Should be mentioned that the main allusion here is the 1963 film "This Sporting Life" -- I haven't seen it myself, but, like "Billy Liar," it's one of those classic British kitchen-sink dramas beloved by Morrissey and therefore in beloved in imitation by Colin Meloy. What's kind of amazing about Meloy is that he does such good work with such unoriginal material.
'Course, I grew up as a small-town USA Smiths fan too, so I can relate.
Should be mentioned that the main allusion here is the 1963 film "This Sporting Life" -- I haven't seen it myself, but, like "Billy Liar," it's one of those classic British kitchen-sink dramas beloved by Morrissey and therefore in beloved in imitation by Colin Meloy. What's kind of amazing about Meloy is that he does such good work with such unoriginal material.
'Course, I grew up as a small-town USA Smiths fan too, so I can relate.