"Meat is Murder", 1985

The title, as well as the cover, set the mood for this album. The subject matter is not only personal anymore, but political. The man on the cover was actually an American soldier called Michael Wynn fighting for South Vietnam during the Vietnamese War. Obviously, the letters on his helmet didn't actually spell "Meat is Murder", but "Make War Not Love". The cover shows Morrissey's opinion on meat - eating it is just as violent as participating in a war, according to him. He has also stated that activists should show meat companies "a taste of their own medicine", indicating he even deeems violence an appropriate form of vegetarian/vegan activism. I would honestly love to know if the vegan teacher is a Smiths fan because of this, honestly...

Though many prefer The Queen is Dead, I can proudly say that Meat is Murder is my favourite Smiths album, though The Queen is Dead is a close second. I am not a vegetarian by any means, but this album did inspire me to limit my meat consumption - and I'm not the only one who feels this way. Thom Yorke was inspired to go fully vegan by this album (he also did it to impress a girl, though). The vegetarian message is not the only one that resonates with me here. Songs against violence against children are also found on this album, which were extremely important to all Smiths members as they witnessed lots of violence when in school. Though there aren't as many songs critical of the monarchy as on The Queen is Dead, the lyrics of the song Nowhere Fast, which also include some anti-monarchy lines, have also always struck a chord with me. Let's get into it!

Track 1: The Headmaster Ritual

I want to go home/ I don't want to stay

I want to give a CW for violence against children, physically and sexually, for this one. Please look after yourself!

The first song is already a hard-hitter, pun not intended. Morrissey is working through his own trauma he has from secondary school. He did not only have to face physical violence, like when being hit with a belt after expressing disinterest during class, but was also sexually harrassed by his PE teacher. He himself expressed that he makes songs about his times in school as a form of revenge, and also a message to teachers to be better, or their students may become famous and do as he did: Make songs exposing them to the whole world. This can be seen in the first verse already. Note how he said "Manchester schools" in the plural, referring to the fact that violence is common practice, especially in schools where working-class and poor children go, since chances are high that most parents will not find time or money to take legal action, or even take their children out of the school.

The next verse invokes militaristic images. School probably felt like military service for many Manchester children, as they were ordered around and could be faced with violence at any given moment. With the line "same old suit since 1962", Morrissey either calls the teacher he is talking about - or the headmaster - old-fashioned, or talks about the fact that even the teachers or the headmaster at the school he went to had little money. "Jealous of youth" invokes the image of a teacher who is way past his prime, probably did not make of his life what he wanted to, but has no opportunities ahead of him. The children and teenagers he is teaching are poor like him, but at least they are still young and have time to make something of themselves. He lost his youth, and now he expresses his jealousy through violence. The military two-step is a Scottish dance, which is probably also common in Manchester, and the teacher may be dancing on "the nape of [his] neck" to feel superior to the young people, and to make fun of their pain.

The chorus discusses how many youths give up their education, and with this, many career opportunities due to the cruel treatment they face at school.

Now, Morrissey specifically discusses violence during PE, talking about how much this treatment literally scarred him and his peers. By using the word "mid-week", he shows that violence could come at random.

In the third repetition of the chorus, the word "education" is changed to the word "life", in a way paying tribute to those who did not survive the abuse they faced at school because they took their own lives.

Finally, there is talk of gym class again, probably the class that traumatised Morrissey most. He described how his PE teachers would stare at the young boys while they were naked, one would even touch him inappropriately when he was as young as 14. The first two lines are someone trying to make excuses to not have to got class, yet they are still forced to go. Finally, he recounts the sexual harrassment he had to face while showering before or after gym class. It is not uncommon for paedophiles to become teachers in poor areas, as those are the places they will get away with harrassing children, and many counts of abuse, sexual as well as physical, as most children are too scared to talk about it. Morrissey was sadly neither the first nor the last child to go through such horrid abuse. If you or someone you know needs help because they face violence in school at home, or are in danger in any other way, please contact a helpline. I'll link a tumblr post comprising a bunch of helplines from different countries here. Know that you are not alone and some people out there want to help you!

