Morrissey song titles - sometimes confusing?

[The Seeker of Good Songs]

Are there any Moz songs that you think are mis-titled (titled incorrectly for the lyrics)?

Without having thought about it too much, after listening to "Mama Lay Softly On The Riverbed", I don't understand the title with the lyrics.
Where does the riverbed come into play? Do the lyrics have to do with some piece of history or a news story?

Anyway...are there any songs you think have a confusing or semi confusing title?

 

[Young And Alive]

Death At One's Elbow
Speedway
Shakespeare's Sister

 

[this_tired_heart]

King Leer
Alsation Cousin
At Amber
Southpaw

 

[Dave]

I was saying this in the Kylie Thread. How am I supposed to order a song called Death At One's Elbow when the title of the song is not repeated in the chorus and chanted in the outro? Song should have been named "Don't Come To The House Tonight".

 

[nugz]

I was saying this in the Kylie Thread. How am I supposed to order a song called Death At One's Elbow when the title of the song is not repeated in the chorus and chanted in the outro? Song should have been named "Don't Come To The House Tonight".

Death At One's Elbow
Speedway
Shakespeare's Sister

Death at One's Elbow - Don't Come to the House Tonight
Speedway - True to You
Shakespeare's Sister - (I'm Going to Meet) The One I Love

 

[CaliforniaMozGirl]

I have to agree with Shakespheare's Sister. That song has always thrown me for a loop. I have to always - when I see the title- "How does that one go again?"

 

[Dave]

well, Nugz is right. They have to be renamed right away. That's not even to mention when someone refers to some song by an acronym. I can't tell the difference between "ABCDEFG" and "HIJKLMNOP", personally.

Seriously, the worst song titlers, the titlists for confusing song titles, are New Order and Robert Plant. I'm sure that none of you remember Robert Plant's work from the early 80's but a lot of people were still thinking that "if we think really hard, maybe we can stop this rain" and the songs were generally pleasant enough, until at some point he decided to be progressive, and I quit buying the records. Anyway, his songs had FA to do with the titles. He had a hit song, an actual hit, that he named "Big Log".

New Order? Forget about it. I still have to play a couple seconds of the song and go, "Oh yeah, that one!"

 

[nugz]

well, Nugz is right. They have to be renamed right away. That's not even to mention when someone refers to some song by an acronym. I can't tell the difference between "ABCDEFG" and "HIJKLMNOP", personally.

Seriously, the worst song titlers, the titlists for confusing song titles, are New Order and Robert Plant. I'm sure that none of you remember Robert Plant's work from the early 80's but a lot of people were still thinking that "if we think really hard, maybe we can stop this rain" and the songs were generally pleasant enough, until at some point he decided to be progressive, and I quit buying the records. Anyway, his songs had FA to do with the titles. He had a hit song, an actual hit, that he named "Big Log".

New Order? Forget about it. I still have to play a couple seconds of the song and go, "Oh yeah, that one!"

omg, dude you're so right about New Order. I never thought about that too much, but now that I'm thinking about it...I definitely see what you mean...


p.s. LOL @ Big Log

 

[King Leer]

Trainspotter alert -- what percentage of Smiths and Moz-solo songs include the song title as part of the lyrics?

I don't know if anybody's a fan of an old band called Japan, but they used to do an odd thing where the title of one song would show up in the lyrics of another.

On a tangent, I'm surprised that with with the timing of Morrissey's early "career" as a music critic he never mentioned Japan as their first incarnation was as a NY Dolls rip off (Sylvian from Sylvain) and later a Bowie pastiche. I always thought they were a lot more than great pretenders, but I can see the criticisms.

 

[maynardmorrissey]

Suedehead
The Loop

 

[sweet and tender hooligan]

Suedehead
The Loop

The loop is so becuase the it has the smae riff going all the way through it-or at leats i think so.

Personally i like the confusing song titles.

 

[Deleted member 6503]

Ones that spring to mind -

At Amber
A Swallow On My Neck
Alma Matters
Glamourous Glue
Roy's Keen
Will Never Marry

 

[nugz]

Ones that spring to mind -

At Amber
A Swallow On My Neck
Alma Matters
Glamourous Glue
Roy's Keen
Will Never Marry

swallow on my neck - about someone drawing fake tattoos on him as a sign of affection.

will never marry - self explanatory?

 

[Practising Troublemaker]

Ones that spring to mind -

At Amber
A Swallow On My Neck
Alma Matters
Glamourous Glue
Roy's Keen
Will Never Marry

At Amber - I think, think, this represents some kind of restriction. If my memory serves well the song is about somebody who is crippled and unable to really be active or do much in life (I may be getting this completely wrong). However, they live and breathe but due to lacking some fundemental components they cannot truly progress. Just as when you are sat at traffic lights amber signals you are about to go and you are not fully contained. At Amber is therefore representing being unable to really move off in life.

(^ that may all mean utter bollcoks to you ^)

Roy's Keen - Just a little song about a window cleaner called Roy who is Keen on his job, "we've never seen a keener window cleaner". Also, it may be a little pun on ex-Man Utd. captain Roy Keane.

Glamorous Glue - I think it is the addiction to glue sniffing, "first day with the jar". However, some of the lyrics don't seem to reflect the title at all.

Love PTxx.

 

[Practising Troublemaker]

The loop is so becuase the it has the smae riff going all the way through it-or at leats i think so.

Personally i like the confusing song titles.

It may also mean Morrissey's life, or the protagonist's life, is some kind of loop. The same thing just happening over and over.

Love PTxx.

 

[Practising Troublemaker]

The one's which confuse me -

- Rubber Ring
- Alsatian Cousin

and an album title, Vauxhall and I.

Love PTxx.

 

[Pokey]

As much as I love 'Mama' I have to agree, mostly because it just sounds poorly thought out, how exactly does one lay softly? it just sounds like its trying a bit too hard, and if one can lay softly then can you stand loudly?

 

[nugz]

The one's which confuse me -

- Rubber Ring
- Alsatian Cousin

and an album title, Vauxhall and I.

Love PTxx.

Rubber Ring, because it's about the songs that saved your life and isnt Rubber Ring another name for one of those round floaty life savers?

 

[Practising Troublemaker]

As much as I love 'Mama' I have to agree, mostly because it just sounds poorly thought out, how exactly does one lay softly? it just sounds like its trying a bit too hard, and if one can lay softly then can you stand loudly?

I think lay softly is almost a euthemism for dead/ death. To say she lay softly is like a gentle rest or sleep. I think the title is a little shabby but I think he has a good case saying 'lay softly'. I think with the power of the song theough he could have had a better title. Even, 'Mama, Why Did You Do It?' would have been better in my opinion.

Love PTxx.

 

[Practising Troublemaker]

Rubber Ring, because it's about the songs that saved your life and isnt Rubber Ring another name for one of those round floaty life savers?

Ah ok, I guess that is a good observation. This is a pretty god thread with everyone clearing up each others confusion. Thanks again Nugz.

Love PTxx.