The Smiths – That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore

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  General Comment:It sounds like its about bullying. And im afraid, that doesnt make me smile.

  Flag treehuggreon March 18, 2013   Link

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  My Interpretation:I interpret the guv'nors lyrics far too literally BUT...
  
  I think this song is written in the style of a very bleak British film from the 40s/50's which has no happy endings. It's a black story.
  
  I think the narrator is a repressed partner (in the passenger seat here and in the realtionship for the sake of being in a relationship). He is being gradually ground down through the tiresome, miserable existence in the shadow of a partner (the driver) who is a bully - a contemptible figure who mocks everybody and finds hilarity in the misfortunes of others - namely the lonely, the depressed and the suicidal.
  The passenger has listened to this throughout the relationship (for many years perhaps) and has become depressed themselves. He realises that he has, over time, become the butt of the joke himself.
  He has never spoken his mind and never challenged the bully although it has gradually eaten away at him.
  He finally has enough, tells the driver to pull over, delivers a calm, measured, response on how he's sick of it, on how laughing at the misfortunes of others really isn't amusing and that he's had quite enough.
  He 'drives the point home' disposing of the bully, and catches himself smiling in the act - the repression having been ended.
  
  p.s. none of this actualy happened - Moz writes in the third person and not everyone understands this - which keeps getting him in trouble ;o)
  
  It's different!

  Flag reiloon January 25, 2013   Link

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• +1
  General Comment:My boyfriend has just broken up with me because I've been feeling a little sad lately and he thinks I spend too much time feeling sorry for myself - he's always laughed at people like that, he thinks depression isn't real and that everyone who gets into a slump every now and then does so for attention.
  
  I think that is basically what is happening in this song as well. I've seen this happen in other people's lives, and now it's happening in mine.

  Flag deftlyon June 14, 2012   Link

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  General Comment:The song isn’t about a specific loss or relationship.. it’s sung to the listener by a very lonely, depressed person whose at the end of his rope. At some time in his life he’d laughed and made fun of the socially inept that lacked the skills to hook up… but he’s not laughing anymore … he’s at that very point in his life and he’s experiencing the pain of that loneliness first hand.. and the jokes aren’t funny anymore.. He deals with his pain and loneliness by self-medicating.. shooting smack.. and he’s parked on some deserted road shooting up… He knows he could OD and not come back.. and it makes him smile at the thought of escaping the loneliness. He might die with a smile on his face after all.

  Flag tjholmeon November 04, 2011   Link

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  General Comment:Maybe a girlfriend broke up with him. He had seen it happen so many times in other people's lives and he was always laughing at them, now it happened in his life and suddenly he can't laugh about it. The joke isn't funny anymore when it's on us... It's too close to home and it hurts near the bone...

  Flag lucaslmgvon September 29, 2011   Link

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  Song Meaning:In my opinion, i think that the song is about suicide and finding a way to escape. the first verse of the song describes how the protagonist has been mistreated, which is shown throughout the lyrics of the first verse 'when you laugh about people who feel so very lonely their only desire is to die'. the lines 'its to close to home and its to near the bone more than you'll ever know' explain how the protagonist feels when mistreated. the lines in the last verse of the song 'It was dark as I drove the point home, and on cold leather seats well, it suddenly struck me I just might die with a smile on my face after all' suggest that the protagonist has now cut/stabbed himself (it was dark as i drove the point home) and is now happy having found his means of escape (i just might die with a smile on my face after all) regardless of the meaning though, Morrissey is an amazing lyricist.

  Flag johnnyappleseed123on September 21, 2011   Link

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  General Comment:to me, this song is about a person who is very lonely and they have this "friend" who likes to make jokes about others who are lonely. maybe because they're 'weird' or they don't seem to fit in. but the narrator doesn't find any of the jokes funny at all because he sympathizes.

  Flag dying2reachgreenon May 31, 2011   Link

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  Song Meaning:The protagonist seduces the bully and now the bully must deal with his shame and his possible homosexuality. Driving the point home on cold leather seats in a car parked at the side of the road can only mean one thing. Many of his songs deal with the angst of the homosexual - here, he delivers some payback (probably should have been directed at his father). The emotional immaturity of the homosexual is also relayed - he smiles during the conquest.

  Flagged brahmson May 06, 2011   Link

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  General Comment:People think songs have to be linear with one subject and a linear time frame, but they dont.
  
  If you look at the first two verses he is thinking about a girl who left him and the hurt he felt.
  Then the line "why must you kick them when they fall down" is simply what he thinks the person did to him.
  
  The last verse is now in the present, and he is driving a girl home, perhaps on his first date with her and he laments that infact regardless of how bad and lonely he felt in the past he just might die with a smile on his face after all, perhaps because they liked each other
  
  its that simple. Dont believe me, why not ask morrissey himself

  Flag geminiiion April 12, 2011   Link

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  General Comment:I've always pictured the protagonist alone in the night in a car with a beautiful woman, the likes of which he'd never been with before, who makes a joke about someone less fortunate in love or beauty. He then respectfully corrects the woman, then re-realizes how striking she is, and how fortunate he is to be with her, after a lifetime of unhappiness and loneliness.
  
  "I've seen this happen in other peoples' lives and now it's happening in mine..."

  Flag bradlecaton August 06, 2010   Link

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