Been a Smiths fan for years. Here's a slightly different take:
This to me is about not only an obviously homosexual older man/younger man affair, but also a young man's proclivity to rely on others to support him. The line "will Nature make a man of me yet?" refers to the fact that he is used to the sheltered world of modern society, and he's quite unable to handle it alone, hence the "leather runs smooth..." line. The juxtaposition of him using his own legs to get through life versus riding shotgun on someone else's ticket is great. And his own method (symbolized by the bike) is useless, since his bicycle is broken (he has no career skills, etc)...the desolate hillside imagery is perfect too, symbolizing his ineptitude if left to make it alone. In a scenario where the young man might be inclined to fend for himself , he is lured by the "free ride" the man has to offer, and takes the easy way out, where he doesn't have to ponder how he's going to survive- he can just hustle/pimp himself out to maintain his comfort level.
However, this lifestyle has a price (and here's the twist that I offer)- "Return the ring" means that he is calling the man, but the man is not taking or answering his calls. In other words, the man possibly used him for sex, but while the "charming man" can offer the young man things like an nice car seat, or other material amenities, it is only temporary, and he will discard the young man and his "services" when he tires of him. But the young man needs the sugar daddy figure to maintain his lifestyle.
The other possibility is that the man picked him up in the car, asked him to go out, and told him that he was handsome, etc. But the boy is struggling with his place in life, sexuality, etc.. and battling his tendencies to go for the easy way out, or just unsire in general. The "jumped-up pantry boy" could be one of his friends, or a flatmate, telling him to take the man's calls (the man who picked him up and asked him out), "he knows so much about these things" means that the friend is a hustler, and knows a good "mark" when he sees one. The other possiblity is that his friend/hustler is telling him to return the jewelry the man gave him, a warning to avoid the path that he took as a houseboy/prostitute.
It's also interesting to think that the young man was staging the whole thing from the beginning, working his first "John."
Oh, and I always kind of imagined the punctured bicycle as a representation of his youth, the point where the innocence of youth is "punctured" by some event or series of events, which goes in line with the obvious sexual references.
But I think that's the beauty of any great piece of art, there can be several valid interpretations of the same thing, and I think this song reflects that. There is an interpretation that identifies with everyone, and that is the gift that Morrissey possesses in spades, theft or no theft, haha.
Just a few thoughts, hope it triggers more.
Been a Smiths fan for years. Here's a slightly different take:
This to me is about not only an obviously homosexual older man/younger man affair, but also a young man's proclivity to rely on others to support him. The line "will Nature make a man of me yet?" refers to the fact that he is used to the sheltered world of modern society, and he's quite unable to handle it alone, hence the "leather runs smooth..." line. The juxtaposition of him using his own legs to get through life versus riding shotgun on someone else's ticket is great. And his own method (symbolized by the bike) is useless, since his bicycle is broken (he has no career skills, etc)...the desolate hillside imagery is perfect too, symbolizing his ineptitude if left to make it alone. In a scenario where the young man might be inclined to fend for himself , he is lured by the "free ride" the man has to offer, and takes the easy way out, where he doesn't have to ponder how he's going to survive- he can just hustle/pimp himself out to maintain his comfort level.
However, this lifestyle has a price (and here's the twist that I offer)- "Return the ring" means that he is calling the man, but the man is not taking or answering his calls. In other words, the man possibly used him for sex, but while the "charming man" can offer the young man things like an nice car seat, or other material amenities, it is only temporary, and he will discard the young man and his "services" when he tires of him. But the young man needs the sugar daddy figure to maintain his lifestyle.
The other possibility is that the man picked him up in the car, asked him to go out, and told him that he was handsome, etc. But the boy is struggling with his place in life, sexuality, etc.. and battling his tendencies to go for the easy way out, or just unsire in general. The "jumped-up pantry boy" could be one of his friends, or a flatmate, telling him to take the man's calls (the man who picked him up and asked him out), "he knows so much about these things" means that the friend is a hustler, and knows a good "mark" when he sees one. The other possiblity is that his friend/hustler is telling him to return the jewelry the man gave him, a warning to avoid the path that he took as a houseboy/prostitute.
It's also interesting to think that the young man was staging the whole thing from the beginning, working his first "John."
Oh, and I always kind of imagined the punctured bicycle as a representation of his youth, the point where the innocence of youth is "punctured" by some event or series of events, which goes in line with the obvious sexual references.
But I think that's the beauty of any great piece of art, there can be several valid interpretations of the same thing, and I think this song reflects that. There is an interpretation that identifies with everyone, and that is the gift that Morrissey possesses in spades, theft or no theft, haha. Just a few thoughts, hope it triggers more.
@OneTwo My favorite interpretation. Spot on.
@OneTwo My favorite interpretation. Spot on.