Morrissey A-Z: "Girl Least Likely To"

It's such a blatant music lift that I wonder if the composing credit was essentially gifted to Rourke at the time, as part of the sweetener to get him to accept the payoff and pull out of the court case with Joyce. That said, he must have seen Johnny do similar things with the likes of 'Panic' and 'A Rush and a Push' etc, so maybe just decided to shamelessly give Morrissey what he asked for? In the days before Youtube, and everyone sharing information like this on the internet, The Cookies song must have been pretty obscure, and hardly anyone was going to notice.

Anyway - I actually like this song, even if it's clearly B-Side material - mainly for Morrissey's unrelenting vocal. The first verse essentially lasts until 3:35, when he finally takes a break. The shift from the non-stop paragraphs of attach to 'darling it's all for you' at the end is quite sweet as well.
What was "Rush" a rip-off of?
 
One of my absolute favorites. I love when Moz pulls off a good rambling tune with nary a chorus to be heard, just like “Disappointed” and “Maladjusted” and some others. To me, this is one of those classic tracks where every single line is great.

Yes, creates a kind of drone, poetic ramble that draws and keeps the listener locked in. A kind of trance.

Couldn’t say who it’s about, as it’s obviously not Linder and I wasn’t aware Moz even knew any other women.

o_O:unsure:


“...because this person listened to the song and immediately knew and a terrible fight ensued. But that was many years ago and... but still... quite interesting. I wish I'd been a bit more secretive though. But what the hell! You know..."


he admits above that he was attempting to be ‘secretive’ so as to not reveal the person’s identity. Though I was just thinking, (and this is Morrissey) that the ‘girl’ in the song Girl Least Likely To doesn’t have to be female.


‘The Boy Most Likely To Succeed’
 
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Yes, creates a kind of drone, poetic ramble that draws and keeps the listener locked in. A kind of trance.



o_O:unsure:


“...because this person listened to the song and immediately knew and a terrible fight ensued. But that was many years ago and... but still... quite interesting. I wish I'd been a bit more secretive though. But what the hell! You know..."


he admits above that he was attempting to be ‘secretive’ so as to not reveal the person’s identity. Though I was just thinking, (and this is Morrissey) that the ‘girl’ in the song Girl Least Likely To doesn’t have to be female.


‘The Boy Most Likely To Succeed’

Enlightening.... as with all, most morrissey songs Alan Turing needs to be involved to decipher everything...
Alas we have our own code breakers on solo to inform and educate the likes of me as to what, and where a certain song, or lyric has come from, or even going to ....
I’m such a silly boy ...
 
Yes, creates a kind of drone, poetic ramble that draws and keeps the listener locked in. A kind of trance.



o_O:unsure:


“...because this person listened to the song and immediately knew and a terrible fight ensued. But that was many years ago and... but still... quite interesting. I wish I'd been a bit more secretive though. But what the hell! You know..."


he admits above that he was attempting to be ‘secretive’ so as to not reveal the person’s identity. Though I was just thinking, (and this is Morrissey) that the ‘girl’ in the song Girl Least Likely To doesn’t have to be female.


‘The Boy Most Likely To Succeed’


Himself? And the fight anecdote was a joke?

James Maker?

If it was a bit more sinister I would have suspected it was about Joe Orton who was murdered by his failed writer boyfriend because he was jealous of his success.

(Joe on the left, Kenneth Williams in the middle, boyfriend Kenneth Halliwell on the right)

IMG_20210313_180806.jpg


Alan Bennett adapted his biography into a film in the 80s.

prick-up-your-ears-1987-012-alfred-molina-gary-oldman-bed-bfi-00m-pbg_0.jpg
 
Himself? And the fight anecdote was a joke?

James Maker?

If it was a bit more sinister I would have suspected it was about Joe Orton who was murdered by his failed writer boyfriend because he was jealous of his success.

(Joe on the left, Kenneth Williams in the middle, boyfriend Kenneth Halliwell on the right)

View attachment 69663

Alan Bennett adapted his biography into a film in the 80s.

