The Smiths A-Z: "Pretty Girls Make Graves"

[BookishBoy]

Next up in our Smiths A-Z project is this song from the debut album of 1984.

The song was played live 58 times by the Smiths. It has never been performed by Morrissey.

What do we think?

 

[Light Housework]

I enjoy his falsetto.

 

[Flibberty]

One of those songs that doesn't sound quite right in any of its incarnations.

The Troy Tate version is just odd, and you can immediately hear why recordings like this would have caused concern.

Both the BBC version and the album track are OK, but they don't exactly spring to life.

Morrissey's lyrics are probably the most interesting thing about it. Here is the Paul Jones' track that seemingly exerted its influence:




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 50th from 73 of the group's songs.
In the poll on the Hoffman board this song ranked 52nd from 73 of the group's songs.

 

[Hanna_hanna]

One of my favorite songs. I found it clever and funny. Especially the line "he will not smile for anyone"

Have one question. What does "I'm not the man you think I am" mean? Does it mean that Morrissey talks about his orientation? Does it mean he is not looking only for sex?

 

[Bizarro]

One of my favorite songs. I found it clever and funny. Especially the line "he will not smile for anyone"

Have one question. What does "I'm not the man you think I am" mean? Does it mean that Morrissey talks about his orientation? Does it mean he is not looking only for sex?

Most likely. She wasn't getting any candy from Moz.

 

[ZOOM FROM GLOOM]

One of my favorite songs. I found it clever and funny. Especially the line "he will not smile for anyone"

Have one question. What does "I'm not the man you think I am" mean? Does it mean that Morrissey talks about his orientation? Does it mean he is not looking only for sex?

it could mean one or the other or both.

 

[The Wild Turkey]

Here's the passage from Dharma Bums, where Moz got the title...

“But on top of all that, the feelings about Princess,I'd also gone through an entire year of celibacy based on my feeling that lust was the direct cause of birth which was the direct cause of suffering and death and I had really no lie come to a point where I regarded lust as offensive and even cruel. "Pretty girls make graves," was my saying, whenever I'd had to turn my head around involuntarily to stare at the incomparable pretties of Indian Mexico.” ​

 

[Ketchup]

Most likely. She wasn't getting any candy from Moz.

I'm not the man you think I am
I'm not the man you think I am

And sorrow's native son
He will not smile for anyone

Oh, I'm not the man you think I am
I'm not the man you think I am

And sorrow's native son
He will not rise for anyone

 

[ZOOM FROM GLOOM]

I'm not the man you think I am
I'm not the man you think I am

And sorrow's native son
He will not smile for anyone

Oh, I'm not the man you think I am
I'm not the man you think I am

And sorrow's native son
He will not rise for anyone

I don’t know about ‘smile’, but of course ‘rise’
can allude to not being sexually aroused/no bulbous salutations forthcoming, lol. But that doesn’t always mean it’s on account of one’s sexual orientation.

 

[Anonymous]

Also pertinent to remember Morrissey's description of female genitalia in 'List of the Lost': "Honeypots sprawled like open graves".

 

[Amy]

Also pertinent to remember Morrissey's description of female genitalia in 'List of the Lost': "Honeypots sprawled like open graves".

It was in Autobio. Grim!

 

[Deleted member 30524]

Yes, I’d like to read in what context he used that. Do you know the page number?

69

 

[Amy]

Yes, I’d like to read in what context he used that. Do you know the page number?

Don't have the exact page number to hand - but here's a wider quote.

"In comparison, what had girls to offer? Nothing but a mangled jungle of tangled hair presented as the jackpot payoff. Honeypots sprawled like open graves, their owners doing nothing at all other than letting you."

 

[ZOOM FROM GLOOM]

Don't have the exact page number to hand - but here's a wider quote.

"In comparison, what had girls to offer? Nothing but a mangled jungle of tangled hair presented as the jackpot payoff. Honeypots sprawled like open graves, their owners doing nothing at all other than letting you."

Thanks. Yeah, would like to read it context. But it is a viewpoint filled with imagery not often found in print, which may have played some part in its inclusion.

 

[Amy]

Thanks. Yeah, would like to read it context. But it is a viewpoint filled with imagery not often found in print, which may have played some part in its inclusion.

and thank God for that because it's awful, dehumanising, bitter messed-up crap.

 

[Deleted member 29417]

Thanks. Yeah, would like to read it context. But it is a viewpoint filled with imagery not often found in print, which may have played some part in its inclusion.

He said in a couple of interviews that he lost his virginity at 13 & this is probably it.

I should imagine teenage sex in 1973 was fairly disgusting.

And he got punched.

 

[ZOOM FROM GLOOM]

He said in a couple of interviews that he lost his virginity at 13 & this is probably it.

I should imagine teenage sex in 1973 was fairly disgusting.

And he got punched.

View attachment 81727
View attachment 81728

informative ! I guess he got more pleasure from riding those bikes, and they didn’t punch back! Lol.

He has such a wonderful way with words.

 

[Mayfly]

I don’t know about ‘smile’, but of course ‘rise’
can allude to not being sexually aroused/no bulbous salutations forthcoming, lol. But that doesn’t always mean it’s on account of one’s sexual orientation.

I agree with the last sentence. The song was written at a time when Morrissey often talked about celibacy and when he was single and abstaining from any form of sex life.

 

[Mayfly]

Here's the passage from Dharma Bums, where Moz got the title...

“But on top of all that, the feelings about Princess,I'd also gone through an entire year of celibacy based on my feeling that lust was the direct cause of birth which was the direct cause of suffering and death and I had really no lie come to a point where I regarded lust as offensive and even cruel. "Pretty girls make graves," was my saying, whenever I'd had to turn my head around involuntarily to stare at the incomparable pretties of Indian Mexico.” ​

Thanks for sharing, title makes more sense to me now.

 

[rafhy mxs]

I just love, and I really like the david session, I think it's even better than the album version.