I Know It's Over

The song is about someone who has never loved and never been in a relationship. He feels the soil falling over his head because he might as well be dead with a loveless existence stretching out before him, and appeals to his mother as the only female figure of importance in his life. The "sad veiled bride" section refers to his jealousy of others ("loud loutish lovers" even), whom he presumably feels he is emotionally superior to and more deserving than, however it is these less pleasant male figures that end up with a woman. "It never really began, but in my heart, it was so real" is referring to his imagination, his hopes, his dreams, none of which have or will ever come true.

The "if you're so funny..." verse is probably the best Morrisey ever wrote. What a fantastic set of lyrics.

You know what he's talking about, especially if you've ever gone through depression. You feel good about some things about yourself, but then this nagging little voice in the back of your head says, well, if you have all of these good qualities, why are you alone?

There is no doubt in my my mind that their can be several different interpretations of what the song is really saying. To be completely correct i guess we would need to ask Morrissey. Nonetheless, here is my interpretation, if you care to read it. As a man in his early 20's here is what I walk away with:

1st and foremost, this is one of the saddest songs ever written, despite it's sadness it's one that many of us can relate to. (don't believe me go to youtube and see that the top comment is from some poor soul with a broken heart).

This is meant to be a sad, with lyrics that make us think. Some commenters have commented that this song makes them think about their mother. For me not so much, but when he sings "Oh, mother I can feel the soil, falling over my head"--i picture a boy in his twenties like myself looking at his mother and he's dying (from a broken heart) and he's redundantly and chaotically telling his mom it's over between his lover and himself and the only thing left is for him to be buried hence the soil" That's the overall picture. Next he explains what has happened. How he feels miserable and the only thing he desires is to be with that person. Despite how much he begs or persists it useless, because it's over so he does what he thinks is his only option cling, until something comes up.

Next scene I picture that same boy in his room alone writing how the sea wants to take, etc which demonstrates he's alone and he has come to accept it to some extent and the knife slitting him is perhaps his best remedy. The next scene brings much sadness to the boy.

He is at her(the lover) wedding's and he is not the groom, and he's forced to watch his loved go into the arms of another man. Despite being in the worst situation possible, he still believes she is meant for him. That's why he sings "handsome groom give her room, loud loutish lover treat her kindly although she needs you more than she loves you"

Then he goes through a series of questions where he visualizes the woman being alone and he wants to be with her, but she refuses him still. Then he concludes that perhaps she is alone every night and she won't find happiness, but she will just not with him. The best part of song:

"love is natural and real, but not for such as you and I my love" The time has come to realize that it wasn't meant to be. The love of his life doesn't love him the way he loves her. So, where back to reality he's dying the same boy crying to his mother telling her that's he's dying from a painful heart break.

What do you think?? It took a bit to write this so comments are encouraged. I love this song!!

"i know it's over / and it never really began / but in my heart it was so real"

god, that hits home. these lyrics are incredible.

I am an avid Smiths fan and would like to offer a analytical interpretation of Morrissey's masterpiece. In an earlier comment by Ilian he states, "The protagonist is regreting because his woman left him..." I am not going to destroy Ilian's interpretation but point out that this statement is pure rejection of Morrissey's state of sexuality. Notcing that Morissey makes no reference to a oarticular gender, it is important we interpret this as intentional and that this song is not focused on particular instantces or recollection. Surely his claim to his mother might be better interpreted of the failure of love to be propoerly defined. The relationship is certianly not a particular, as I mentioned, but fictious and servign to develop Morrisey's points.

