Speedway

I agree that the rumours most likely refer to those surrounding Moriissey himself, but could this song not also be about Oscar Wilde?

The hammers refering to his court case and the 'rumours keeping him grounded' to the reports of his homosexuality that destroyed his career. There is nothing left to break because the public humiliation and degredation he had suffered was as bad as any legal punishment. The end, where he talks about guilt by implication and dragging someone in could really be seen as being about either Alfred Douglas or Wildes wife Constance Loyd.

Morrissey idolises Wilde and it would certainly make sense. Of course, I could be totally wrong.

I think this is a fantastic song and one of the last really great ones Moz wrote.

Could be about Johnny, could be about a crime, but my take on it is this concerns the determination of certain people (particularly bin dipper journalist types) to 'get something' on Morrissey, the constant speculation and innuendo around his sexual orientation, the scramble for tittle tattle etc.

Morrissey absolutely cannot abide this and could end it by 'coming clean' about something that would sate the pack of wolfhounds, but he clearly loves the person involved too much to throw him/her under the bus. Coming clean would mean complication for this other person as well as Morrissey, so he'd rather put up with the intrusion and hassle.

I've been in a situation precisely like that (not media intrusion of course but common garden nosey types) and chose to protect somebody else and put up with all sorts of crap, rather than compromise somebody I don't think could have handled it. So I've always had an enormous soft spot for this song.

I don't see the married man part, it just seems a bit more straight forward to me. He knows a secret, he got busted for something, and he took all the heat for it because he is in love with whomever else is implicated. and lights, this is such a great song.

I assume this is about the situation regarding that court case against Mike Joyce. Slam down the hammer, guilt by implication, etc.

How kick ass is that drum fill at the end?

I don't know...Morrissey HATES Joyce...wishes him pain...this song sounds more like he loves the person..deeply. Could it be about Marr?

I don't know if it's aimed at a man or a woman, and I wish people would stop on about it unless it's absolutely core to the song - like "Dear God, Please Help Me."

This is exactly why he says he's celibate (well there's obviously some question of that with the new album) because it shouldn't matter.

I think there's a lot of emotional weight in this song, be it via blame, condemnation and or just feeling lost:

"And when you try to break my spirit It won't work because there's nothing left to break "

So brilliantly put.

Maybe it is about Marr, saying that he was part of the royalties debacle but he always took the full blame. But I don't think Marr has ever expressed any dislike for Morrissey, more confusion and bygones.

And yes, that tribal beat at the end is fantastic.

It's about all of the rumors the media makes up about him. He's accepting guilt, if only to shut them the hell up. They totaly ruined his carreer in the 90's, especially the NME.

But perhaps he provoked them. There was that preformance of National Front Disco where he wrapped himself in the Union Jack

Hmm.

It does appear to be about that court case, slamming hammers and all... The last part of the song may relate to him taking all the flak from the press when Marr had only done exactly as he had done... Mind you, can you imagine Mozzer in court? His mouth would be working for the prosecution!

This song is gorgeous. Personally I like to imagine that it is about Johnny Marr.

The title is almost certainly a thinly veiled reference to Johnny Marr. In the Guardian a few weeks back there was an article on Marr, who listed 10 important things in his life. One of them was a badge for the Belle Vue Aces speedway team.

Apparently Marr often goes to watch speedway racing, so it has to be about him in my opinion.