Rusholme Ruffians

As Marr and Morrissey both stated, the song was meant to capture the energy young people feel when going to the fairgrounds. Morrissey also describes how events such as the fairgrounds can be really important to people who struggle financially and can't afford nice things. For some youths, the fairgrounds were - and still are - places where they make the most significant memories. On the Live Album Rank, a medley of this song and "His Latest Flame" can be found, and I highly recommend checking it out if you don't know it already.

The first two verses tell stories of different people with different backgrounds, but they still both go to the fairgrounds. The first verse is about a young boy who goes there, maybe by himself, maybe with some friends, but he is found by the wrong people, who stab and rob him. This event is only described in two lines, however, the rest of the verse belongs to a depiction of the atmosphere. The boy being stabbed is just a small part of the story, as there are other things happening at the fairgrounds too - showing how insignificant one's life can be. Now, it's time for the next verse, and our attention is shifted to a "famous" and "funny" young woman. Personally, I always imagined her as either a local celebrity trying to make it big, or a "social butterfly" who is so charismatic everyone knows and likes her. Still, she is quite superficial - her relationship, which is quite serious, as she is already engaged, may not be as important to her as fame or wealth, and it is implied that she is or is about to cheat tonight.

Now, the narrator is in the spotlight. Maybe his evening at the fair wasn't as eventful as everyone else's, or maybe he was just there to observe the events and see how others are living their lives. He may have seen love and heartbreak tonight, but he is lonely, yet he still wishes and believes that one day, he will find a love for himself. My theory is confirmed in the verse after the next, it sounds like he is describing all he is seeing. He is cursed to always only be an observer of love, never a lover himself. He waits for this to change.

Now, a girl is riding the speedway (or whirling waltzer, it's the same thing). Her skirt ascending is "a hideous trait from her mother's side" - a very ambiguous statement. It could mean her mother is horrified by her ascending skirt, used as a metaphor for her daughter starting to explore sexuality - or the women in her family (are rumoured to) have a high number of sexual partners, which was perceived negatively - therefore being named a "hideous trait".

There is another reference to young love in the next verse: "the grease in the hair of a speedway operator is all a tremulous heart requires" - which doesn't actually mean that someone has a crush on a speedway operator. It's likely that this is referring to a young couple riding the speedway together, or two people falling in love on the speedway. This sweet picture is quickly replaced with an antithesis: a young girl contemplating suicide. The fairgrounds, as well as the teenage mind, is full of highs and lows, more or less extreme.

"Sratch my name on your arm with a fountain pen" is a statement influenced by the song "Fourteen Again", a song by Victoria Wood, in which she reminisces about teenagehood and young love. The couple this line is about is probably also quite young, as fountain pens are mostly used among middle schoolers - this could be different in Britan though. After the depiction of this young, innocent kind of love, we get back to the narrator walking home, who thinks about all the sensation he has experienced today, and maybe wishing for a similiar kind of love.

Track 3: I Want the One I Can't Have

And if you ever need self-validation/ Just meet me in the alley by the railway station/ It's all over my face/ Oh...

There are multiple theories on the song's first line. I always interpreted it to be about a relationship that is purely sexual, yet the narrator wants this to change, asking his partner to "come round" when it does. The chorus is fairly obvious: He is in love with someone who is unavailable, and he finds it hard to hide his emotions. Another theory I came accross on GeniusLyrics states, however, that this is about homosexuality - the narrator should not feel attracted to men, as he is male, and he is trying to tell this to his own mind.

The second verse is where things get interesting: When Morrissey wrote this song, he wasn't poor by any means, so he may either be telling a story, or, which I think is likely, making a general statement based off his childhood and/or youth. A "stalwart lover" is obvious, but the "double bed" may also be a metaphor for a well-functioning romantic or sexual life. This verse is about two lovers comforting each other while living through poverty.

After the repetition of the chorus, I think Morrissey is talking about his own childhood and youth. The "tough kid" could be a reference to James Dean, his favourite actor, which he was borderline obsessed with when he was young - his bedroom was full of pictures of his, and chances are the haircut he wore during Smiths-times is inspired by him. Though there is no mention of any crush like this in his autiobiography, I think the verse describes a hypothetical crush he could have had, or his "type" in men, during his youth. The kind of person he would have fallen for is a kind of person that you probably meet a lot in Manchester - someone who was born into poverty, maybe even into a life of crime, and would be dangerous, still the narrator - or Morrissey - is attracted to him, and finds it hard to hide those feelings. Maybe the song is about a love that is similiar to this dynamic.