"Sad veiled bride, please be happy handsome groom, give her room loud, loutish lover, treat her kindly although she needs you more than she loves you "

No, this doesnt have to do with Morrissey's lost love marrying or whatever. The anonymous singer speaks of the true nature of relationships limiting it to pure serendepity. In other words, the need for somebody often shall override the lust and desire of a relationship. Also the loud luscious lover is sexual implication of the male that must be tamed in order to prevent disaster. The singer then tells of particular dialogue but it is important to see that this is not actuall events but pruposeful progression towards the finale. The significant other tears apart the singer's qualities stating that after somebody is stripped of such qualities only "triumphs and charms" remain, grasping for survival and they certainly cannot be removed. The singer then exclaims that its easy to perform general emotional qualities , but true lacking is often that of gentleness and kindness that are held only by relentless strength. Then the singer proudly claims elitismwhich is exuded throughout the song claiming that the other person has failed to recognize love. The statement about tonight is the most interesting because it leads to a possible reconcile but the next line scratches such a thought explaining that coesitence thorugh love between the two of them is impossible. Their love is tarnished by the others inability to comprehend love. Morisseys ends with the opening line which now becomes apparent that the singers pain and agony is stemmed by "others" failure to fully realize love. The fictious bed morissey has created might never be occupied with anybody other than the singer.

What other song captures the suffocating, buried-alive feeling of extreme heartbeak? So powerful!

This song reminds me of unrequited love. A guy who's in love with a girl who has friend zoned him, and the girl he was in love with is going to marry another guy.

"Sad veiled bride, please be happy handsome groom, give her room"

The marriage suggestion, though it doesn't have to be taken literally, the bride/groom reference could just be a poetic way of saying she's found someone else.

"loud, loutish lover, treat her kindly"

"it takes strength to be gentle and kind"

It's common for a nice guy to be turned down for a more outgoing, brash, confident guy.

"although she needs you more than she loves you"

I think this isn't so much aimed at the "loud, loutish lover", but the protagonist talking about his experience. The girl needed him as a friend, as a shoulder to cry on, someone for attention, for her to feel attractive and wanted, but in the end she needed that from the protagonist more than she loved him.

"and it never really began but in my heart it was so real"

It never really began because it was never a relationship, their love was only on his behalf.

"I know it's over still I cling"

He know's it's over, but he still clings to the hope that she'll split up with her "groom", realise what a great guy the protagonist is, and they'll live happily ever after.

"while they are in each other's arms"

This lyric kills me. So sad.

None of the stuff in this song actually happens. There is no bride, no heartbreak, no hateful chides. Morrissey, as we all know, would never put himself into such a position. He is above such experiences. The very idea of Morrissey running to his mother, with the world crashing around his ears, because of a relationship, is patently ridiculous. He has issued himself against such pain. He had expressed this clearly in other songs. 'Enough said'.

He is not talking about his heartbreak, he is talking about ours. Relationships (he specifically describes a male-female relationship) are not for Morrissey because they are doomed to failure. The man, the groom, is a 'loud loutish lover'. For him, love is about sex. The woman is somehow sad, even on her wedding day. For her, love is about need and security. Their perspectives don't appear to mesh at all. Concessions will have to be made. Room will have to be given. Kindness will have to be remembered.

Morrissey dips his toe in. He imagines what the end of a short encounter might be like. It never really began because he cannot invest, emotionally. At the end, he is told, essentially, "you are are alone now and you always will be. There is nothing special about you". He describes the pain as being buried, invisible, forgotten. He wants to crystallize this pain, to own it, to ,be it, but he will never experience it. The very existence of this pain is the reason why he can never be loved. He is an artist, a reporter, and a reporter cannot get too involved in his story.

Morrissey is celebrating in his position - being removed from the realities of love and despair just enough to see them from above. From up there he can see the truth of the situation. Pain is beautiful. There is no art without pain.

Who hasn't felt this way before?

That's how it goses to me: The protagonist is regreting because his woman left him: the soil is falling over his head and he climbs to an empty bed, no one waits for him. His ex lover is now marrying. She's sad veiled bride, who doesn't exactly love his groom, since she needs him more than she loves him. But, although she left him, the protagonist wants her to be happy and wants her husband to treat her well. Now he creates a hypothetical character who reminds him: why are you on your own tonight if youre clever, good looking etc. Now, they're in each other's arms: the one he loves and her husband. The next paragraph talks about the difficulty he has to remain gentle and kind with her and her husband because he's furious, so is much easier to laugh and hate. Finally, it kindda confirms my interpretation, saying that her love is not natural and real, because she should love him, but is married with another man.

I hope you guys like my interpretion to this wonderful lyrics.