First of all, the idea about Morrissey allegeldy saying to Johnny he won't share him with Angie is ridiculous. Johnny and Angie have been an item since they were 14, and Johnny, Angie and Morrissey had been friends since Morrissey and Johnny met. (Morrissey: "In the beginning, it was alwaysd Johnny, Angie and I." He always said he was bever close with Joyce and Rourke.) According to the people who worked with the band (as you can read in the 1998 uncut article) she used to travel with the band, and she got along very well with Morrissey.
Some people believe that the song is about Marr because Morriseey really was annoyed and jealous when Marr would work with other musicians. Rourke seems to believe the song was about Johnny ("Now, who he wouldn't share him with, I don't know"). Now, the last line "I'll see you somewhere, I'll see you sometime" proved to be perfect as the closing line of the last Smiths album. But it can't be more than a coincidence, for the simple reason that Morrissey had no idea at the time that the band would split. He was, by all accounts, surprised when Johnny decided to leave.
The second verse mentions a "she" who is reading the note, which does not support the Marr theory... but that's not the only reason why I don't believe in it.
It amazes me that most people keep on discussing who the song is about, but pay no attention to something far mor striking: he is NOT saying that he wn't share the person with SOMEONE. He says:
"I won't share you
With the drive
And ambition
The zeal I feel
This is my time"
"I won't share you
With the drive
And the dreams inside"
How odd is it to say you won't share SOMEONE ELSE with the drive, ambition, zeal and dreams YOU feel inside?! This puts a totally different spin on the song!
"This is my time"
"I want the freedom and I want the guile"
There is just one way I can understand this... and that is that he is saying no to a (possible?) relationship in favour of his music and his career of a rock star. The other person, then , can only be someone outside The Smiths and someone who is not that famous, and who would get wrapped up in the whole fame - rock stardom thing if there were to have a relationship.
If anyone has any other idea, I'm willing to rethink it, but so far this is the only way it makes sense to me.
@nightandday I very much like your pragmatic thinking and approach. It's astonishingly analytical to the point of irrefutable. But ... the claims for any author's purpose to anything are completely subjective (even to the author themselves). Morrisey's words were almost entirely subjective, this is what fans appreciate about him and why he's revered. I've no idea who the subject of the song is, though it being Marr is an obvious step for people to calculate. Their partnership was intense and akin to a marriage of sorts, so the conclusion is quite easy to ascertain, so if people wish to believe...
@nightandday I very much like your pragmatic thinking and approach. It's astonishingly analytical to the point of irrefutable. But ... the claims for any author's purpose to anything are completely subjective (even to the author themselves). Morrisey's words were almost entirely subjective, this is what fans appreciate about him and why he's revered. I've no idea who the subject of the song is, though it being Marr is an obvious step for people to calculate. Their partnership was intense and akin to a marriage of sorts, so the conclusion is quite easy to ascertain, so if people wish to believe it's about Marr, then, they're quite free to believe that to their hearts desire.
@nightandday I very much like your pragmatic thinking and approach. It's astonishingly analytical to the point of irrefutable. But ... the claims for any author's purpose to anything are completely subjective (even to the author themselves). Morrisey's words were almost entirely subjective, this is what fans appreciate about him and why he's revered. I've no idea who the subject of the song is, though it being Marr is an obvious step for people to calculate. Their partnership was intense and akin to a marriage of sorts, so the conclusion is quite easy to ascertain, so if people wish to believe...
@nightandday I very much like your pragmatic thinking and approach. It's astonishingly analytical to the point of irrefutable. But ... the claims for any author's purpose to anything are completely subjective (even to the author themselves). Morrisey's words were almost entirely subjective, this is what fans appreciate about him and why he's revered. I've no idea who the subject of the song is, though it being Marr is an obvious step for people to calculate. Their partnership was intense and akin to a marriage of sorts, so the conclusion is quite easy to ascertain, so if people wish to believe it's about Marr, then, they're quite free to believe that to their hearts desire.
