I Keep Mine Hidden

“To be touched meant to be mental” refers to the old British expression “to be touched in the head” or “he’s a bit touched”, which means to have mental illness.

Morrissey has said that he has used Prozac to address his depression. "Yellow and Green" may be in relation to the colour of Prozac's capsule.

[Edit: typo]

I Keep Mine Hidden was the last song The Smiths recorded together. It's a cute little music hall ditty, whistling and all, with a few interesting lyrical "riddles", such as the significance of "yellow and green", which probably refers to a pair of pants (!) Morrissey owned in his youth.

In the book "Songs That Saved Your Life", it says that this song is about Morrissey comparing his way of expressing emotions with Johnny Marr. Although it seems as though it could be about celibacy.

Yellow and green are two colours that express characteristics in a person. Yellow is cowardice and green is envy; inexperience, or it could be both.

They are astumbling block because these characteristics are what prevents the person in the song from opening up to anyone. This is why he keeps his hidden.

So few comments for this, which I think is a great song. Seems that the singer is noting how private he is, especially with his emotions compared with someone who willingly lets them flow out for all to see.

This song has to be the catchiest Smiths song. Also, it has the best lines; I love the ones "With a past where to be touched meant to be mental" and "I'm a twenty digit combination to unlock".

I feel it would kind of be a waste of money to buy the only album it is on (I think it is the only album...) Sweet and Tender Hooligan. I have half of the four songs already (from my first CDs, "The Sound of the Smiths"), and I do not really like song covers, which the other is (Cilla Black cover, Work Is a Four Letter Word).

If anyone knows another album where I can get this song, REPLY REPLY REPLY!!! Thnx

Okay, I found it on the single "Girlfriend in a Coma". Any others?

Last night I dreamt of a disco dancer with a bigmouth. He was such a vulgar picture that it made the cemetry gates seem like half a person

i think its about keeping stuff hidden like feelings "Duh" - the send verse "yellow and green" i think refers to the line in shakespeare "yellow and green melancoly" which a character uses 2 describe the way shes feelin 2 a man she loves but never tells him- jst a fort

Why is the central, first person figure a »twenty-digit combination to unlock«?

Perhaps because being gay, in a not too distant past, was considered a mental disease.

Yes, I'm figuring that the »to be ›touched‹« part is a one digit combination code for engaging in amorous activities with a same-sex partner. And the combination of being considered »mental« and also a criminal, since homosexuality was also illegal—now, THAT'S insane—is why it's kept hidden.