Morrissey A-Z: "Drag the River"

“And when the palmist said
"One Thursday you will be dead"
I said: "No, not me, this cannot be
Dear God, take him, take them, take anyone
The stillborn
The newborn
The infirm
Take anyone
Take people from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Just spare me!"

That's true unfortunately - he does have something against the good people of Pennsylvania.
 
What is his thing with water, reflection? Self reflection? from Charming Man sleeve, from fountains to oceans wide wild lost and a girl drowning to softly on the riverbed to dragging the river to once seeing it clean?
Mirrors of time, looking into death eyes and seeing ones own? self/reflection and life on this planet and our place/ no place in it? the passing of time, inevitable change, and our inevitable end? and death warmly inviting us the living loveless to be reunited with the great mystery and unknown that is death and our true home?
I don't know if they are all linked, but the cover of This Charming Man cover depicts Orpheus, who, after the death of his wife, rejected women and turned to the love of young men - and is ultimately torn to shreds by women after he rejects them. The river Helicon sank underground when the women tried to wash their bloodstained hands.

What does it all mean? Search me, guv.
 
If Morrissey does visit solo, then it’s definitely the Frink thread, I’m sure a lot of those anonymous posts are actually his!

;)
He should post some previously unpublished ones.

Bathroom mirror selfies incoming.
 
I don't know if they are all linked, but the cover of This Charming Man cover depicts Orpheus, who, after the death of his wife, rejected women and turned to the love of young men - and is ultimately torn to shreds by women after he rejects them. The river Helicon sank underground when the women tried to wash their bloodstained hands.

What does it all mean? Search me, guv.

:thumb:


Thanks! I always wondered what This Charming Man was really about, makes sense now.
 
with or without a cherry?
I've been thinking about that picture again lately. I mean, even more than usual.

And I've been wondering whether this classic shot of Princess Margaret was any inspiration at all for Moz and/or Linder. Mostly because you can see the photographer, her then husband Antony Armstrong-Jones, in the mirror behind her, just like Linder's reflection can be seen in the uncropped cherry shot.
It's probably just a coincidence but I like both pictures a lot.


Margaret1962.jpg



🍒

MozLinderCherryBathtub1991.jpg
 
but they always want more! ..,,

some want blood! some want proof !
and some just want a nice wee song to tap their toe to!

;)

I just want to see the boy happy...
 
I've been thinking about that picture again lately. I mean, even more than usual. :lbf:

And I've been wondering whether this classic shot of Princess Margaret was any inspiration at all for Moz and/or Linder. Mostly because you can see the photographer, her then husband Antony Armstrong-Jones, in the mirror behind her, just like Linder's reflection can be seen in the uncropped cherry shot.
It's probably just a coincidence but I like both pictures a lot.


View attachment 69037


🍒

View attachment 69038

that is an interesting find! Now if that Princess Margaret photo had a cherry in it, then I would say you’re on to something there.

Ya know I realized too late that it really was a silly question to ask you, of course with a cherry !
 
When World Peace came out, Morrissey said that he felt that he had overused certain themes and words, so he decided to write about new subjects. I guess that's why we got the clumsy politics of the title track, the declarative I'm Not a Man, songs about Irish prisons in the 19th century and whatever the f*** Neal Cassidy was about. After he had got those out of his system, Morrissey wrote a bunch of understated songs about his usual obsessions and relegated them to the bonus disc. There's not a bad track among them. Drag the River is one of the lesser bonus tracks but still superior to at least half of the album proper.
Interesting. I had noticed the changes in writing / themes but I thought it reflected the fact that he was older, richer and happier, so the old well of ideas had run dry. Yet I think that the band at that point had also overused certain musical arrangements and was trying to diversify musically with mixed results. Drag The River sits firmly within the comfort zone of both Boz and Moz, and probably not included on the album proper for this reason.
 
that is an interesting find! Now if that Princess Margaret photo had a cherry in it, then I would say you’re on to something there.

Ya know I realized too late that it really was a silly question to ask you, of course with a cherry !

Always.

You're right, the cherry is the centrepiece. Without it, the pictures don't really look alike...
 
This is the photo where Moz looks closely to see where he dropped his smartphone in the river. His idea to drag the river for his personal effects was the inspiration behind this song.
He's afraid his "sexting" with Nigel Farage will wind up in the Daily Mail.
 
It’s ok but this one feels like a bside. The vocal and lyric are mostly great though the join me join me part doesn’t seem to work. The instrumental is ok. I almost think it would have sounded better straight acoustic but it feels like theyre trying to make it more interesting and not so morrissey by numbers but it just feels sorta awkward in spots. The tone of the guitars sounded a bit different here to me to though I couldn’t tell you why
 
One of the great mysteries of the modern era is how Boz started writing so many brilliant songs again for the World Peace sessions. Four or five of the best songs he'd done since the Vauxhall era (if not ever) and Drag the River is one them. It's an absolute beauty. This one and Julie in the Weeds would be stand-outs on any Morrissey album. Tuneful, wistful delights!
 
Last edited:
Tags
morrissey a-z
Back
Top Bottom