I think this song is about a person with Paris Syndrome, a mental disease that occurs to those who idolized the city of Paris and France, but feel disappointed by indifferent people, lack of French ability, not-so-great scenery of Paris or cultural differences.
Those who tend to have Paris Syndrome often get a low evaluation in their own country and try to find anywhere greater than their country. They want to believe that anywhere greater than their country (often France and Paris) can give them a higher evaluation, and they can get a happier life there. But in most cases, they will be disillusioned by Paris and go back home depressed.
The narrator in this song says that ' only stone and steel accept my love' and he's throwing his arms around Paris, so he is in the phase 1 of the disease.
The phase 2 (disillusionment and depression) is not mentioned in the lyrics, but it will surely come to him.
And this is roughly about Morrissey himself, I suppose.
He mentioned his French ability in the gig recorded for the live album Beethoven Was Deaf.
I think this song is about a person with Paris Syndrome, a mental disease that occurs to those who idolized the city of Paris and France, but feel disappointed by indifferent people, lack of French ability, not-so-great scenery of Paris or cultural differences. Those who tend to have Paris Syndrome often get a low evaluation in their own country and try to find anywhere greater than their country. They want to believe that anywhere greater than their country (often France and Paris) can give them a higher evaluation, and they can get a happier life there. But in most cases, they will be disillusioned by Paris and go back home depressed. The narrator in this song says that ' only stone and steel accept my love' and he's throwing his arms around Paris, so he is in the phase 1 of the disease. The phase 2 (disillusionment and depression) is not mentioned in the lyrics, but it will surely come to him. And this is roughly about Morrissey himself, I suppose. He mentioned his French ability in the gig recorded for the live album Beethoven Was Deaf.