My assessment of "Spent the day in bed"

[swift eclipse]

Familiar ground for Morrissey. The lyrics are like a patchwork quilt made from ideas of his prior songs. Examples: (WORK)"I was looking for a job and then I found a job" from 'Heaven knows I'm miserable now'...(WORK)"No, I've never had a job because I've never wanted one" from 'You've got everything now'...(WATCHING THE NEWS)"But last night the plans of a future war was all I saw on channel four" from "Shoplifters of the world unite"...(SPENT THE DAY IN BED)"You want to turn it on it's head by staying in bed" from 'He knows I'd love to see him'...(RAIN)"The rain falls hard on a humdrum town" from 'William, it was really nothing'...(BUS)"And if a double decker bus crashes into us" from 'There is a light that never goes out'...(BOSS)"Frankly, Mr. Shankly this position I've held it pays may way and it corrodes my soul" from 'Frankly, Mr. Shankly'...(TRAIN)"Train, heave on to Euston" from 'London"...(TO ALL OF MY FRIENDS)"Tell all of my friends" from 'Now my heart is full'...(SHEETS FOR WHICH I PAID)"I turn the music down and I don't know why, this is my house" from 'Best friend on the payroll'...(I'M NOT MY TYPE)"Me without clothes? Well, a nation turns it's back and gags" from 'Late night, Maudlin Street'... (CASTRATION)"Nobody talks about castration" from 'The queen is dead'... (NO HIGHWAY)"The lanes were silent" from 'I started something I couldn't finish'... (BE GOOD TO YOURSELF)"Do your best and don't worry" from DYBADW. Overall, the lyrics to this new song feel somewhat insipid and as illustrated not new to his canon idea wise. But as usual, compared to rest of the garbage the music world creates nowadays, this is a masterpiece. But really it's just a throwaway song not nearly as good as any of the aforementioned.

 

[Orson Swells]

Yes, Morrissey does occasionally use some of the same words in his 35 years of writing lyrics. But identifying the fact he has used "train" and "rain" before is pretty meaningless. Obviously all writers have certain themes and concerns they return to and re-examine. One of Morrissey's you missed in this one is "the passing of time", of course. Although this song does touch on some of his common themes, I don't think the central idea (staying in bed/avoiding the news as an act of social defiance, if you like) has been the subject of a song before. The lyric also certainly isn't a pastiche of himself - can somebody pastiche themselves even? - although I would say Heaven Knows..., for example since mention it, probably was very self-parodic in intention.

 

[swift eclipse]

No need to be uselessly condescending, Orson. Try reading my post again. It's not simply about words. I was making a point about ideas. He chose to reuse many in this song that he has previously included in others of his and I think it's interesting that with the range of topics available he seems to be going backwards. This stood out to me on first hearing, so it is rather blatant. The "passing of time" (TIME, DO AS I WISH) reference as you pointed out is another that works to illustrate this. You were even able to find this now that I brought your attention to it. I can't think of any of his other songs that read this way so obviously. You also incorrectly suggested that I meant this is all self parody on his part. No, more like forgetfulness that he's already been here before and it was better the first time.

 

[Anonymous]

Some of that's a stretch even when trying to connect words and themes the way you have. Be good to yourself isnt the same as saying do your best and don't worry. He may have some common themes and topics but spent the day in bed is a song that uses them to express its own unique idea. I mean both speedway and the boy racers titles allude to cars but theyre hardly the same song or about the same thing

 

[swift eclipse]

It's not about words but ideas expressed. Show me where Speedway has ever been proven to be about cars anyway. The sound is a chainsaw not a car.

 

[Anonymous]

Some of that's a stretch even when trying to connect words and themes the way you have. Be good to yourself isnt the same as saying do your best and don't worry. He may have some common themes and topics but spent the day in bed is a song that uses them to express its own unique idea. I mean both speedway and the boy racers titles allude to cars but theyre hardly the same song or about the same thing

And "the passing of time" isn't the same as "time, do as I wish".

 

[Anonymous]

It's not about words but ideas expressed. Show me where Speedway has ever been proven to be about cars anyway. The sound is a chainsaw not a car.

Right after you tell me how be good to yourself is expressing the same idea as do your best and don't worry

 

[mcrickson]

You'd think you'd compare 'be good to yourself' to "All The Lazy Dykes," where he literally sings 'be good to yourself.'

 

[Orson Swells]

No need to be uselessly condescending, Orson. Try reading my post again. It's not simply about words. I was making a point about ideas. He chose to reuse many in this song that he has previously included in others of his and I think it's interesting that with the range of topics available he seems to be going backwards. This stood out to me on first hearing, so it is rather blatant. The "passing of time" (TIME, DO AS I WISH) reference as you pointed out is another that works to illustrate this. You were even able to find this now that I brought your attention to it. I can't think of any of his other songs that read this way so obviously. You also incorrectly suggested that I meant this is all self parody on his part. No, more like forgetfulness that he's already been here before and it was better the first time.

Many of the things you quote are just words and do not relate to ideas in his other songs: "rain", "train", etc. Others are blatantly redundant: "no highway" apropos "the lanes were silent". I didn't suggest this was all self-parody either. It was you who mentioned it being a "pastiche" but you've since edited it to "patchwork quilt". By your logic you could indeed say Heaven Knows... was a "pastiche" of his own style - and pastiching yourself would indeed be very close to self-parody, of course. The "passing of time" doesn't mean the same as "time, do as I wish" by any means, but is instead an example of his ongoing interest in this theme. Yes, he uses some words he has used in other songs. Yes, he touches on some of his familiar themes. You are correct there. Is there another song that says what this one does? No. Your argument just doesn't hold water. It's tenuous beyond belief!

