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Frankly, Mr. Shankly Lyrics
Frankly, Mr Shankly, this position I've held
it pays my way and it corrodes my soul
I want to leave you will not miss me
I want to go down in musical history
Frankly, Mr Shankly, I'm a sickening wreck
I've got the 21st century breathing down my neck
I must move fast, you understand me
I want to go down in celluloid history Mr Shankly
Fame, fame, fatal fame
it can play hideous tricks on the brain
but still I rather be famous
than righteous or holy, any day, any day, any day
But sometimes I'd feel more fulfilled
making Christmas cards with the mentally ill
I want to live and I want to love
I want to catch something that I might be ashamed of
Frankly, Mr Shankly, this position I've held
it pays my way and it corrodes my soul
oh, I didn't realise that you wrote poetry
I didn't realise you wrote such bloody awful poetry Mr Shankly
Frankly, Mr Shankly, since you ask
you are a flatulent pain the arse
I do not mean to be so rude
but still, I must speak frankly, Mr Shankly, give us money
You’re all wrong.
Frankly Mr Shankly is about the head of Rough Trade Records, Geoff Travis. The label which The Smiths were signed to at the time.
Morrisey was upset about the deal the band were on, and the basic fact that they weren’t making any money. So he wrote a song making fun of Geoff Travis, and disguised it as a letter to the fictional “Mr Shankly”.
However, he gave it away (probably purposefully) with the line.
“I didn’t realise you wrote poetry. I didn’t realize you wrote such bloody awful poetry”.
Geoff Travis apparently used to write poetry, and for many years previous to the song sent it to Morrissey (a fellow poet), for his opinion.
Morrisey ends the song with
“Now give us money”
Which was basically the reason he was so upset with him. He felt the band were being cheated financially
On the 25th anniversary of the album, Geoff Travis gave an interview to the NME, where he said he had no idea it was about him, until he heard the line about “poetry”, where he burst into laughter (they were actually friends, and Morrissey intended it as light hearted)
Yeah, that was basically what has been said before. Calm down with your "you're all wrong"s.
Yeah, that was basically what has been said before. Calm down with your "you're all wrong"s.
@ceej1979 Don't know about them being friends: Morrissey's autobiography suggests otherwise...
@ceej1979 Don't know about them being friends: Morrissey's autobiography suggests otherwise...
@ceej1979 while it's nice to explain all this, you're ALL wrong is a bit much. A lot of people commented on similar themes without knowing the specifics. Frankly Mr. Ceej1979, very few people were in that band and went through that specific experience with those specific people but there are thousands and thousands of people who still can relate to the song as they have analogous experiences and feelings.
@ceej1979 while it's nice to explain all this, you're ALL wrong is a bit much. A lot of people commented on similar themes without knowing the specifics. Frankly Mr. Ceej1979, very few people were in that band and went through that specific experience with those specific people but there are thousands and thousands of people who still can relate to the song as they have analogous experiences and feelings.
@ceej1979 Well, no one is "wrong", lyrics can be interpreted in many ways. One of the reasons I love The Smiths is because people can give meaning to them in their OWN way.
@ceej1979 Well, no one is "wrong", lyrics can be interpreted in many ways. One of the reasons I love The Smiths is because people can give meaning to them in their OWN way.
@AlexanderDumbass I just read the autobiography and I agree they weren’t friends. However Morrissey’s version of events is that Geoff Travis was treating him really badly and ripping him off but Geoff didn’t see it that way and couldn’t understand why Morrissey was so pissed off with him despite there being a court case etc. Interesting that Geoff claims to have laughed at hearing the line about his terrible poetry. If Geoff really did laugh that shows a lot of character because that would be an incredibly hurtful thing to hear about your work from someone you admire. Maybe...
@AlexanderDumbass I just read the autobiography and I agree they weren’t friends. However Morrissey’s version of events is that Geoff Travis was treating him really badly and ripping him off but Geoff didn’t see it that way and couldn’t understand why Morrissey was so pissed off with him despite there being a court case etc. Interesting that Geoff claims to have laughed at hearing the line about his terrible poetry. If Geoff really did laugh that shows a lot of character because that would be an incredibly hurtful thing to hear about your work from someone you admire. Maybe he just says he laughed but actually he was fuming.
Most people don't get the line:
"i want to catch something that i might be ashamed of"
because it's about STDs and they think "well, who would want to catch an STD" but actually it's about being so deperate for a partner of any kind that they couldn't care less where they've been before.
@1imaginarygirl I agree, but also, I think he wants to love so much that he is prepared to take risks.
@1imaginarygirl I agree, but also, I think he wants to love so much that he is prepared to take risks.
"I want to live and I want to love I want to catch something that I might be ashamed of"
Jesus, I laughed out loud when I heard that line. I thought it was so brilliant. This is probably the best song off Queen, unless it's the There is a Light, or the title track.
This is about a record executive for the Smith's record label. Morrissey had no respect for the guy. One day the exec showed Morrissey some poetry he had written, which Morrissey obviously didn't like ("I didn't realise you wrote such bloody awful poetry ")
Does this song remind anyone of Tom in "The Glass Menagerie"?
Yeah, now that you say it, I can really see the parallels!
Yeah, now that you say it, I can really see the parallels!
Great song - with one of my favourite basslines. Fun to listen to and to play. Fairly obvious what it`s about: wanting to be famous and not wanting to work for a boss you hate in a job you hate but needing the money.
this song is about what we all would like to say sometimes to some aspects of our lives honestly. i love it and the lyrics and the music go so well together... i love how he goes "shhhhankly" in a particularly exaggerated way after he says "didn't realise you wrote such bloody awful poetry"
Cocksure fantasy resignation, and linked to songs like 'Heaven Knows' in the anti-work ethic. The 'bloody awful poetry' was linked to a record executive, Morrissey's boss-of-sorts, showing him some poetry he'd written. He saw himself as his intellectual equivalent, but Morrissey obviously didn't see it that way.
it is generally acknowledged in music business circles that such lyrics as "I want to leave/you will not miss me/I want to go down in musical history" are oblique reference to the Rough Trade Records/Smiths dispute, with Geoff Travis cast in the central role as "righteous", "holy" and "a pain in the arse". Absent from the lyrics sheet was the spiteful coda "give us your money".
But sometimes I'd feel more fulfilled making Christmas cards with the mentally ill.