Suedehead

He had a fling with someone which didn't work out, but she was still in love with him. So she keeps coming around, even though it's awkward for him. Then she gets obessive and looks in his diary to see what he's written about her. It's then that he realised she's messed up, and he admits he is sickened by her.

At the end of it all, all he can really say about her is that she was a good lay. He wishes she could just leave it at that.

As someone who has been on both sides of similar sutuations, I can fully relate to these lyrics.

My interpretation of this song was that the protagonist was the one in love, and the person he is singing about knows it and uses it to satisfy their ego. The other person knows that it is hard for him to have her hanging around and sending little reminders of herself, when he is trying to get over her. The part where he sings about the person reading his diary just to see all the things he'd written about her further shows the narcissistic personality of the person. I love this song, and I especially love the bit where he sings about the diary, particularly about how "sickened" he is. Anyway that's my two cents.

I'm surprised no one has stated the obvious.

The literal meaning of this song is quite simple:

Person "A" broke it off with person "B" cos "B" violated "A's" trust/boundaries by reading "A"s" diary (I'm so sickened now).

Although the relationship has ended, "A" still cares about "B", and feels sorry that things had to end.

However person "B" continues to bother "A", most likely as an attempt to reconcile, by coming around and attempting communication (why do you come here, why do you hang around, why do you telephone, why send me silly notes).

-Just think about your last crazy, controlling, insecure ex and it all makes perfect sense. ;-/

why aren't there more visits to morrissey's lyrics? he a poet

Like many of Morrissey and Smiths songs, Morrissey develops lyrics open to several interpretations. To many this song will mean (again) homosexual relationships, however in my view (as stated earlier) the obvious interpretation is that the protagonist does not need or want the person in question around. This obviously fails due to the various examples cited in the lyrics. The person has an obsession. As we know as a child and into adolescent Morrissey was an obsessive person - prone to extreme acts of obsession - there are numerous examples - regularly writing to NME, James Dean, 60s girl bands, and so on. Many of the lyrics probably illustrate his behaviour at some time towards his obsessive behaviour and it is known he was particularly obsessive towards JD.
Ref the outro of the song - I originally thought he said it was a good DAY, but have now assumed it is indeed "it was a good lay, good lay..." Again to some this will have sexual connotations, but of course the interpretation of "lay" could be anything - phrase, lyric, poem or song bearing in mind in the song he refers to "read all the things, I'd written about you" and "oh so many illustrations..". As always his songs are very literate and deliberately left open to interpretation, and mine is that he is writing about his own obsessive behaviour towards another who is expressing this in the song.

Or it just means "it was a good shag"

Incidentally the song is based on Richard Allen's book about violent teenagers - presumably suedehead meaning skinhead - as skinheads (rightly or wrongly) were associated with violent or anti-social behaviour at the time of the song (equiv today is probably "hoodies" those who wear their hoods to cover their faces).

Morrissey's lyrics are deliberately non-gender based (i.e. they could be interpreted as gay or straight). That was directly inspired by the lyrics and tone of Pete Shelley of the Buzzcocks. As for sexuality, Steven 100% had girlfriends when he was younger. I've no idea if boyfriends came later in life.

And it's definitely 'good lay'. I remember the bootleg interview but Morrissey was always very humorous in interviews. Wasn't that the same one, where he was complaining about unemployment, then blaming Katie Boyle for the ills of the world?

When I was a big Morrissey/Smiths fan (oh wait, I'm still a big fan) I just thought that it was a good song, and didn't care much about lyrics at first. However, I was listening to the song on the way to school, back home from school...like a good schoolboy, this time listening with adult ears. What it seems to mean to me is that the one character is so in love with the other, and the other person (which gave the good lay - the Suedehead) isn't so interested in them. But they soon discover that the character is obsessed enough to write about them in their diary. So the Suedehead poses as liking this person enough to give them the lay of their lives so that they could go through the diary and find what was written about them (so many illustrations). But the main character understands the Suedeheads intentions and that they never really liked them. "It was just to see, just to see" (All the things you knew I'd written about you...). That's what stood out to me. Suedehead - I thought of this too, and while it isn't an everyday word, it makes sense in many ways. SUEDE is smooth and soft. Which the Suedehead used smooth tactics and was very "soft hearted" in order to trick the other person appropriately.

This song is so glorious... I can only assume about two people who had a one night stand, and one got a little too clingy afterwards, but they can't seem to escape together.

I can only assume that people think it's about James Dean because the video has Morrissey visiting his grave. Of course, that must mean that I Have Forgiven Jesus is about a priest walking down a street. Or that There Is A Light That Never Goes Out is about riding a bike around Manchester.

I looked at it a different way. I see the singer being in love with someone who doesn't want anything to do with him romantically. They used to be friends and/or lovers. But things have changed and the singer is saying it is too hard for him to be around the other person because he still has feelings for them.

Thank you Miss Susan, and the two following posts. I feel the same way. He does have deeper feelings for this person. Why would it be so hard for him if he didn't care? I think the reason he rejects her/him is that Morrissey can't REALLY love anybody else. He's a total narcissist. And I don't think he wants to love anybody.Maybe in his younger years he was obsessive, but from his music you can tell that he's changed.matured. on a side note: everyone keeps talking about how he was so obsessed with James Dean. He was way more obsessed with Oscar Wilde and with good reason.