"I'm OK By Myself" as written by and Steven Patrick/tobias Morrissey....
Could this be an arm around my waist?
Well, surely the hand contains a knife
It's been so all of my life
Why change now? - "It hasn't!"
Now this might surprise you, but
I find I'm OK by myself
And I don't need you
Or your morality to save me
No, no, no, no, no
Then came an arm around my shoulder
Well surely the hand holds a revolver
It's been so all of my life
Why change now? - "It hasn't!"
Now this might disturb you, but
I find I'm o.k. by myself
And I don't need you
Or your benevolence to make sense
No, no, no!
After all these years
I find I'm OK by myself
And I don't need you
Or your homespun philosophy
No, no, no, no
This might make you throw up in your bed
I'm o.k. by myself!
And I don't need you
And I never have, I never have
No, no, no, no!
Well, surely the hand contains a knife
It's been so all of my life
Why change now? - "It hasn't!"
Now this might surprise you, but
I find I'm OK by myself
And I don't need you
Or your morality to save me
No, no, no, no, no
Then came an arm around my shoulder
Well surely the hand holds a revolver
It's been so all of my life
Why change now? - "It hasn't!"
Now this might disturb you, but
I find I'm o.k. by myself
And I don't need you
Or your benevolence to make sense
No, no, no!
After all these years
I find I'm OK by myself
And I don't need you
Or your homespun philosophy
No, no, no, no
This might make you throw up in your bed
I'm o.k. by myself!
And I don't need you
And I never have, I never have
No, no, no, no!
Lyrics submitted by Jeremyyy
"I'm Ok By Myself" as written by Steven Patrick/tobias Morrissey
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
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The lyrics could really apply to anyone who isn't part of the in-group and is OK with it, but I think a few choice words make it pretty clear he's having a go at the church:
"And I don't need you
or your morality to save me
No, no, no, no, no" - Claiming a knowledge of superior morality is an old chestnut of the church, as is the concept of being saved by adherence to a particular "moral standard" or set of rules.
"I find I'm OK by myself
And I don't need you
or your benevolence to make sense" - The concept of 'Benevolence' is very commonly associated with religion. It seems like it would be an odd word choice if one didn't want to impart a religious context to the song.
"After all these years I find I'm OK by myself
And I don't need you
Or your homespun philosophy" - Again, probably a dig at some of the church's ambiguous, poorly constructed, or otherwise lackluster philosophical arguments.
"This might make you throw up in your bed:
I'm OK by myself!" - Maybe a reference to Linda Blair? In any case, many people who claim strong religious affiliation find the concept of an Atheist or non-believer completely distasteful, and reactions of disgust or hatred are not uncommon.
I think given that Moz has other songs that bang on religion (I have forgiven Jesus) I think it's fairly likely that this is one as well.
with me, its a never ending cycle
It seems Morrissey on the other hand ACTUALLY doesn't need anyone in his life. He's lasted this long as a social recluse, what's another twenty odd years alone?
I don't think he really is OK by himself. Why does he say he is OK? Because he doesn't trust anyone; no one can get close without him thinking that they mean harm. He takes it over the top with the weapons imagery; will a potential close friend really want to kill him?
He is absolutely adamant when denying the help of others ("No, no, no, no, no"). He could just simply say, "No, thank you," but he practically lashes out at those who try to help. In fact, he degrades the help's argument until he believes it is moot:
At first the help is "morality," ("being by myself might not be healthy, but I don't care"); he admits that the help has some value. Then it is "benevolence" ("I know you are trying to be a good person, but I don't care"). Then "home-spun philosophy" ("you're just making this up, aren't you?); this here is an insult as he tells himself that companionship is just a fabricated ideal. "This might make you throw up" is when he actually admits that his life choice is to a certain degree grotesque; I know many can figure that last part out, but why does he admit this? He dismisses the idea of companionship by debasing the arguments against him, and this last part is probably him coming to terms with his decision. Finally managing to convince himself that he is OK (and he has to convince himself), he admits that his decision is not only different and strange, but awful enough to induce vomiting.
"As for me, I'm OK
For now, anyway."
He is only OK for now. In both these songs he says being alone is OK, but in the end it really isn't. "That's How People..." is entirely sarcastic (maybe except for the death-bed part), and a closer look at this song shows that he really doesn't believe what he says.
(Yes. I realise how awkward my username is, didn't think it through...)