What Difference Does It Make?

my interpretation of this song is that its about two ruffian youths... friends since children... one of them turns out to be gay... and tells the other... or he finds out...

one youth does not want to hang out with a poof and the gay kid is saying 'what difference does it make?' 'cant we still be friends?'

CONSIDER............. 'all men have secrets...' 'yet you start to recoil...' 'nopw you know the truth about me, you wont see me anymore...' 'yr prejudice wont keep you warm tonite...'

the best part is 'you must be looking very old tonite' meaning old ways...

My take:

All men have secrets and here is mine so let it be known we have been through hell and high tide I can surely rely on you and yet you start to recoil heavy words are so lightly thrown but I'd still leap in front of a flying bullet for you

Morrissey confided to an old reliable friend who's he been through a lot with that he was gay.   The friend had a bad reaction to this.  Morrissey says inspite of his reaction he would do anything for the guy because he's that good of a friend to him.  He would even take a bullet for him.

So what difference does it make? so what difference does it make? it makes none, but now you have gone and you must be looking very old tonight

He's commenting to himself afterwards, what difference
does it make that he's gay?  There isn't any but
apparently it irked this guy so much it probably caused
him to prematurely age! (talk about dry humor)

The devil will find work for idle hands to do I stole and I lied, and why? because you asked me to but now you make me feel so ashamed because I've only got two hands well, I'm still fond of you (ha ha)

Apparently he's done all kinds of things for this friend that could have got him trouble.  Inspite of that his friend makes him feel ashamed for being a gay human being.  However, he still likes him as a friend but his opinion is obviously change (thus the ha ha at the end.) It's omitted for some reason in lyrics above but Moz does say it.

So what difference does it make? so what difference does it make? it makes none, but now you have gone and your prejudice won't keep you warm tonight

Pretty straight forward although the ending could have two meanings  His friend is prejudice of him being gay and apparently Moz even threw him out of his house or told him to take a walk.  Thus, he's out in the cold.  Or his friend's prejudice makes him cold and callous as a person.

Oh the devil will find work for idle hands to do I stole and then I lied just because you asked me to but now you know the truth about me you won't see me anymore well, I'm still fond of you (a ha ha)

But no more apologies no more apologies I'm too tired, I'm so very tired and I'm feeling very sick and ill today but I'm still fond of you (a ha ha)

Apparently the guy tried to apologize but if you are prejudice, then you are what you are, so why apologize for being what you are?  Even if you are prejudice, cold callous homophobic?

This is the song that made me fall in love with the Smiths, great song. While I may have spoken about the ambiguity of the Smiths songs before, this does definitely seem to be about someone coming out to the object of his desires, and being rejected, mostly due to the line 'your prejudice won't keep you warm tonight', a great line, which really does point out the futility of homophobia, and indeed all prejudices: being gay/bi can be a source of pride, and makes you happy with yourself, but what does homophobia give you? Ah, I love this song so much, I recently came out as bi to my own would-be sweetheart (a girl, by the way), and she was disgusted, despite the fact that I pointed out this really made no difference to what I felt for her. So I started just quoting the lines to this... in hindsight, a fairly stupid idea, but never mind...

the single to "what difference does it make?" has a picture of the actor terence stamp on it's cover from the movie "the collector." it is based on a book about a lonely butterfly collector who eventually kidnaps a woman he has admired from afar in an attempt to win her affection. i don't know how much this adds to an interpretation of the song. i just think it's interesting.

I love the irony in the opening lines.

"All men have secrets and here is mine So let it be known "

What do you mean, all men have secrets? And if you let it be known, is it still a secret?

another classic Smiths moment

In my opinion the songs about two people who meet, they both really like each other but then one of them discovers there not from the same social group etc (now you know the truth about me),one of them then becomes disinterested ( and yet you start to recoil). But the other is still in love(still I'd jump in front of a flying bullet for you), they then start to think about the person (feeling very sick and ill today, knowing the other does not love them any more), and they think of all the things that are out off character they did for them, such as neglect their friends ( I stole and then I lied).

The things that makes me thing its not just about someone finding out the other is gay are : your prejudice won't keep you warm tonight, this suggests the potential for an intermate relationship;sick and ill today, which suggests love and oh my sacred one.

In my opinion, the song details the breakdown of a once beautiful friendship.

Morrissey sings the part of one who has suffered an incredibly hard relationship breakdown -- their best friend has ceased to return their affection due to some unspecified event (an unrequited romantic interest, most likely). The spurned party appreciates that, despite the intense-sounding history, any appeal directed at their best friend/would-be lover is futile; the relationship is irreparably broken. And yet, such is the strength of feeling for the dismissive friend, he keeps thrashing around like a snared animal. The disinterested friend knows this all too well and exerts control, casually manipulating him -- possibly for revenge or just for the thrill of having somebody's heart on a string.

The relationship (if, by this point, you can call it that) becomes almost like a sick joke -- both parties know the script, yet the main character's ineffable fondness for the other party dooms them to repeat their behaviour: "I would do anything for you, but what difference does it make when you do not and will not care about me?".

Finally, the spurned friend cannot sink any lower, gets a grip of their senses and retreats. Even after the horrendous suffering and humiliation, he is still (almost ruefully) fond of the friend.

This basically mirrors something that happened to me, so perhaps I saw what I wanted to see. Some of the lyrics are so beautifully phrased, they fit like a glove. This song helped me to recognise and understand my behaviour and slowly move on.

I just thought the thrust of it was what difference does my devotion make to our relationship??? what difference does it make to our future that I'd die for you it makes none because you are the one in control and I can do nothing to make you treat me with respect or to love me back. its the futility of one sided attraction to me. As to whether the target of this is male or female necessarily I don't think there is conclusive evidence. Maybe his secret is the fact that he knew this all along and he is opening up for the first time....? or maybe is it homosexual...?

"...the devil will make work for idle hands to do." -Beyond Belief, Emlyn Williams (after the bible)

"What difference does it make ?" -Terence Stamp, in the film The Collector which features on the sleeve.

the background music for this song sounds almost like a slowed-down version of handsome devil