The last verse is the pleading of a desperate lover - he would do anything to be with the "one [he] can't have", if they called him up to meet him in a dirty alley, he would immediately get there and do anything to make them feel better.

Track 4: What She Said

What she said/ "How come someone hasn't noticed/ That I'm dead and decided to bury me?/ God knows, I'm ready!"

This song seemed pretty obvious to me: it tells the story of a woman who has experienced hardship in her life, the only thing that keeps her somewhat happy is her love for a "tattoed boy from Birkenhead" and some old literature. My first theory was that Morrissey seemed to be branching out a bit, explaining that not only he experiences suffering, but all people do. The woman may have not been given a name to represent all kinds of people. However, before fully putting that theory into words, I looked into Genius Lyrics, and what I read there fully caught me off-guard. To be honest, I would have never come up with this idea on my own, and since I don't just want to steal other people's ideas, I'll link the site here.

To summarise briefly, according to this theory, the girl in this song represents Morrissey, and the "boy from Birkenhead" is Johnny Marr. The only thing about this theory which doesn't make sense to me is why he is described to be from Birkenhead, which Johnny is not, and it's quite curious that Morrissey would choose such a specific and inaccurate location. However, when analysing the soung through the lens provided on GeniusLyrics, everything about it gets so much clearer and i truly believe the theory.

Track 5: That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore

This song is actually the only single from this album. It wasn't on top of the charts or anything, which is sad, because it's just SO BEAUTIFUL. Additionally to the music, there is also a part where the song fades out, and you think it's over, but then it comes back in again... furthermore, the addition of rain in the end for some ambience is also notable. It's not surprising that this is one of Marr's favourite Smiths songs. The lyrics are very smiths-like: They discuss the thought process a lonely and miserable person.

The song starts off with two people meeting up in a car, the two of them both in very different moods: the narrator starts talking about the end of one's life after the car is parked, also almost threatening the other person because they laughed at depressed and lonely people. Either this, or the person the narrator is with has first made fun of those sad people, and the narrator is answering with the fact that their life will once end, and comments that such attitudes are making him aggressive. He goes on to explain that he doesn't find this funny, because he himself is at a point in his life where he relates to those depressed, even suicidal people. By saying "that joke isn't funny anymore, he insinuates that in the past, he himself has "kick[ed others] when they fall down", but now, as he has the same feelings as them, he doesn't find it amusing anymore. This is backed up by the latter repetition of "I've seen this happen in other people's lives, and now it's happening in mine", but we'll get to that. First, we'll have to unpack the second verse.

The "cold leather seats" could either show how the narrator feels cold inside - a commonly used metaphor for sadness - or they may not be a metaphor, but instead literal: The leather seats are cold because the other person has left the vehicle, alienated by how serious their friend has become. Driving down the road sad and alone, the narrator realises that he may be anticipating death.

Now, he's repeating the same line over and over again. This perfectly represents a complete mental breakdown for me: He recounts all the times he himself has maybe laughed at people that feel the way he does right now, realise how much of a mess their life was, and how they were drowing in negative feelings - and him relating to exactly that. He can't do anything but repeat the same phrase in his head again and again. Really, a beautiful musical representation of someone at the lowest point in their lives. If you or anyone you know relates to this song, damn, I'm sorry.

Track 6: Nowhere Fast

I'd like to drop my trousers to the world/ I am a man of means, of slender means/ Each household appliance/ Is like a new science in my town

I HAVE BEEN WAITING to talk about this track, so get ready for some rambling. This one is definitely my favourite song, not only off of Meat is Murder, but in general! I don't even put it on when with friends because I'll just be hit with the uncontrollable urge to dance. We've all seen the "when you're happy, you enjoy the music, when you're sad, you listen to the lyrics" memes thrown around ironically, but honestly, just for this song, we should bring it back post-ironically. The Smiths are no strangers to upbeat tunes with depressing, yet meaningful lyrics, and I think this song captures this perfectly. For me, this song invokes the image of someone walking through Manchester on a sunny day while pondering life, and finding beauty (represented by the song's upbeat tune) in the ugly (the feelings captured by the lyrics), and the other way around. Honestly, I just love it, and I think it's a shame that it's talked about so rarely.

