Pretty Girls Make Graves

Chloe--right on. No doubt about it. I experienced this song in real life too many times to count. I recall having beautiful women coming on to me all the time and not being able to respond. I resented it. I hated myself for being gay (at the time). Whereas having these women hitting on me should have made me feel great, it made me feel suicidal because I felt like I was letting the whole world down.

What a f'ing revelation the Smiths were. Finally somebody was writing about my life and issues a little deeper than "Material Girl" and all the other drek of the time. The Smiths came out of nowhere and were truly original.

About a gay man being the object of desire for a woman who isn't aware of his sexuality. He is frustrated by her advances, and yet is even more confused when he finds himself becoming jealous when he sees her wth someone else, which I think is because at least before it meant that somebody wanted him.

Yes, you're right, "Pretty girls make graves" is a quote from the Dharma Bums. In the book, the philosophy behind it is that "pretty girls" lead to lust, which in turn leads to birth, which in turn leads to suffering and then, inevitably, death, or "graves".

Based on this, the character sees celibacy as the only way of breaking the cycle, if you like. Therefore, I don't think the trick that nature played is that the narrator is gay, as some people have said. I think the trick Morrissey is reffering to is actually lust, something which seems to lead to pleasure, but is actually the cause of all suffering.

This song has nothing to do with him being a homo or anything like that. This song is about a woman who he strongly desires but who only wants him for sex. He is very cautious from past expierences and it has left him emotionally scared. "there is a quick and easy way, you say" -she's basically a slut and is so emotionally detached that the only way she can express herself is through sex. "im not the man you think i am" -he wants true love not just sex (thats the dilemma). "You tug my arm, and say : Give in to lust, Give up to lust"- again she wants sex!, it couldnt be any clearer. I could have been wild and I could have Been free, But Nature played this trick on me" -hes not going to change his ways, he is to sensitive to be so careless. "She wants it Now, And she will not wait, But she's too rough And I'm too delicate" -he is very sensitive emotionally and can just have sex and be satisfied. "Then, on the sand Another man, he takes her hand, A smile lights up her stupid face (and well, it would)" -he basically has to let her go, another man came into the picture who can satiafy her sexual desires with less emotional attachment. This is when its clear that she dosent really care about him. "I lost my faith in Womanhood" -something happened in his past which made him loose his faith when hes around women, he is verry careful. He want a true woman... but lets face it that almost impossible to find now days

In reference to the "asexual" comments- Morissey was/is extremely savvy, and he knew that making a blanket statement about his sexuality would negatively affect some of his listener base, to the extent that they might interpret his lyrics differently, or in a way that might taint an openminded approach to his music. It's obvious that Morissey is at least "bi" as far as his attraction is concerned (his songs indicate that). If the man was truly asexual, his music would not be injected with so much passion. His music is more about struggle than it is about being disinterested. More than likely he is like a lot of artists, who don't place societal boundaries/constructs on attitudes or behaviours. Morissey was way ahead of his time, forcing people to address his music, not his private life. Bottom line: Morrissey struggles with sex, sexuality, relationships, etc., and all of these struggles come out in his music. To define him would be to limit him.

It's a song about a guy who lacks libido. And the feelings of self-worthlessness that follow a botched conquest. He would ideally love to fornicate with this pretty girl, but can't because he's shy/inexperienced/impotent/asexual/gay etc. etc. I don't think the reason matters. It's a universal humiliation most men can relate to. Feeling sexually inferior. And he could probably perform at some later date when the two have gotten comfortable with one another. But she wants it now. And she will not wait. And you know the rest.

"I'd also gone through an entire year of celibacy based on my feeling that lust was the direct cause of birth which was the direct cause of suffering and death and i had really no lie come to a point where i regarded lust as offensive and even cruel. 'pretty girls make graves,' was my saying."

from dharma bums by jack kerouac.

I never thought that it was about being gay. I always took it to mean that he was "above" sexual impulse and found the whole situation to be dreadfully boring.

I could speculate about the lyrics all day/night and I suspect that's what Morrissey would want ;)

However, I do know that the outro to this song is the most beautiful thing ever recorded. It gets me EVERY TIME.

Johnny Marr = Underrated Guitar Genius.

LOL @ dethwish! Unique interpretation there but in its own way correct.

igbybigby nailed it. Morrissey, with the influence of Kerouac's "The Dharma Bums", wrote this song about his celibacy and struggles with his own sexuality. You need to first understand Morrissey to understand this song. Moz is an innately loving person, he loves music, poetry, animals etc but he also has the extremely humane desire to be close to another person, to be in a loving relationship with someone.

The problem is that he does not experience lust towards this girl like an average man. Perhaps this is because, as people have said, he is homosexual and therefore not attracted to women in general. For me it goes beyond that, it is more likely he simply sees lust towards man or woman as a primal urge, an unsophisticated emotion which controls people and causes them to think with their loins rather than their heads. I'd even go as far as to say that for him lust, the pleasures of the flesh and his own body are something to feel shameful of. It's a theme in a lot of his songs.

This is why he does not "give in to lust", why "he will not rise for ANYONE". Yet when he sees the girl go off with another man, he feels jealous, resentful but also vindicated. He wants to be with this person, he wishes he was normal but cannot satisfy her lust. His view of lust as an irrational impulse is vindicated because the girl is able to simply move on to the next man who comes along and is willing to satisfy her, hence why he loses his faith in womanhood.