Morrissey A-Z: "Sing Your Life"

BookishBoy

Well-Known Member






Today's song is this Morrissey/Nevin composition, the second single released from Kill Uncle, reaching #33 on the UK chart.

What do we think?
 
"Why don't you? Do you want to?"
This is a great fun song that might not be profound but always lifts my mood. The band all look and sound great in the video. Actually the "make no mistake my friend, all of this will end," is kind of profound isn't it?
This is a strong 7/10 verging on 8. Let's give it an 8. The longer it plays the more I like it.
 
I adore this song, always have done, always will do. (Although I'm not sure how it manages to verge on being almost an anthem yet almost kind of easy-listening at the same time.)

And this is one of my favourite ever bits of any Morrissey song:

But before you go
Can you look at the truth ?
You have a lovely singing voice
A lovely singing voice
And all of those
Who sing on-key
They stole the notion
From you and me
 
Musically this is so spartan as to be almost not there. It's another that confirms what Mark Nevin has said about him writing musical sketches that were never expanded upon.

It's easy on the ear, but there is a lack of substance to both the music and the lyrics. The words are a long way short of those that Morrissey had written while in The Smiths and it was one of those periods when he was definitely lacking in confidence and purpose.

It was never really likely to be a big chart hit.

The rockabilly version is good fun even if the musicianship is hardly perfect.

I enjoy the video and Chrissie Hynde proved herself to be a good sport by agreeing to appear.

In the poll on the Hoffman board it ranked 105th from 264 solo songs.
 
Although the 'wasteland of my head' is a little foggy this morning, I can with confidence still say that this is near perfect Morrissey. The stars compeletely align on this one: a tight band, strong and eminently quotable singalong lyrics & a happy Morrissey! I even liked the singles cover image.

I would love to see this one performed live again!
 
great song from M,its one of those songs where i never get bored with it.vivamozzonasundaymorning.
8 loves/10 loathes.
 
The KROQ live version is damn near perfection. The studio version is kind of tame, but still an amazing pop song. All in all: I love it.
 
Great song
From a great album
Excellent 45 sleeve cover (or 33 if it’s from over t’pond)
1991 🥰
KU is probably my most played M album during each calendar year.
 
Another great song, one I never tire of hearing. Admittedly, the music pales in comparison to the live versions (radio session especially), but still marks another leap forward into (polite) rockabilly. It's the vocals and the delivery that draws me here often (esp. the "head ohhh" part, just stellar): balancing both backhanded compliments ("your pointless life will end, so before you go...") and heartfelt messages ("you have a lovely singing voice"), with his best vocal work on Kill Uncle. It also seems (like "Mute Witness", the other favourite from the LP) more or less complete, compared to some of the other songs. So, yes, flawed, but still deeply great at the same time: loves and loathes, indeed.
8/10
 
When I hear the rockability version, which I find a little rramshackle but full ofenergy, it makes me wonder how this song would have sounded like if it had been produced by Mick Ronson as part of the arsena. I think it would have been a irresistable and powerful rocker, so I do feel there’s a missed opportunity here. That beving said, I adore the song as it is and always will. It is uplifting, cute vocals and a positive message.
 
I like many have a soft spot for the song even if there’s very little to grasp hold of
 
Some folks on here give this one a bit of stick, but I totally love this song! Love the rockabilly 'twang' intro, the drums, double bass (especially) on the studio version; vocals are wonderful; Moz truly does have a lovely singing voice - which is one of those things your Grandma or Aunty might say to you.
The KROQ version is a little rougher where the drums are more prominent, especially at the intro, but it has a special magical dimension all of its own, & love the 'twang' outro. It's an uplifting song. Headah oh, headah oh!
Brilliantly delicious!
 
Interesting notes from autobiog:

"Tim [Broad] had directed the Sing your life video at Camden Workers Social Club, an undisturbed private world behind Kentish Town Road. The first time I had visited the club I almost cried with relief at its 1950s mix of High School dancehall and ruthless elitism warding off the trendy-bender copyists. Camden Workers was the real thing, more church than social club, and in a room full of rightly righteous purist rockers, it was not a place where you’d want to be unwanted. The dancefloor is Wigan’s Casino for the sharply chiseled pale profiles stomping a Cajun-reel in Depression-era American workwear; Appalachian spit-curl stomps of Nathan Abshire or Dennis McGee. Every record booms to distortion, and the smell of machismo threatens to bosh a roving eye. It is all inside you. How incredibly these boys dance – and where do they practice? And why does each boy dance alone? Ah, the great unsaid. The sharp duck-tails and the lemon stitching of vintage denim leave me trying to attach the image to the thing seen. Because of Camden Workers, and my new ally Debbie Dannell, I will make an effort with my hair and my clothes to look better for the future."

Indeed.
Must say he looks amazingly happy & immaculate in the video.
 
I must say that I only came to appreciate the song when listening to the superbly sounding recording on the KU 2013 vinyl reissue and the Best of! album recently. I had the song stuck in my head (in a good way) for weeks afterwards.
How much I wish that more Morrissey songs would be recorded in such an exquisitly clear as a bell way. My appreciation really depends on it. Something I have learned from this song.
 
Musically this is so spartan as to be almost not there. It's another that confirms what Mark Nevin has said about him writing musical sketches that were never expanded upon.

Though the production in a way suits this song, (though a little too syrupy/too soft) would have been interesting to hear it in the hands
of someone like Ronson or Lillywhite.


It's easy on the ear, but there is a lack of substance to both the music and the lyrics. The words are a long way short of those that Morrissey had written while in The Smiths

Which, may have been the point.

and it was one of those periods when he was definitely lacking in confidence and purpose.

:lbf:

So lacking in confidence and purpose, during which he somehow found the courage to get a band together and plan a tour to conquer the world.

:cool:

It was never really likely to be a big chart hit.

As with any single, we should be surprised it charts at all, and happy when it does chart, and rightly blame this world when it doesn’t. ;)


The rockabilly version is good fun even if the musicianship is hardly perfect.

Wonder what it would sound like now live.


I enjoy the video and Chrissie Hynde proved herself to be a good sport by agreeing to appear.


Was she forced into doing it?

 
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