The first line is pretty obvious - Morrissey is disappointed, or even enraged, by the world, and wants to scream "fuck you!" at everything and everyone. He goes on to say he is a man "of slender means" - this line may either be about his lack of material possessions during childhood and youth, or about struggles with confidence in his masculinity. This statement may show the reason why he seems to have a distaste for the world in general at the moment: He may hate his past financial status, or the expectations that are in place for him. Then, Morrissey goes on to criticise consumerism, making the first option more likely. He either adresses the fact that people immediately rush to buy new things that are advertised, even when they are useless, or states that for people in his town, who did not have much, being able to purchase something as trivial as a household appliance may be a huge deal.

At first, Morrissey was talking about how he experiences the world, but now, things get introspective. This verse is either about how people often feel pressured by society to hide their true emotions, or how some bottle up their feelings because dealing with them would be too difficult When being confronted with those feelings that they hid or suppressed, many get overwhelmed or "shocked". Writing down these lyrics, Morrissey was probably processing his own thoughts and emotions, but also calling out a society in which people are forced to hide how they truly feel.

"When a train goes by, it's such a sad sound" is a line that can be interpreted in many ways. I'll just go with the most likely one: The motif of taking a train and leaving one's old life behind has also been used in other Smiths songs (as I mentioned in my interpretation of Miserable Lie, the third track off of their first studio album. The narrator could be sad that he missed the opportunity to get on the train and drive towards a better life, one in which he can be happier. However, there are also a few possible interpretations that are a bit darker, and I'd like to delve into them too. Since themes of suicide are also discussed in this song, this line could refer to the problem of people commiting suicide by train in Britain. The "sad sound" could symbolise someone's life being taken by the train. Lastly, there's one more possible interpretation which is even darker and a combination of the first and second theory: The narrator might have been pondering suicide, but ended up not doing it, and regrets it now.

Now, Morrissey comes in with criticisms of the British monarchy for the first time. On many other songs, this would have felt forced, but here, it makes perfect sense - probably because the song describes the inner workings of a sad British person. "The poor and the needy are selfish and greedy on her terms" is a line that was true then and aged incredibly well, considering how 186.6 million euros were spent last year just for her funeral, while 14.4 million people in the UK have to live in poverty. Even in death, she was considered to have more worth than those 14.4 million living, breathing human beings. Who wouldn't like to drop their trousers to such a person?

Morrissey goes on the repeat the chorus. Here, I just have to mention the drum part that comes after the "train" verse, and then, we get to my actual favourite Smiths lyric, "I think about life, and I think about death, and neither one particularly appeals to me". The meaning of this line is pretty obious, but it represents the feeling Morrissey was trying to describe so perfectly: Being so completely unhappy with your life, but too afraid of death to end it, or knowing that you do not want the life you are living right now, but being completely unsure what you want instead of it. If you feel this way right now, please know that you're not alone, and there's always a way to change your life for the better.

In the last verse, there's an alteration made: Instead of dying by jumping in the ocean, the narrator says that he would probably die slowly, which fits the mood of the song fading out. It is also likely that he would not literally die, but "die inside" while contemplating life - which is also not great, but at least he is confronting his feelings, I hope?

With all that taken into consideration, we have to revisit the song's title: Nowhere Fast. "Going nowhere fast" is a phrase which describes failure or lack of success. This may describe how the narrator, who I believe reflects Morrissey's past self, feels about his life. Morrissey used to struggle with depression in his teen years, and wasn't really able to hold down a job as a young adult, which can make one feel like life is going nowhere fast. I really think he's processing all these things in this song, while also touching on other topics that are ... just important in general. I honestly love this song so much, but I think you can tell.

