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Mute Witness Lyrics

Your poor witness
Crying so loudly on the floor
Oh, well, she's only trying to tell you
What it was that she saw
She is only trying to tell you
What it was that she saw

Now see her standing on the table
With her small arms flailing
And you feel such compassion
In your soul for
Your mute witness
Still testing the strength
Of our patience


Oh, well she's only trying to tell you
What it was that she saw
She is only trying to tell you
What it was that she saw


Now see her pointing to the frisbee
With a memory so fuzzy
And her silent words
Describing the sight of last night
4 A.M. Northside, Clapham Common
Oh, god, what was she doing there ?
Will she sketch the answer later ?
Well, I will ask her


"Now dry your tears, my dear"
Now see her mime in time so nicely
It would all have been so clear
If only she had never volunteered
"Your taxi is here, my dear"


La, la, la-la...
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Cover art for Mute Witness lyrics by Morrissey

Often criticised for it's mocking tone towards the 'mute witness' but, as usual, not analysed with the depth that shows it's true colours. Obviously, there's been a crime, possibly a murder for the seriousness of the police investigation and the location (Clapham Common) and the only witness is a presumably young mute girl (from the crying on the floor and standing on the table. Not the actions of an adult I'm sure you'll agree).

The following story seems to flick between a desperate and sympathetic police officer and one who thinks it's a waste of time but the boundary is interestingly blurred into one narrative. It's set to such an upbeat tempo and the backing 'La la la-las' are genious. It really gets at the desperation. 'It would all have been so clear' It's an open and shut murder case, 'If only she had never volunteered' She's obviously hinted at something much more than what the police assume has happened. They let her go in a taxi and the mystery is never solved. We are left feeling as bewildered, puzzled and frustrated as the officer. It feels like we're stood on the pavement watching the girl disappear in the taxi.

This song reminds me of a TV documentary which had a small girl called Madeleine who was a 'selective mute'. She was such a sweet little girl and I've always pictured her as the mute witness in this song!

LOL...murder...nothing so foul my friend!

The frizbee has been thrown into the bushes where the 'disabled girl' goes to retrieve it. She then sees 2 men (or maybe 1, perhaps 4) engaging in an indecent act....Clapham Common (like many commons) is/was a gay beat. Morrissey is simply pointing out (yet again) that sex is a taboo subject for the disabled (see November spawned a monster)....lets hush up what this poor dear has experienced, she need not understand such things.....she's disabled and a product of NOVEMBER!!! How could she even understand what she's seen....she's disabled and disabled people don't...

Cover art for Mute Witness lyrics by Morrissey

Without question he's singing, "Describing the fright of last night."

Negative
Subjective
Fear
Horror
Uncertainty
Haunting
Nightmare
Fright
Cover art for Mute Witness lyrics by Morrissey

I just love this song! I don't really have any great observations to add; mozza_fan pretty much said it all. I think a young deaf girl who can't speak witnessed a crime, and the police officer can't decide whether to sympathise with her disability or be annoyed that it is hindering the investigation.

(I could swear that last time I looked at these lyrics there were lots more comments...)

Cover art for Mute Witness lyrics by Morrissey

It's indeed about a little girl they try to interrogate. She's the only witness and she can't speak, mute or just too young to be able to talk.

One person who can't cope with the things they do to make her explain. Putting her on the table and she probably crashes down from the table (with her small arms flailing and you feel such compassion in your soul).

Then she points at a frisbee somewhere in the office, it's a kid. What she has been involved in is unclear unless there is something wicked going on at Clapham Commons. Quite a sad story. My interpretation ofcourse...

Cover art for Mute Witness lyrics by Morrissey

The witness is not only mute, but also overwhelmed with excitement . The previous night she saw a UFO; she is now with the narrator (a police officer, perhaps?) and she is frantically pointing to the Frisbee, trying to describe the flying saucer of last night.

Cover art for Mute Witness lyrics by Morrissey

This song makes me cry, I don't think it is mocking the 'mute witness' at all. It shows the striking injustices against people who can't speak out about things. People are saying the 'mute witness' is too young to talk but the line 'your taxi is here, my dear' completely disproves this theory, as you wouldn't send a young child in a taxi on her own. It's sad, because I have not lived very long and have practically no life experience but I've already known people who have been taken advantage of and not listened to. the line 'and you feel so much compassion in your soul' seems sarcastic to me, the people who are treating the 'mute witness' like that have no compassion and are a certain degree of evil. I always want to shout 'oh well she's only trying to tell you what it was that she saw' because the people that this song is about make me seethe with rage. The narrator of this song is the person who is actually trying to help the 'mute witness' 'now dry your tears, my dear'. I don't think the 'mute witness' is a toddler (though the message would still apply) but rather non-verbal, selectively mute, deaf, of has something else preventing them from communicating what has happened.

My Interpretation
Cover art for Mute Witness lyrics by Morrissey

Also saying that 'crying on the floor' and 'standing on the table' are proof that the 'mute witness' is a child, are wrong I'm sorry. Have you ever seen someone have an autistic meltdown? The fact that I'm no longer little doesn't stop me from uncontrollably crying and shouting when everything goes entirely wrong, and there's no way out. On top of that the 'mute witness' has clearly had a very traumatic experience.