Quite a lot of comments about this song, which is surprising since it is a relatively obscure song only being on the Hatful of Hollow compilation.
I really love the driving music and sinister tone and lyrics of the song. The meaning seems pretty straightforward, to me at least. As others have stated, I think it is simply a song about sexual frustration. I'm surprised no one has interpreted the line "I know what hands are for, and I'd like to help myself" to be about masturbation. I think the lines that follow display the narrator's sexual fantasies- that someone asking him for the time wants to have sex, he sees the streets crammed with sexual objects, he thinks about groping, getting into bed and whipping a schoolboy. The frustration is evidenced through the active and forceful verbs he uses "crammed" "Let me" "whip" "grab" "swallow".
The last line seems oddly out of place "there's more to life than books you know, but not much more". In explaining the song, Morrissey basically disregarded all of the lyrics and just focused on these, stating as a defense of the song that it was about the importance of education. Kind of a laughable ducking of the other 95% of the song! But that's Morrissey! But I think these lyrics could reference not the scholarly schoolboy's books, but rather Morrissey's own books- perhaps DH Lawrence novels or other erotic literature that created the fantasies that enabled him to "help himself". Morrissey was reportedly celibate at the time this song was recorded so it may be natural to assume that he was relying on books, fantasies and 'self-help' to get him through these times. Oh and the reference to mammary glands- could be a man's inactive breasts. Or could reference women. Morrissey had reportedly been with both men and women up to this point in life so it's quite possible that he was equally turned on by both sexes. Anyway, just another interpretation to consider.
Quite a lot of comments about this song, which is surprising since it is a relatively obscure song only being on the Hatful of Hollow compilation.
I really love the driving music and sinister tone and lyrics of the song. The meaning seems pretty straightforward, to me at least. As others have stated, I think it is simply a song about sexual frustration. I'm surprised no one has interpreted the line "I know what hands are for, and I'd like to help myself" to be about masturbation. I think the lines that follow display the narrator's sexual fantasies- that someone asking him for the time wants to have sex, he sees the streets crammed with sexual objects, he thinks about groping, getting into bed and whipping a schoolboy. The frustration is evidenced through the active and forceful verbs he uses "crammed" "Let me" "whip" "grab" "swallow".
The last line seems oddly out of place "there's more to life than books you know, but not much more". In explaining the song, Morrissey basically disregarded all of the lyrics and just focused on these, stating as a defense of the song that it was about the importance of education. Kind of a laughable ducking of the other 95% of the song! But that's Morrissey! But I think these lyrics could reference not the scholarly schoolboy's books, but rather Morrissey's own books- perhaps DH Lawrence novels or other erotic literature that created the fantasies that enabled him to "help himself". Morrissey was reportedly celibate at the time this song was recorded so it may be natural to assume that he was relying on books, fantasies and 'self-help' to get him through these times. Oh and the reference to mammary glands- could be a man's inactive breasts. Or could reference women. Morrissey had reportedly been with both men and women up to this point in life so it's quite possible that he was equally turned on by both sexes. Anyway, just another interpretation to consider.
@BillyBudd Go T-Rex
@BillyBudd Go T-Rex