post office I'll examine this matter thoroughly.

Thank you, Professor David.

 

[Dave]

The child-like "brung" is a pleasing enough lyrical conceit on the subject matter; "I was a good kid...."

The one that gets me, however, is "...stood at the urinal." * looks stern*

that's how you guys say "standing". it is weird, but knowing it helps one pretend to be a Brit in the chatroom.

wait, I mean...

 

[King Leer]

I can't believe with all the British posters on here that there's even a debate about "stood at".

"to be stood somewhere" or "to be sat somewhere," whether past or present tense, is quite common spoken English in the UK (not to the exclusion of "to be standing/sitting," mind). In North America it'd mean someone else put you in that position -- in the UK it simply means you are (or were) in that position. I have a feeling through popular usage it's become "correct," but I don't know whether it was originally. Anyway, Moz didn't make it up just for that song.

But please, no discussion of America Is Not The World's "stay where you IS." I also couldn't believe when people pointed out that error as if it was unintentional.

"You Know I Couldn't Last" is wrong (should be "knew"), but it was given a pass because it was taken from Candy Darling's diary. But in fact, the original quote was "Did you know I couldn't last." I think the question mark was missing on the original, but otherwise correct. Moz made a boo boo.

ANALLLLLLL

 

[The Cat's Mother]

that's how you guys say "standing". it is weird, but knowing it helps one pretend to be a Brit in the chatroom.

"...helps one..." ? Here, Dave. I think you misplaced your tiara.

It's "Briton". *glares* ( Although it could have been worse, i.e. "Britisher" or "UK-er" )

I was raised in a household in which to have uttered such a slip as "stood" rather than "standing" would have been considered "common" and subject to correction, my point being that the use of "stood" is also a social indicator. Non-British listeners might not have picked up on this. I'm sure Morrissey was perfectly aware of the nuances of choosing the working-class participle, not least because it's also a nice foil to the slightly formal (but splendidly informative in this context) "urinal" (which isn't a term you'd hear down at the pub very often).

So Morrissey was being clever, not common. Probably.

 

[The Cat's Mother]

when discussions come up about this, the tautological 'overspeeds' in the boy racer always springs to mind.

I think we can forgive that in the name of lyrical economy, because it pulls in the idea of overtaking along with the speed.

 

[The Cat's Mother]

i didn't realise i was holding a grudge.

Not quite what I meant. I'm just a sucker for economy of style.

 

[Worm]

There is also the interpretation that Morrissey used "stood" because, as he sings it, the word almost becomes "stud": "Stud at the urinal".

 

[MadameChaos]

On The Streets I Ran:

'Here everybody's friendly, but nobody's friends...'

Should it not be 'nobody are friends?'

Or is it 'Here everybody's friendly, but nobodies(?) friends' in the sense that they are the friends of nobody, as appose to being 'nobody are friends'?

:

No. He's right you're wrong, "nobody are friends" makes no sense you geek.

 

[raincoated lover]

No. He's right you're wrong, "nobody are friends" makes no sense you geek.

Yes, I have realised how stupid it was. I was very tired.
Surely a geek would have no problems with spelling?

 

[thewarroom]

His sense of humour gets gradually worser...

 

[Worm]

His sense of humour gets gradually worser...

Yeah, I remember being bothered by that in 1992, the last time I heard it.

 

[dunya]

"'Ere long done do does did"
might be a quotation from a real poet.

Could mean with commas

"'Ere long done," - before much time has passed
"do, does, did." - what is rapidly becomes was, past tense.

A life is born, lived, and gone, before you know it.


Or maybe it's just messing about with clever words that sound good but don't mean anything outside of the sayers' head. Just trying to impress with fancy pretentions.

I agree about using "common" language. It's legit to use words said everyday, lyrics don't have to be good grammatically like an essay, and if it fits the rhythm better -then twist it too.

 

[sistasheila]

"'Ere long done do does did"
might be a quotation from a real poet?.

o.

wondered about that too!...

 

[Worm]

If G only O we O could G ask L someone E ...

 

[sistasheila]

If G only O we O could G ask L someone E ...

ohh I googled that before but didnt find info about it...

 

[Worm]

ohh I googled that before but didnt find info about it...

Put it in quotes, like this: "Ere long done do does did". This brings you exact phrase matches, and as you will discover, it's nothing but Morrissey as far as the I can see.

A shockingly large number of uses it's been put to, however.

 

[The Seeker of Good Songs]

Sorry, but you're completely wrong. Take a look at items 1 and 4 on this page for English learners, or item 6 on this one.

I followed your links and at #3:

Phrases such as together with, as well as, and along with are not the same as and. The phrase introduced by as well as or along with will modify the earlier word (mayor in this case), but it does not compound the subjects (as the word and would do).

• The mayor as well as his brothers is going to prison.
• The mayor and his brothers are going to jail.

If I would have written this line:

The mayor as well as his brothers is going to prison.

I would have used commas as in:

The mayor, as well as his brothers, is going to prison.

Am I too comma happy?

 

[The Cat's Mother]

There is also the interpretation that Morrissey used "stood" because, as he sings it, the word almost becomes "stud": "Stud at the urinal".

I have a theory on that, too, but two of our fellow posters are due to roll up at my house any sec, so drunken libation must come first....

 

[Not Right in the Head]

I followed your links and at #3:

Phrases such as together with, as well as, and along with are not the same as and. The phrase introduced by as well as or along with will modify the earlier word (mayor in this case), but it does not compound the subjects (as the word and would do).

• The mayor as well as his brothers is going to prison.
• The mayor and his brothers are going to jail.

If I would have written this line:

The mayor as well as his brothers is going to prison.

I would have used commas as in:

The mayor, as well as his brothers, is going to prison.

Am I too comma happy?

If so, then I am, too--I'd do the same thing.