Stretch Out and Wait

"Jim, do you think that the end of the world will come at night time ?" -Rebel Without A Cause

"We are here and it is now." -Men's Liberation by Jack Nichols

This song is about persuasive, uncomfortable seduction. There are two versions of this song, this version is later and the extra lyrics add some meat (sorry Morrissey) to the bones.

"All the lies that you make up What's at the back of your mind?"

Is the least ambiguous of all the Smiths lyrics.
Knowing someone has an ulterior motive as they are spinning you bullshit about how great they are.

"Oh, your face I can see And it's desperately kind But what's at the back of your mind?"

Again, speaks for itself but alludes to the fact that the attention might be reciprocated..

"Two icy-cold hands conducting the way"

I believe is the feel of someones cold hands on your own skin

"It's the Eskimo blood in my veins"

is open to interpretation, but sounds a little like conversation as in keeping with the rest of the song.

"Amid concrete and clay And general decay"

The "other" version of this song refers to "On the High Rise Estate, Whats at the back of your mind?" So this is the setting, the gnarly urban backdrop, a disheveled flat.

" Nature must still find a way"

Life goes on, people have natural sexual urges.

"So ignore all the codes of the day Let your juvenile impulses sway This way and that way This way, that way"

This is being implored to question sexuality. The notion of " ignoring codes" is to kick back at convention. The "juvenile" reference defines the age of the protagonist and suggests the seducer is somewhat older.

"God, how sex implores you To let yourself lose yourself"

The fiercely strong urge to satiate ones sexual urges. And at that apex you have the chorus and....

"Stretch out and wait" Suggests a complicit climb down, a backing off by the seducer.

"As we lie, you say : Will the world end in the night time? (I really don't know) Or will the world end in the day time? (I really don't know) And is there any point ever having children? Oh, I don't know All I do know is we're here and it's now"

This was penned when most young people in urban areas in Britan (and presumably across Europe, both East and West and in the US) were convinced that nuclear war was inevitable. You questioned the "point" of lots of things. So much UK popular culture at that time reflected that fear. {PLEASE watch "When The Wind Blows" by Raymond Briggs - it's on youtube} From comedy shows to "What If" documentaries but it was music, the language of British youth that this fear was most visible.

"There is no debate, no debate, no debate How can you consciously contemplate When there's no debate, no debate?"

Clearly, how can you make up your mind about something without challenging it - again a nudge toward questioning one own sexuality.

This song is easy to interpret...it's pretty much "relax, forget all of your troubles, and we'll shag"...but much more beautifully expressed, of course.

This song is particularly beautiful, because basically Morrissey employs a lot of romantic imagery, like the recurring theme that nature will reclaim everything that we have basically destroyed. He also touches on the stress of today's youth, and how we waste the best years of our lives living for others instead of ourselves. Again, another romantic notion of lying back and allowing nature to take its course.

seems really simple...the thing that gets to me though, is how big Morrisey was on celibacy, and then writes a song like this...hmm.

Also odd is how, at least for me, the title is so similar to the advice your mother gave you; "True love waits."

Hmm, indeed.

It actually IS a song about abstinence, not the opposite (at least that\'s what I\'ve always gotten from it). It\'s just talking about instead of getting into a physical relationship, \"stretch out and wait\" and simply enjoy each other\'s company and conversation. The \"wait\" part should be self-explanatory.

i like this version more than version 2. though it's slightly wrong. it should be:

all the lies that you made up what's at the back of your mind? oh your face i can see and it's desperately kind but what's at the back of your mind?

the opening verse to version 2 is different:

on the high rise estate what's at the back of your mind? oh the three day debate on a high rise estate what's at the back of your mind?

the lyrics submitted are a combination of both versions.

i love the phrase "desperately kind". i know what it's like to be desperately kind, hoping they'll open up and give us a chance. let me in to your life. let me invade your space.

:sigh:

I love this song!

Its a simple song about apathy , throwing your troubles away to not care. but not caring the world will end either.

beautiful song...