Adding my confusion over this as well. To throw around claims of "best" on this track is befuddling.
Morrissey A-Z: "Ganglord"
- Thread starter BookishBoy
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Adding my confusion over this as well. To throw around claims of "best" on this track is befuddling.
Gregor Samsa
I straighten up, and my position is one of hope.
One of his worst ever songs. Maybe the worst.
I enjoyed it for a while. I initially took it as another song inspired by the East LA (drug) gangs and it was easily better than the A-side, which incidentally started with a Roman police siren.
It was on heavy rotation again during the live shows of 2015 - 2016, where it felt much more like a protest song against police violence with horrible footage. And as it turned out, it was an omen of worse to come. That's when I lost interest in the song.
It was on heavy rotation again during the live shows of 2015 - 2016, where it felt much more like a protest song against police violence with horrible footage. And as it turned out, it was an omen of worse to come. That's when I lost interest in the song.
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D
Deleted member 29417
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Works because he sings it with feeling.
I wonder if the police bothered him much when he was young - or if it was a general fear of authority?
Although he did mention the police being rude to Jesse because of his skin colour when they were out together.
I wonder if the police bothered him much when he was young - or if it was a general fear of authority?
Although he did mention the police being rude to Jesse because of his skin colour when they were out together.
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Morrissey seems to display a deep animosity towards law and order services, including the judiciary at one point.
But you have a point that this song might have been inspired by how the US police was treating the Mexicans around LA, based on what Jesse told him or on what he saw when living there himself.
T. H. Auden
Well-Known Member
Powerful song, thematically and sonically a cousin to the even more powerful Who Will Protect Us From The Police?
Including the judiciary...you are too diplomatic Mayfly! The song, Sorrow..., is pretty clear about his feelings. I mean they hit him in the pocketbook and called him devious, truculent, and unreliable.
I am sure Morrissey didn't hang with the homies in so much that he could sympathize with the plight of the Latinos in SoCal. Take it from one. if anything it might be argued that they drove him away! Have you seen some of those who stalked him in his Hollywood home?
¡Órale!
Phranc & Open
Dreaming from the past
Thank you but no.
SuedeMoz
Well-Known Member
Not a fan of this one... most of the reasons why have already been expressed here. I'll add this... while already not not caring for it, the video playing behind him on tour sealed it. It just came across to me as insincere and pandering. Finally, maybe he's being ironic but I think even the police haven't used the term "ghetto" for quite some time.
Yeah the tour imagery was a turn off for me as well. Pandering is the right word.
As for the word: ghetto -- Elvis may have been the last to use it best.
Not a fan of this one. How it's become such an enduring part of Morrissey's live show is beyond me. According to setlist.fm, it's been played almost 250 times. The fact that it seems to mean so much to Morrissey always gave me pause, like "you really think this one is that deep?"
Morrissey's grasp of certain social issues is so frustratingly tenuous. Even when they align with my own politics, I find the lyrics that express these ideas to be embarrassing in their simplicity. The piano is corny, the music is predictable, just classic Alain-on-autopilot (though, he was clearly fond enough of the composition to essentially duplicate it for his song "The Experiment").
It's certainly more distinct than a lot of the other material on Ringleader, but that's not a particularly high bar to clear.
Morrissey's grasp of certain social issues is so frustratingly tenuous. Even when they align with my own politics, I find the lyrics that express these ideas to be embarrassing in their simplicity. The piano is corny, the music is predictable, just classic Alain-on-autopilot (though, he was clearly fond enough of the composition to essentially duplicate it for his song "The Experiment").
It's certainly more distinct than a lot of the other material on Ringleader, but that's not a particularly high bar to clear.
Its as if when Boz and company tried to capitalize on the terrorism in Paris by promoting a potential reissue of "Throwing..." It just feels outright disingenuous. I have always felt similarly with Ganglord.
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GirlAfraidWillNeverLearn
Well-Known Member
Surprised nobody's mentioned the video yet, which apparently was supposed to promote Swords but was pulled/not released at the time?
Boys playing in the cemetery - I fail to see the connection to the song but I like it for its odd corniness. And Moz looks really good in it.
Boys playing in the cemetery - I fail to see the connection to the song but I like it for its odd corniness. And Moz looks really good in it.
Does one need any more reason?
GirlAfraidWillNeverLearn
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D
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I've always liked 'I'm throwing my arms around Paris' I feel its a nice tune and a worthy sentiment. He can't find any solace in people and so he looks to 'steel and stone' instead of 'skin and bone'
Don't get me wrong - I enjoy the giddy tune. But not when it seemed to be forced on like a a shoe, two sizes too small - all in the midst of that tragedy befalling Paris. In that context, 'steel & stone' is an awfully cold analogy in light of a terrorist act.
haha - touché!
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