Morrissey A-Z: "Staircase at the University"

Used to love it but it’s worn off over time
Still decent though
 
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Decent enough tune, but I hate the cold and cynical lyrics. Never a song I long to hear.
 
love it,been playing this a lot the last few weeks,music is great,voice is great,the handclaps at the end are a nice addition.gave a few songs in the A-Z a ten and im giving this a big juicy ten on a sunday morning.vivamozzinvegas.
10 crammin/10 jammin.
 
The best song on the album and a very good tune from Boz.

The lyrical themes are very Morrissey and he takes the sort of stance that few other writers would even consider.

In the poll on the Hoffman board this ranked 34th from 264 solo songs.
 
It's a brilliant piece of music. One of Morrissey's most melodic songs since the Bona Drag era.
Really love the outro. But the awkward lyrics let it down a little.
 
Found this one to be a bit of a grower over time. Vocally & musically it's a great piece - solid drums, booming bass, sprinkling of trumpet, love the Spanish guitar outro; I think the lyrics lack finesse but I'm not precious about them.
Good tune from WP.
x3 'A's for this one.
 
Like @Mozmar, this proved to grow on me over time. I still think that some of the instrumental choices are quite weak: i.e. the cheap horns at one point taking much of the bombastic drama of the instrumentation away. Additionally, it's far too long at almost 6 minutes, with the same few melodic ideas being swirled around without much alteration. However, I find, when listening, I can search out around 3 or 4 hooks in just the one song, which is an impressive achievement: you have the the verse; the pre-chorus ("staircase at the university...she threw herself down"); the little clarinet motif after; and the actual chorus ("ram-em...pack-em-in, slammin'"). The lyrics I don't find to be cold that much at all: in fact, they identify the pressure students are put under from figures around them to succeed, leading to fatal consequences for their mental health. They're quite bullish in parts, but it seems to me that, when placed in context, they serve to show the immense emotional power of these expectations. Still, it remains one of my least favourites on the album, but by no means should it be skipped entirely.
6/10
 
The best song on the album and a very good tune from Boz.

The lyrical themes are very Morrissey and he takes the sort of stance that few other writers would even consider.

In the poll on the Hoffman board this ranked 34th from 264 solo songs.
Surprised this ranked as high as #34...
 
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A highlight of WPINOYB. Always thought this had a bit of a Bona Drag era feel to it. Musically it's good, lyrically it has it's moments. I could do without the Spanish guitar outro, personally.
 
I don’t connect with the words, but I dearly love the song, its orchestration, its dynamic, its vocal melody and Gustavo’s flamenco guitar. It is definitely one of Morrissey’s catchiest and most upboat tunes, reminiscent of satan rejected my sou. A welcome return to a lighter pop style.
 
Used to love it but it’s worn off over time
Still decent though
Same here... really loved this one when WPINOYB came out and was surprised he didn't play it more live. Haven't heard it in a few years... feels a bit stale now. I still view it as one of his better songs in this era. 7/10
 
I listend WPINOYB to death during summer 2014 and it was one of my favorite songs of the album. It still is and I still believe WPINOYB was his best album since Vauxhall and I.
 
The opening drumbeat annoyed me on my first listens as being to square but that’s viewed from an overly critical overexcited fan perspective as otherwise I loved this song on first listen. The whistle that starts the race to the saw at the end are nice touches and I love the joyous instrumentation the song employs. I like the story and subject matter and the way he bends certain words and there inflections to fit the rhymes. I also love world peace the album and consider it one of his best
 
The greatest sing-a-long chorus since Playboys but slightly overproduced and more than an inch too long.
What is an inch between friends? ;)
Love the song - tune and lyrics. Heard it played at some after show after a gig once and played loud with dozens of fans bouncing along made it even better.
 
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