Well I Wonder

You really don't realise how short this song's lyrics are until you see them written out in front of you. Somehow though, this song is almost four minutes long, and none of the instrumentals sound too long or stretched out (stretch out and wait reference??). I also have to point out the use of rain sounds, which fit the vibe perfectly.

There's two theories surrounding this song, one being more likely than the other. I'll start with the first one: This song is sung by a person who has unrequited feelings for another - maybe they recently broke up, maybe they were never together. The narrator wishes to be thought about by the other person, wonders if they know how he feels now. While the person he is in love with sleeps he is crying, when they pass it's a catastrophe for him, yet the other may not even notice that he is there. He is scared of being forgotten, worse even, having always been insignificant. Those are the thoughts of the lover whose love is not requited, but I think there is a switch in perspective in the second verse, though it may not see likely at first glance, but hear me out: While the first verse is written from the perspective of the narrator, the second verse represent the version of the narrator that is present in the memories of the person that the song is about. Their memories of the narrator are still there, but slowly fading away, and the narrator is begging them to not forget him. This would also explain the addition of rain noises - the memories are being washed away by rain.

The second theory is less likely, but there's still a chance of it being true, so here goes: The song could be written from the perspective of an animal that was slaughtered for meat consumption. This animal is asking if its life was worth nothing, and wishing it was remembered. This would be the commonly used vegan/vegetarian argument "animals have feelings to" in song form, and while writing a song using this exact talking point is definitely something Morrissey would do, I do think this is about unrequited love.

Barbarism Begins at Home

The way in which this song was released is quite peculiar, as it was released as a single (with the B-side being "Shakespeare's Sister") after the release of the album, but only in some European countries - not even in the UK. What is most memorable about Barbarism Begins at Home, is, obviously, the bass line, which Andy was rightfully very proud of.

This is the second song on Meat is Murder which deals with violence against children. While "The Headmaster Ritual" was specifically a song against corporal punishment in schools, this one speaks out against physically disciplining children in general. Not-so-fun fact: By the time this song was released, corporal punishment was legal both in schools and at home. It's likely Morrissey was recounting his own experiences, like in The Headmaster Ritual. This song, however, is written from the abuser's perspective.

The first verse makes clear that in the mind of the authority figure from whose perspective this song is written, there is a specific way young children have to behave. If they do not behave in this way, physical violence is justified. However, this specific behaviour is not properly explained to the children - or even if it is, maybe they don't get it or act out sometimes, because they're children - and because of this, they are hit on the head. I personally think the second verse deals with violence in schools specifically, because there, children were punished for asking "stupid questions", but also for not participating in class. This may lead to them feeling like everything they do is wrong anyways, and to trauma later in life. Later in the song, we get a look at how this feels for the children: The line "Because of what you are" shows how they are made to feel like they deserve to endure violence because of their very existence, and everything about them is wrong, and may end up as traumatised or self-loathing adults. This song really is a call to all parents and teachers: Please, don't hit the children! In this context, the title "Barbarism Begins at Home" may have two meanings. Firstly, children being beat up for behaving like children is called out as the barbaric practice it is, and secondly, a society full of adults that still are not over - or may never get over - their childhood trauma cannot function well and will eventually lapse into barbarism.

Meat is Murder

Now, we've reached the title track, which is also the final track. A song's message could really not be more obvious, but I do want to mention some things that stood out to me:

• Morrissey uses typical pro-vegetarian arguments, such as emphasising the fact that animals do have feelings, but he doesn't use them in an abstract way - he invokes images of events where meat is usually consumed, reminding the listener of the last times they themselves ate meat. Those memories are often not negative ones, yet he contrasts them completely with the word "murder" and uses very picturesque language, which is quite morbid.
• He is, at all times, directly speaking to the listener.
• I talked about the theory that the song "Well I Wonder" is written from the perspective of a dead animal. There are some clues in this song that could lead one to think it's connected to Well I Wonder, for example the mention of animals crying. The last line of the song is "Who hears when animals cry?". This could be tied to the first two lines of Well I Wonder, which are "Do you hear me when you sleep? I hoarsely cry". If we look at it from this perspective, the usage of the word "hoarsely" could also be a play on words, since horses are animals that are sometimes killed for meat consumption - but don't take my word for it, I may just be overinterpreting.