Morrissey A-Z: "My Life Is a Succession of People Saying Goodbye"

BookishBoy

Well-Known Member



Today's song is this Morrissey/Whyte composition, one of the B-sides on the "First of the Gang To Die" single and then included on the deluxe You Are The Quarry album.

What do we think of this one?
 
Another great b-side from the 2000s. Very textured and layered: piano, harp, tremolo guitar, synth, Mellotron, bass and drums all make up the strong striding motions. Each give the solemn subject matter a more delicate and evocatively sorrowful edge: the title, meanwhile, is quintessential Moz, no doubt about it. The guitars remind me of old soul ballads and the type of doo-wop songs David Lynch loves: again, this gives the concept more substance as it calls back to those lovelorn compositions. Excellent piece, perhaps too short for its own good.
8/10
 
love it,always have.some great lines in this.sounds very dreamy which M does so well.
was a highlight for me when sung live in 2006 i think,never get bored with it.
9 people/10 saying goodbye.VIVAMOZZONAFRIDAYMORNING.
 
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Absolutely love this dreamy, melancholic & reflective track, with further mournful references to the passage of time; all beautifully delivered vocally by Moz in this short masterpiece. The title is (as noted by TCB), quintessential Moz; the lyrics are sparse, yet very profound:

At one time the future
Did stretch out before me
But now
It stretches
Behind


Flawless arrangement, which, for some reason (despite the sentiment of the song), evokes thoughts of beautiful clear blue skies & sunny Greek islands. Absolutely wonderful.
 
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Wonderful B-side after the Sabbatical, which is also convincing in it's demo form from the Cherokee Sessions. The piece sounds as if a deep dream has been poured into music, of course not without the usual world-weariness and "my fate is the hardest to bear" habitus (which we all like so much).
 
Got bored of this one very quickly. The interesting part of the lyric was him conceding, upon his 'comeback', that time had beaten him but other than that, the song itself goes nowhere.
 
A gorgeous, dreamy, lilting thing of melancholy. I don't think Morrissey had to work too hard to make this into a good song as the backing is so lush - it almost sounds like a (twisted) Bond theme at points. But it's lovely stuff.
 
Wasn’t immediately taken in by this, but 3 or 4 years later, I found it a rather pleasant listen. The many years since, I have also kept that thought. ;)
 
;)
another great masterpiece by Moz!:rock:
never had to make a thought of it ,that needed keeping in a drawer:crazy:

:hammer:
 
Morrissey doesn't need a lot of words to convey his (deepest) thoughts, and his way of saying it is poetic, original and rather idiosyncratic. Who else would come up with such a title?

Fortunately, Alain came with a beautiful, lush and melancholic tune on this one. It's a sound that I will always associate with Alain and which suited both of them well.
 
An above average b-side and a solid tune.

It is a little bit slight, but it's enjoyable for what it is.

In the poll on the Hoffman board it ranked 192nd from 264 solo songs.
 
Not an immediate favorite, not really a favorite per se now either, but obviously a strong piece of work. Moz never fails at dreamy music.
 
My favourite. Depends whether you can relate I suppose.
 
I can’t really add anything that has already been said, dreamy, bond like and from a period that shall never be the same again....
Great 4king B sides....

Listening to B sides like this was a Barry bonus....
It’s a beautiful song with wonderful melodies.....

Flesh 10/10
Cheap jewellery 10/10

Oh by the way Gordy boy
England 2
Scotland 1
Have a good nigh olde pal🍻🍻🍻
 
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