Sweetness, sweetness I was only joking
When I said I'd like to smash every tooth
In your head

Oh...sweetness, sweetness, I was only joking
When I said by rights you should be
Bludgeoned in your bed

And now I know how Joan of Arc felt
Now I know how Joan of Arc felt
As the flames rose to her roman nose
And her Walkman started to melt
Oh...

Bigmouth, la...bigmouth, la...
Bigmouth strikes again
And I've got no right to take my place
With the Human race

Oh, bigmouth, la ... bigmouth, la
Bigmouth strikes again
And I've got no right to take my place
With the Human race

And now I know how Joan of Arc felt
Now I know how Joan of Arc felt
As the flames rose to her roman nose
And her hearing aid started to melt

Bigmouth, la...bigmouth, la...
Bigmouth strikes again
And I've got no right to take my place
With the Human race
Oh...

Bigmouth, oh...bigmouth, la...
Bigmouth strikes again
And I've got no right to take my place
With the Human race
Oh...

Bigmouth, oh...bigmouth, la...
Bigmouth strikes again
And I've got no right to take my place
With the Human race
Oh...

Bigmouth, oh...bigmouth, la...
Bigmouth strikes again
And I've got no right to take my place
With the Human race
Oh...



Lyrics submitted by weezerific:cutlery

Track duration: 03:15

"Bigmouth Strikes Again" as written by Johnny Marr, Steven Patrick Morrissey

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.

Lyrics powered by LyricFind


Bigmouth Strikes Again song meanings
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68 Comments

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  • +1
    General Comment:It's about a guy who loses his temper with his significant other, says a lot of awful stuff (he's got a big mouth, see) and tries to play it off as a joke later.
    Flag Crane42on April 30, 2013   Link
  • 0
    My Interpretation:This song is an answer to the critics that Smiths received for the song The Queen is Dead, in which they heavily criticized British Monarchy and Church.
    It`s pretty sarcastic because he seems to be apologizing in the beggining ("sweetness, I was only joking"), like if they were worried with the critics and regretting the polemic caused.
    But in the chorus he says that did not mean the apology and was actually lying... ("bigmouth (liar) strikes again"...)
    It`s a double sense lyrics afterall, you do not know if they are actually apologizing or not
    Flag Eduardotson March 14, 2013   Link
  • +2
    My Interpretation:It just hit me today that the Joan of Arc bit is very simple. Say the wrong thing, burn with embarrassment.
    Flag jbcon April 16, 2012   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:this song is definitely tongue in cheek! that's one thing i love about Morrissey! he can so morose and serious in one song and completely sarcastic in another!
    Flag dying2reachgreenon May 31, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Definitely a funny song - Morrissey alternates between bombastic verbal bluster and cringing apology, neither of which is remotely convincing. A great self-awareness and self-mockery coming through here, not many artists could or would want to pull that off.
    Flag neilmcon May 12, 2011   Link
  • +1
    General Comment:The first verses of this song are absolutely brilliant. They're immerse in a humour aura that I can't even understand fully. "I was only joking when I said I'd like to smash every tooth in your head" and such other phrases in other Smiths songs, like "I still love you, just a slightly less then I used to, my love" are what give the band this strong identity. Sorry for the poor english. Gabriel, Brasil
    Flagged gabrielshavoon March 29, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Balance & Composure has a phenomenal cover to this. Check it out, you won't regret it.
    Flag DirtyDianaaaon March 20, 2011   Link
  • -2
    General Comment:I love this song. I hate placebo's version, but I'm not bashing because it's the only thing that i've heard of theirs. I do love The Smiths, and have only just discovered them (I wasn't alive when they were popular) and am only just recovering from the shock of their split (23 years! 23 years!) The teenagers of the world can chase after their R-Patz and crap, but I'm a Morrissey fangirl. Possibly the youngest currently in existance. It's wrong, I know. Screw the age gap, I have issues. I'm actually quite precocious, so my taste in music is what many consider strange.
    I love Moz, he's ace.
    MMS, Smiths fan and animal rights supporter respectively.
    Oh, the song interpretation? It's clear, isn't it? It's just about those moments where you say things you wish you hadn't, and what you say gets you into predicaments that you, quite franky, would rather not be in.
    Flagged EverEvanescenton December 18, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:This song's incredibly easy to figure out. It's about morrissey's own big mouth. hah. The beginning bit about trying to reassure "sweetness" that he didn't want to smash every tooth in their head is him doing damage control after Bigmouth has gone and blabbed all over. I think the true identities about these two figures isn't explicit and might even be generalized. Anyway, Moz goes on to talk about how he's being martyred for his beliefs, just like Joan of Arc while being unable to hear properly, as if he's toned death to what's probably appropriate or not. So people treat him like he's got no right to join the human race. ect ect. oh, stephen. haha.
    Flag Intelligentleon December 13, 2010   Link
  • +1
    General Comment:Okee dokee people of the world, here is my uber-insightful take on the song.
    "Joking when I said....smash every tooth in your head"
    This might seem 'serious', but of course, everybody knows mozz is joking. I think that it's mocking the ridiculousness of the world, and it is also Morrissey mocking himself.

    As for the refrences to Joan of Arc:
    Joan of Arc was accued of being a lesbian for dressing and acting and saying things the way she did.
    This, perhaps, could be referencing all the criticism Mozz gets about his sexuality, by prancing around and declaring his celibacy...hence 'bigmouth'

    "I've got no right to take my place in the human race"
    Morrissey has loudly proclaimed what he thinks of the world, and how much he *ahem* "loves" people.
    So maybe this is his way of saying hey, I've criticized all these people and ridiculed and mocked them...so why would they accept me into society? He's admitting to himself in that he doesn't deserve his place....in the human race...

    And as for the title of this song, 'Bigmouth Strikes Again', I am under the popular belief that Morrissey is referring to himself.
    About how he can't keep his big mouth shut with all his skepticism and criticism of people and society.

    .....and if you can't tell I have spent a long time thinking this over...lol X)
    Flag mediocremurphyon December 02, 2010   Link

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