 

[Harsh Truth]

Not a great post. Rather ridiculous, tbh.

 

[swift eclipse]

You'd think you'd compare 'be good to yourself' to "All The Lazy Dykes," where he literally sings 'be good to yourself.'

You just did it for me. Thanks. I don't have the mediocre songs memorized. My point further proven by this example.

 

[swift eclipse]

Not a great post. Rather ridiculous, tbh.

Solid argument.

 

[Anonymous]

I think this comes closest to the intention of the new song:
(from He Knows I'd Love to See Him)
"You're just another person in the world
You're just another fool with radical views
You're just another who has maddening views
You want to turn it on its head
By staying in bed !"
I said : "I know I do"
[COLOR=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.87)][/COLOR]

 

[g23]

Familiar ground for Morrissey. The lyrics are like a patchwork quilt made from ideas of his prior songs. Examples: (WORK)"I was looking for a job and then I found a job" from 'Heaven knows I'm miserable now'...(WORK)"No, I've never had a job because I've never wanted one" from 'You've got everything now'...(WATCHING THE NEWS)"But last night the plans of a future war was all I saw on channel four" from "Shoplifters of the world unite"...(SPENT THE DAY IN BED)"You want to turn it on it's head by staying in bed" from 'He knows I'd love to see him'...(RAIN)"The rain falls hard on a humdrum town" from 'William, it was really nothing'...(BUS)"And if a double decker bus crashes into us" from 'There is a light that never goes out'...(BOSS)"Frankly, Mr. Shankly this position I've held it pays may way and it corrodes my soul" from 'Frankly, Mr. Shankly'...(TRAIN)"Train, heave on to Euston" from 'London"...(TO ALL OF MY FRIENDS)"Tell all of my friends" from 'Now my heart is full'...(SHEETS FOR WHICH I PAID)"I turn the music down and I don't know why, this is my house" from 'Best friend on the payroll'...(I'M NOT MY TYPE)"Me without clothes? Well, a nation turns it's back and gags" from 'Late night, Maudlin Street'... (CASTRATION)"Nobody talks about castration" from 'The queen is dead'... (NO HIGHWAY)"The lanes were silent" from 'I started something I couldn't finish'... (BE GOOD TO YOURSELF)"Do your best and don't worry" from DYBADW. Overall, the lyrics to this new song feel somewhat insipid and as illustrated not new to his cannon idea wise. But as usual, compared to rest of the garbage the music world creates nowadays, this is a masterpiece. But really it's just a throwaway song not nearly as good as any of the aforementioned.

I see what you're saying, but to be fair, any artist will revisit similar themes again and again. It's their "style", I suppose. Now if there's one thing Morrissey has hammered so far into the ground that it should pop out in China at any moment- it's "The one I/you/they/we love." I'm sick to the tits of it. Yes, we know. Unloveable despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary.

 

[Quando quando quando]

Not quite sure what the point is you are making.
Although I like your mentioning the ingredients of the songs that have a familiar ground, and that to me are great songs, I don't get it why "Spent The Day In Bed" is worse then the other songs you mentioned.
To me, it feels just as good.
The familiar ground is important but it is only one aspect of his content that consists of so much more in his broad oeuvre. But the angle you look at it is interesting.

I somehow can feel the need for fans to hear something completely new and fresh and unexpected, but to hope for instance he would make a country album, or a jazz, or R&B album, or Soulalbum would be more or less the same. It's not going to happen.
Through the years his style of lyrics have changed but the subjects, the content is still the same.
He didn't change as a person, more his style, as an artist has changed and I think it is only natural.

 

[Uncleskinny]

The lyrics speak of a man who doesn't know how much a 2-litre carton of semi-skimmed milk costs. Removed from the world we all live in, living a Howard Hughes existence, having others do his bidding, and chiding those who don't reflect his isolationist, yes-men weltanschauung, which has been the same since 1987. He doesn't understand why everyone isn't right, like he is.

 

[g23]

The lyrics speak of a man who doesn't know how much a 2-litre carton of semi-skimmed milk costs. Removed from the world we all live in, living a Howard Hughes existence, having others do his bidding, and chiding those who don't reflect his isolationist, yes-men weltanschauung, which has been the same since 1987. He doesn't understand why everyone isn't right, like he is.

I agree to an extent. He used to sing for the common person, but somewhere along the lines he lost the ability to relate, so when he tries to sing of common people and common problems, it's almost in a time capsule sort of way. It's like how I imagine it is for a prisoner who goes away for a long stretch and gets out only to find that the world they took part in no longer exists.

 

[Uncleskinny]

I agree to an extent. He used to sing for the common person, but somewhere along the lines he lost the ability to relate, so when he tries to sing of common people and common problems, it's almost in a time capsule sort of way. It's like how I imagine it is for a prisoner who goes away for a long stretch and gets out only to find that the world they took part in no longer exists.

"Has the world changed or have I changed?"

The former.

 

[g23]

"Has the world changed or have I changed?"

The former.

Oh yes. I think about that all the time, and how some people grow up, and others just grow older.

 

[Uncleskinny]

Oh yes. I think about that all the time, and how some people grow up, and others just grow older.

Just on your point above, "somewhere along the lines he lost the ability to relate", money changes everything. It enabled Morrissey to retreat back into the world of self. I've often thought you get your ideas out in your first couple of albums. After that, you've got to make the effort, but after the first couple of studio albums for The Smiths, the money was rolling in, and he could be his own boss. And do his own thing. In his own way.