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Late Night, Maudlin Street Lyrics
Winter coming
Winter push on
(push on)
Oh, winter push on
Winter is so long
Winter moves on
The last night on Maudlin Street
Goodbye house, goodbye stairs
I was born here
And I was raised here, and
...I took some stick here
Love at first sight
It may sound trite
But it's true, you know
I could list the detail
Of everything you ever wore or said
Or how you stood the day
As we spent the last night
On Maudlin Street
"Goodbye house, forever!"
I never stole a happy hour
Around here
Where the world's ugliest boy
Became what you see
Here I am - the ugliest man
Oh, the last night on Maudlin Street
Truly I do love you
Oh, truly I do love you
When I sleep
With that picture of you framed beside my bed
Oh, it's childish and it's silly
But I think it's you in my room, by the bed
(...yes, I told you it was silly...)
And I know
I took strange pills
But I never meant to hurt you
Oh, truly I love you
Came home late one night
Everyone had gone to bed
But, you know
No-one stays up for you
I had sixteen stitches
All around my head
Oh, the last bus I missed to Maudlin Street
So he drove me home in the Van
Complaining, "Women only like me for my mind..."
Don't leave your torch behind
A powercut ahead; 1972, you know
And so we crept through the park
No, I cannot steal a pair of jeans off a clothesline
For you
But you ... without clothes
Oh, I could not keep a straight face
Me - without clothes ?
Well, a nation turns its back and gags...
I'm packed
I am moving house
A half-life disappears today
With "every hand waves me on"
(secretly wishing me gone)
Well, I will be soon
Ooh, I will be soon
I will be soon
I will be soon
Will be soon, I will be soon
Mmm ... I will be soon, I will be soon
There were bad times on Maudlin Street
They took you away in a police car
Inspector - don't you know ?
Don't you care ?
Don't you know - about Love ?
Your gran died
And your mother died
On Maudlin Street
In pain, and ashamed
With never time to say
those special things ... oh
I took the key from Maudlin Street
Well, it's only bricks and mortar !
Oh, oh, truly I love you
Oh, wherever you are
Wherever you are
Wherever you are
I hope you're singing now
Oh, I do hope
I hope you're singing now
Oh ...
Winter push on
(push on)
Oh, winter push on
Winter moves on
Goodbye house, goodbye stairs
I was born here
And I was raised here, and
...I took some stick here
It may sound trite
But it's true, you know
I could list the detail
Of everything you ever wore or said
Or how you stood the day
As we spent the last night
On Maudlin Street
"Goodbye house, forever!"
I never stole a happy hour
Around here
Became what you see
Here I am - the ugliest man
Oh, the last night on Maudlin Street
Truly I do love you
Oh, truly I do love you
With that picture of you framed beside my bed
Oh, it's childish and it's silly
But I think it's you in my room, by the bed
(...yes, I told you it was silly...)
I took strange pills
But I never meant to hurt you
Oh, truly I love you
Came home late one night
Everyone had gone to bed
But, you know
No-one stays up for you
I had sixteen stitches
All around my head
So he drove me home in the Van
Complaining, "Women only like me for my mind..."
Don't leave your torch behind
A powercut ahead; 1972, you know
No, I cannot steal a pair of jeans off a clothesline
For you
But you ... without clothes
Oh, I could not keep a straight face
Me - without clothes ?
Well, a nation turns its back and gags...
I'm packed
A half-life disappears today
With "every hand waves me on"
(secretly wishing me gone)
Well, I will be soon
Ooh, I will be soon
I will be soon
I will be soon
Will be soon, I will be soon
Mmm ... I will be soon, I will be soon
They took you away in a police car
Inspector - don't you know ?
Don't you care ?
Don't you know - about Love ?
And your mother died
On Maudlin Street
In pain, and ashamed
With never time to say
those special things ... oh
I took the key from Maudlin Street
Well, it's only bricks and mortar !
Oh, oh, truly I love you
Oh, wherever you are
Wherever you are
Wherever you are
I hope you're singing now
Oh, I do hope
I hope you're singing now
Oh ...
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I think this is just about the adolescent years, and about the people we loved, hated and cherished as teenagers...yet never spoke our sentiments to anybody due to self deprecation. Adolescence can seem like a prison, a never-ending winter, You try to talk to adults, but they never seem to understand, so you turn to things you probably shouldn't. Yeah, I think it is just about the pains and perils of being a teenager. It's bloody horrible.
"They are taking me away in a police car..." "Are you not convinced, inspector ? Do you not believe in love ?" -By Grand Central Station I Sat Down And Wept, by Elizabeth Smart
"Late Night On Watling Street" Book of short stories by Bill Naughton
Maudlin Street is the name of the secondary school in Carry On Teaching
Also, whilst recording Viva Hate in Bath, Moz often visited Bristol, which as Upper/Lower Maudlin Street in the city centre.
I think this song perfectly sums up the era of adolescence. Also worth noting, as many biographers point out "Viva Hate" as an entity largely takes place in the 70's - Morrissey's adolescent era - so much of the lyrics are colored by the British Northern 70's vibe. The album was orginally to be titled Education In Reverse which I find interesting - upon The Smiths break-up, Moz could have changed direction and went more mature with his lyrical content but instead he smartly harkens back to the meat and potatoes of The Smiths which is the Essence of being a Teenager. "Late Night, Maudlin Street" is the chrystalization of this.
Its really a complex song to grasp after hearing it once. You have to hear it many times. Its just so sad and beautiful.
Didn’t he improvise many of the lyrics when he recorded his vocals? It kinda feels that way
[Edit: Like how he once again makes references to his favorite things like “Carry On…”]
Any idea why he has 16 stitches all around his head?
@humdrum Maybe this lyric holds a clue:
@humdrum Maybe this lyric holds a clue:
There were bad times on Maudlin Street They took you away in a police car
There were bad times on Maudlin Street They took you away in a police car
To humdrum: It think it is because bad things happen on Maudlin street. He might have hurt himself falling or maybe he was driven down.
For me it sounds like Morrissey is saying that Maudlin st actually has so many good memories on it, it's almost far too painful to ever go back there again or even think about it, because those times are over. The reason why I say this is because he sings "..and there were bad time times on Maudlin st.." as if he's saying it wasn't all good. I also believe that this place is so painful to remember because he fell in love there and he no longer sees this person and wonders what has become of them, as he sings at the end of the song "wherever you are..." and I cannot believe he would be singing this about a girl...but, thats just my view what do I know.
@Beco Separation of - even categorisation of - "good" and "bad" memories is kind of impossible when you're contemplating the trauma-riddled period of your life (bound to be either adolescence or childhood) that made you the fuck-up you are today. That's my "understanding of" the song and Morrissey's emotional state when he was recording (as Sandie Shaw described it in her book)
@Beco Separation of - even categorisation of - "good" and "bad" memories is kind of impossible when you're contemplating the trauma-riddled period of your life (bound to be either adolescence or childhood) that made you the fuck-up you are today. That's my "understanding of" the song and Morrissey's emotional state when he was recording (as Sandie Shaw described it in her book)
this song as not meant to be literal i dont think...its one of my favourrites.....i think its a metaphor for his adolscence.......i always thought the bit at the end ' wherever you are i hope your singing now' was a refernce to john marr and his fear of singing
Morrissey at his best! A beautiful beautiful song full of feeling with humour and pathos hand in hand.