When he first cried his mother died
I had tried to be his guide
When he was born I was too young
The father searches for the son
In Istanbul
Give him back to me
Oh Istanbul
Give me back my brown eyed son
Moonlight jumping through the trees
Sunken eyes avoiding me
From dawn to dusk the hunt is on
The father searches for the son
In Istanbul
Give him back to me
In Istanbul
Give me back my brown eyed son
On secret streets in disbelief
Little shadow shows the lead
Prostitutes stylish and glum
In amongst them you are one
Oh what have I done
Rolling breathless off the tongue
The vicious street gang slang
I lean into a box of pine
Identify the kid as mine
I had tried to be his guide
When he was born I was too young
The father searches for the son
Give him back to me
Oh Istanbul
Give me back my brown eyed son
Sunken eyes avoiding me
From dawn to dusk the hunt is on
The father searches for the son
Give him back to me
In Istanbul
Give me back my brown eyed son
Little shadow shows the lead
Prostitutes stylish and glum
In amongst them you are one
The vicious street gang slang
I lean into a box of pine
Identify the kid as mine
Add your song meanings, interpretations, facts, memories & more to the community.
To me it's about a young father whose wife/partner dies during childbirth and he feels he can't raise the son on his own, because he's too young, so gives him up for adoption but he feels regret and tries to find him in later years. Something along those lines anyway.
The sentiments are similar to PJ Harvey's song Down by the Water (http://songmeanings.com/songs/view/40500/):
I lost my heart Under the bridge To that little girl So much to me And now I moan And now I holler She'll never know Just what I found That blue eyed girl She said "no more" That blue eyed girl Became blue eyed whore Down by the water I took her hand Just like my daughter I'll see her again
Oh help me Jesus Come through this storm I had to lose her To do her harm I heard her holler I heard her moan My lovely daughter I took her home
Little fish, big fish, swimming in the water. Come back here, man, gimme my daughter. Little fish, big fish, swimming in the water. Come back here, man, gimme my daughter.
Surprised no one understands this is about bacha bazi boys. They are forced into prostitution, sold to elites, dressed liked girls and sodomized...so sad, and another reminder of horrorific aspects of Islamic culture.
@Xrayvision. Not sure about your theory involving those basha bazi boys. I do believe it's all about male prostitution in the parks and on the streets of Istanbul, really.
@Xrayvision. Not sure about your theory involving those basha bazi boys. I do believe it's all about male prostitution in the parks and on the streets of Istanbul, really.
I strongly believe it's a song about male prostitution in Turkey. It's such a huge underground business in Turkey. If you open any webpages with live webcams on the internet you'll an immense number of Turkish men exposing themselves for tokens ($$$). As a gay man, Morrissey certainly know the gay scene of Istanbul and the type of masculine men one can find in that environment came to his attention as long as he has visited the country numerous times. This is a real story witnessed by the singer, who surely knows those cruising parks of Istanbul.
Yeah, I like your interpretation about the mother dying at birth. He obviously had the kid when he was too young, and wasn't ready for that type of commitment. He tried to raise him right but he himself hasn't grown up yet. He's rolling through the streets looking for his son, who is presumably now involved in a gang. At the end of the song, he looks down into a coffin, or "pine box", to identify the body of his dead son. Fucking sad ending, I must say.
@kid1 Friend, your candid and soft interpretation has no echoes in regards what Morrissey is trying to reveal. It's all about a rough trade. Words such as 'son' or 'kid' is poetry. He's obviously omitting the word 'man', 'bloke'. Sorry, but that's my opinion.
@kid1 Friend, your candid and soft interpretation has no echoes in regards what Morrissey is trying to reveal. It's all about a rough trade. Words such as 'son' or 'kid' is poetry. He's obviously omitting the word 'man', 'bloke'. Sorry, but that's my opinion.