The Smiths A-Z: "I Won't Share You"

[Nikita]

I want the freedom and the guile

I feel like I've never quite understood the line.

I have admit that I don’t understand it neither; for years, I thought it was « the freedom and the guard ».

 

[ZOOM FROM GLOOM]

I have admit that I don’t understand it neither; for years, I thought it was « the freedom and the guard ».

I always thought it was ‘I want the freedom and the guide’ which I think is much better! Lol.

 

[Amy]

I want the freedom and the guile

I feel like I've never quite understood the line.

I always thought part of IWSY was sung from the Johnny-figure's POV (or what Moz imagines his POV to be) - the one who has the "drive and the dreams inside", not Moz himself. So I hear that line as:

"I want the freedom (to leave, to work with other people)
and the guile.." (the cunning / intelligence to make a success of it when I go).

then back to Moz, who says,

"Life tends to come and go" (sort of like - 'we all die one day so you've got to do it, but the grass might not be greener / you might find this freedom is not all it seems')

 

[Anonymous]

He really does come out with some evasive, laddish twaddle when he wants to.
Beautiful song, extremely sad and revealing sentiment about losing someone you love, and he says "I'm not arsed about it."
Poor Moz, f***ing hell.

But the sentiment "I Won't Share You" would seem overbearing and controlling from Johnny's point of view. It's downright creepy and oppressive. There are two sides here.

 

[The.Truth.]

I like the song. I don't care if it's about anyone in particular. It is a great addition to the record adding another mood.

 

[Amy]

But the sentiment "I Won't Share You" would seem overbearing and controlling from Johnny's point of view. It's downright creepy and oppressive. There are two sides here.

I guess it could be seen that way, but it's not how I hear it.

It's not, y'know, "I won't share you so I'm not letting you leave, you're staying and I'm going to watch you like a hawk" - that's oppressive.
It's "I won't share you with this obvious need you have to find freedom / go to pastures new" - in other words, I can't hold you back anymore, I accept that I have to let you go & I hope I see you again sometime. Very different, to my ears.

 

[Mayfly]

I like the Life tends to come and go line.
For me, it echoes the idea that all beauty is fragile and ultimately short-lived.
Sums up perfectly how I think about The Smiths.

 

[Redacted]

Why do people NEED to believe M had this homo fixation or any fixation on Marr? No every song is not about him. Maybe, just maybe M had a life outside the studio? A life outside waiting for Marr to bang out a few chords or drive into a brick wall? Maybe this is about someone else, but I am sure I am wrong and M just locked himself in his bedroom like Jack Nicholson in The Shining and obsessively typed about Marr.

 

[Anonymous]

Sure, not ever song is about Marr - but out of all them, this one is very tough to deny, as it's such a blatant summation of their relationship. It's also telling that Morrissey never sings the final lines when he plays it live now - "I'll see you somewhere, I'll see you sometime, Darling". Probably because he has no intention of ever seeing Johnny again, and whatever warmth he once felt towards him has by now calcified into non-existence.

 

[Redacted]

Sure, not ever song is about Marr - but out of all them, this one is very tough to deny, as it's such a blatant summation of their relationship. It's also telling that Morrissey never sings the final lines when he plays it live now - "I'll see you somewhere, I'll see you sometime, Darling". Probably because he has no intention of ever seeing Johnny again, and whatever warmth he once felt towards him has by now calcified into non-existence.

Oh, I see and you were present for this relationship then asked Morrissey what it's about and he told you and explained why he never sings the last 2 lines. Fan fiction is ridiculous.

 

[Amy]

Why do people NEED to believe M had this homo fixation or any fixation on Marr? No every song is not about him.

No, but this one obviously is. Have you read Autobio? Have you read any Moz interviews concerning the aftermath of the Smiths split? It's all there. He thought Johnny was lured away by dreams of greater fame and fortune, wanting more of the spotlight without the Mozzer 'millstone' - he's said it, this song says it too. You don't have to bring your obsessive Marr-hatred into every single thread.

 

[SeniorLife]

Not my favorite, but I do really enjoy the aforementioned line ‘…life tends to come and go…’…..Morrissey sings it perfectly and you could almost weep as you hear it.

Admittedly…I was maybe around 17??? when I first heard it….I went out and bought a bottle of Perrier and drank it (I didn’t know what it was).

I like the song more than the Perrier.

 

[Johnny]

In all honesty this is my favourite song by The Smiths.

 

[Flibberty]

In a sense, the perfect way to end their final album. A very moving listen and I'm glad that Johnny didn't realize at the time that it shared the same chords with Ask.


Just to show other viewpoints and not because they should be considered in any way definitive...

In the poll on this board this song ranked 36th from 73 of the group's songs.
In the poll on the Hoffman board this song ranked 24th from 73 of the group's songs.