First of all, the idea about Morrissey allegeldy saying to Johnny he won't share him with Angie is ridiculous. Johnny and Angie have been an item since they were 14, and Johnny, Angie and Morrissey had been friends since Morrissey and Johnny met. (Morrissey: "In the beginning, it was alwaysd Johnny, Angie and I." He always said he was bever close with Joyce and Rourke.) According to the people who worked with the band (as you can read in the 1998 uncut article) she used to travel with the band, and she got along very well with Morrissey.
Some people believe that the song is about Marr because Morriseey really was annoyed and jealous when Marr would work with other musicians. Rourke seems to believe the song was about Johnny ("Now, who he wouldn't share him with, I don't know"). Now, the last line "I'll see you somewhere, I'll see you sometime" proved to be perfect as the closing line of the last Smiths album. But it can't be more than a coincidence, for the simple reason that Morrissey had no idea at the time that the band would split. He was, by all accounts, surprised when Johnny decided to leave.
The second verse mentions a "she" who is reading the note, which does not support the Marr theory... but that's not the only reason why I don't believe in it.
It amazes me that most people keep on discussing who the song is about, but pay no attention to something far mor striking: he is NOT saying that he wn't share the person with SOMEONE. He says:
"I won't share you With the drive And ambition The zeal I feel This is my time"
"I won't share you With the drive And the dreams inside"
How odd is it to say you won't share SOMEONE ELSE with the drive, ambition, zeal and dreams YOU feel inside?! This puts a totally different spin on the song!
"This is my time"
"I want the freedom and I want the guile"
There is just one way I can understand this... and that is that he is saying no to a (possible?) relationship in favour of his music and his career of a rock star. The other person, then , can only be someone outside The Smiths and someone who is not that famous, and who would get wrapped up in the whole fame - rock stardom thing if there were to have a relationship.
If anyone has any other idea, I'm willing to rethink it, but so far this is the only way it makes sense to me.
@nightandday I very much like your pragmatic thinking and approach. It's astonishingly analytical to the point of irrefutable. But ... the claims for any author's purpose to anything are completely subjective (even to the author themselves). Morrisey's words were almost entirely subjective, this is what fans appreciate about him and why he's revered. I've no idea who the subject of the song is, though it being Marr is an obvious step for people to calculate. Their partnership was intense and akin to a marriage of sorts, so the conclusion is quite easy to ascertain, so if people wish to believe...
@nightandday I very much like your pragmatic thinking and approach. It's astonishingly analytical to the point of irrefutable. But ... the claims for any author's purpose to anything are completely subjective (even to the author themselves). Morrisey's words were almost entirely subjective, this is what fans appreciate about him and why he's revered. I've no idea who the subject of the song is, though it being Marr is an obvious step for people to calculate. Their partnership was intense and akin to a marriage of sorts, so the conclusion is quite easy to ascertain, so if people wish to believe it's about Marr, then, they're quite free to believe that to their hearts desire.
@nightandday I very much like your pragmatic thinking and approach. It's astonishingly analytical to the point of irrefutable. But ... the claims for any author's purpose to anything are completely subjective (even to the author themselves). Morrisey's words were almost entirely subjective, this is what fans appreciate about him and why he's revered. I've no idea who the subject of the song is, though it being Marr is an obvious step for people to calculate. Their partnership was intense and akin to a marriage of sorts, so the conclusion is quite easy to ascertain, so if people wish to believe...
@nightandday I very much like your pragmatic thinking and approach. It's astonishingly analytical to the point of irrefutable. But ... the claims for any author's purpose to anything are completely subjective (even to the author themselves). Morrisey's words were almost entirely subjective, this is what fans appreciate about him and why he's revered. I've no idea who the subject of the song is, though it being Marr is an obvious step for people to calculate. Their partnership was intense and akin to a marriage of sorts, so the conclusion is quite easy to ascertain, so if people wish to believe it's about Marr, then, they're quite free to believe that to their hearts desire.