Maladjusted

Just incase people aren't aware about the Stevenage Overspill reference. Stevenage is known as the London Overspill as it's within Commutable distance of London. It's fast becoming quite big and house prices rocketed there a long time ago. Thus Morrissey is digging about being in the Overspill for an Overspill. He could be reversing it and refering to London with this as he immediately refers to SW6 after which is a London postcode.

"On this glorious occasion, of the splendid defeat" This audio sample of dialogue is taken from the film Cockleshell Heroes.

"In a low-cut blouse she brings the beer." "They'll eat a working girl like her alive." Joni Mitchell, in the song "The Jungle Line".

The Malady Lingers On "...But the melody lingers on." -Ziegfeld Follies, by Irving Berlin

I think this is one of his most actively nasty and spiteful songs. Hence why it's so great. The Maladjusted person is not him, but another person who is really screwed up - and the refrain of "still I maintain there's nothing wrong with you" is denial.

People are screwed up.

I'm pretty sure the Maladjusted person is Morrissey himself, considering all of the third-person lines that hint at the Moz archetype. Including the bit about the low-cut blouse, stifling a Friday night, etc. "There's nothing wrong with you" is pretty much self-reassurance.. and denial. But whatever, that's just perspective. The same meaning.

I think this is one of.. well, the good track from Maladjusted. And Ambitious Outsiders is interesting.. Though I won't go so far as to attempt to praise the album in it's entirety, it's really just that it doesnt live up to Moz standards, specifically.

I love, "Anyway do you want to hear our story or not?" Morrissey admonishing the listener as if we had strayed from the topic not he....Hilarious Morrissey in excellent form in this one.

I think this song is about prostitution, hence 'working girls' and also how she flops on the bed with dread...she's ashamed but has to do such things for whatever reason. Also with the stevenage overspill, it's like she's less than the people who live in actual London, that's why girls like her would 'kill to live around' the posher areas such as SW6.

I think of this song as Morrissey's attempt to write an 'epic' song about the rough side of London that he either read about or fantasized about. But I don't think it quite works. While the music is great- heavy, sinister, kind of claustaphobic- I think the story is kind of muddled. In my opinion, Morrissey says it best when he uses the least words- such as in the song- "Used to be a Sweet Boy", he let's the music and simple images speak volumes for him.

I think ultimately with the Maladjusted album, and why many fans to consider it to be one of his lesser works is that his heart really wasn't in it for writing songs for a general audience. He seemed to be going through a mid-life crisis of sorts and had too many scores to settle and too many things to come to term with 'Sorrow Will Come in the End', 'Ammunition', 'Trouble Loves Me' and in my opinion- songs about his parents 'Papa Jack' and 'Alma Matters'. I think this introspection started with Southpaw Grammar (also not considered to be one of his more popular albums). Even a fun songs like Roy's Keen and Dagenham Dave (from SG) play more like inside jokes than songs his fans could not really relate to. The one song on the album that is a throwback to his earlier, more freewheeling ironic days is 'Satan Rejected My Soul.' Fortunately Morrissey learned to loosen up again and made a smashing comeback with 'You are the Quarry.'

One of Morrissey's finest songs. Yes wordy, but very effective painting of the dark side of London.

Maladjusted is primarily the call girls. But secondarily Moz himself, as a writer and singer on the outsider, singing about the outsider.