Shoplifters of the World Unite

Another Smith's song where the lyrics are pretty obscure. But I think the interpretations that this is about homosexuality or sexuality are way off base. Morrissey obviously has no qualms about speaking the lingo when he does so. There is only a passing reference to 'love' in the first line, and that appears to be an ironic or sarcastic one.

The interpretation about intellectual property makes sense, especially if the man said so in an interview though I never read that interview.

My interpretation is that the song is a comment about Capitalism. The first two lines seems to be a spin on Elizabeth Barret Browning's poem, "How Do I Love Thee, Let Me Count the Ways". For Browning, love is pure and free flowing and someone can effortlessly count the ways they love another person. In Morrissey's world, you need to learn to love Capitalism and manufacture or 'assemble' the ways to love it. The Shoplifter in the song is the counterculture- the subversive who is doing his/her part to tear down Capitalistic society. I agree with the posters that Morrissey consciously echoes the Marxist Manifesto- Workers of the World Unite- in the song's chorus. Capitalistic society should be torn down because they make plans to go to war "...last night the plans for a future war, were all I saw, on Channel Four (never mind that Communist ones do too!). I think this interpretation makes sense in light of the 87 Record Mirror interview snippet that someone else posted where Morrissey mentions the absurdity that someone goes to prison for shoplifting, but not for making nuclear weapons.