View attachment 69664


Yeah I thought maybe Maker, but he worked with Morrissey later, so there doesn’t seem to be any ill feeling between them.
 
Himself? And the fight anecdote was a joke?

James Maker?

If it was a bit more sinister I would have suspected it was about Joe Orton who was murdered by his failed writer boyfriend because he was jealous of his success.

(Joe on the left, Kenneth Williams in the middle, boyfriend Kenneth Halliwell on the right)

View attachment 69663

Alan Bennett adapted his biography into a film in the 80s.

View attachment 69664
I’ve always wondered why Kenny, Joe and boyfriend were doing in Morocco !!!!
A holiday for Kenny to open up anally perhaps?
It all seems suspicious to me ..
 
I’ve always wondered why Kenny, Joe and boyfriend were doing in Morocco !!!!
A holiday for Kenny to open up anally perhaps?
It all seems suspicious to me ..

It's all in their diaries! In horrifying detail.

John Lahr - the best theatre biographer ever & son of The Cowardly Lion - wrote a brilliant book about Joe.

10034536-L.jpg
 
I love it,it just bounces along and the music is subdued enough so you can hear Morrissey enunciate his lyrics.
 
I’ve always wondered why Kenny, Joe and boyfriend were doing in Morocco !!!!
A holiday for Kenny to open up anally perhaps?
It all seems suspicious to me ..
Don’t even think about it Barry. It won’t be pleasant.

the song itself is musically decent but. It goes on too long, IMO.
 
Love it
 
I think this is one of Morrissey's most autobiographical songs. The "girl least likely to" is him - and the doubts expressed throughout the song are either his, pre-Smiths, or those of concerned friends and family members. At the end, he "comes down and meets" his younger, ambitious-but-possibly-deluded self. We know the rest...

While there are other great Moz tracks fraught with, err, maladjusted defiance - and some of them have better musical backings - this one is surely the most triumphant. I can hear the scorn of downbeat Mancunians ringing in his ears by the end. Musical fame happens "only to other people" after all.

I always thought this too. I have no doubt whatsoever it's about himself and I don't believe the stuff he's said about it being about "a friend". Wouldn't be the first time he's given a questionable explanation for a lyric.



I mean...

One more song about The Queen
Or standing around the shops with thieves


Please 🙄



Anyway, I adore this song and agree with those who have said it's one of his best lyrics from that era.


"Once you feel it and other people feel it, too, you stand and are authorised as a poet. I was the boy least likely to, in many ways. I was staunchly antisocial. It was a question of being a poet at the expense of being anything else, and that includes physical relationships, strong bonds with people. I think you discover you are a poet; someone doesn’t walk up to you, tap you on the shoulder and say, 'Excuse me, you are a poet.'"
 
I always thought this too. I have no doubt whatsoever it's about himself and I don't believe the stuff he's said about it being about "a friend". Wouldn't be the first time he's given a questionable explanation for a lyric.



I mean...

One more song about The Queen
Or standing around the shops with thieves


Please 🙄



Anyway, I adore this song and agree with those who have said it's one of his best lyrics from that era.


"Once you feel it and other people feel it, too, you stand and are authorised as a poet. I was the boy least likely to, in many ways. I was staunchly antisocial. It was a question of being a poet at the expense of being anything else, and that includes physical relationships, strong bonds with people. I think you discover you are a poet; someone doesn’t walk up to you, tap you on the shoulder and say, 'Excuse me, you are a poet.'"
This actually helps me like the song more, as I've always thought it was pretty mean, if it's about a specific other person. But if it's about him then, yay self-loathing!
 
This actually helps me like the song more, as I've always thought it was pretty mean, if it's about a specific other person. But if it's about him then, yay self-loathing!

Even if it wasn't meant to be about himself the similarities to his pre-Smiths life are pretty striking. So if it was supposed to be a criticism of someone else, he kinda shot himself in the foot here.
 
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