Never Again Will I Be a Twin; what the f**k does it actually mean

[DrStatham]

Usually I can at least think of one reasonable interpretation of a song, or get the general gist... But this is one of those rare instances where I have got absolutely no clue whatsoever. What does any of it actually mean??? Can anyone help???

 

[Anonymous]

Usually I can at least think of one reasonable interpretation of a song, or get the general gist... But this is one of those rare instances where I have got absolutely no clue whatsoever. What does any of it actually mean??? Can anyone help???

It's obviously about Johnny Marr.

 

[DrStatham]

It's obviously about Johnny Marr.

And homosexuality

 

[butley]

Is it about a break-up? He’s metaphorically saying they were like conjoined twins but had an operation to seperate them when they parted. That’s my take. I like the song a lot.

 

[gordyboy9]

love and death,its the staple diet for a mozz song.

 

[Peppermint]

To be honest, it reads like he was pissed when he wrote it. I'd say that was as plausible as any other explanation.

 

[Anonymous]

It's obviously about Johnny Marr.

It's obvious as snow.

 

[ninetimesfined]

Usually I can at least think of one reasonable interpretation of a song, or get the general gist... But this is one of those rare instances where I have got absolutely no clue whatsoever. What does any of it actually mean??? Can anyone help???

I wasn't sure initially what the nature of the meaning of the 'operation' part is, but reading some the interpretations in this thread, it feels that it refers metaphorically to some sort of divorce or some sort of split (could the 'twin' refer to conjoined twins?) Could existing together intertwined, in a - conjoined - be easier to deal with than living life alone? Could this be a double meaning, secondly referring to living with a spouse/partner?

But the song definitely calls the Morrissey standard fare subject of loneliness specifically when considering the difficulty of facing the inevitability and randomness of death. When will it hit next? It refers to someone dying in the bath, which I think is quite a poignant image. I really love the line 'shit on the heads of the working class' because of its ire... if you think about how many old people - usually the working class - who die alone in winter, it starts to become a really poignant track, although yes it is a bit abstract

 

[ZOOM FROM GLOOM]

ONLY MOZ KNOWS.

 

[UPDAYINGYANG]

 

[T. H. Auden]

Yes, it's about a specific break-up at first and generally becoming disillusioned with love, having gained it and lost it and realizing you will never again become one (twin) with another person, as you cannot believe the misreable lie anymore. It's all there in the lyrics, fellas. And in the third 'Never again' it is disillusionment with the whole of humanity, culture is dead, no hope left, we can just exterminate ourselves, etc. I'd say I understand everything except the line before "outcast in the bath"

 

[Anonymous]

I’d say you’re a bit wide of the mark.

 

[Anonymous]

It's obviously about Johnny Marr.

It's probably about Jake, there are more songs about Jake than Johnny now.
In the book 'two becomes one'. Remember

 

[bhops]

It's probably about Jake, there are more songs about Jake than Johnny now.
In the book 'two becomes one'. Remember

Wasn't the song 'The Operation' about Jake as well?

 

[Amy]

Wasn't the song 'The Operation' about Jake as well?

Very likely, with all the boxing and tattoo references. Not a very good song, but some typical Moz lines. "Everyone here is sick to the back teeth of you."
Not convinced by the Twin one though.

 

[Anonymous]

Very likely, with all the boxing and tattoo references. Not a very good song, but some typical Moz lines. "Everyone here is sick to the back teeth of you."
Not convinced by the Twin one though.

Yes, a twin in the sense of having the same artistic/musical vision, burning ambition, pop culture obsession, Irish outsider upbringing, etc.

 

[Amy]

Yes, a twin in the sense of having the same artistic/musical vision, burning ambition, pop culture obsession, Irish outsider upbringing, etc.

Yeah - I mean that I'm not convinced that the twin one is about Jake.
But then, myself and a few other members here could write books on Songs about Johnny, so...
Throughout Autobiog, he does refer quite a lot to their relationship as "our umbilical cord."

I can't remember which poster it was now, but whoever discovered the Billy Budd/poetry connection on here - that was brilliant.

 

[Anonymous]

Yeah - I mean that I'm not convinced that the twin one is about Jake.
But then, myself and a few other members here could write books on Songs about Johnny, so...
Throughout Autobiog, he does refer quite a lot to their relationship as "our umbilical cord."

I can't remember which poster it was now, but whoever discovered the Billy Budd/poetry connection on here - that was brilliant.

I would definitely purchase and read that book!

 

[Erik]

Yes, it's about a specific break-up at first and generally becoming disillusioned with love, having gained it and lost it and realizing you will never again become one (twin) with another person, as you cannot believe the misreable lie anymore. It's all there in the lyrics, fellas. And in the third 'Never again' it is disillusionment with the whole of humanity, culture is dead, no hope left, we can just exterminate ourselves, etc. I'd say I understand everything except the line before "outcast in the bath"

“Fed at the breast”

 

[Bluebirds]

Isn't Morrissey a Gemini?