i think the song is ultimately about the effects of the moors murders on manchester society as a hole. with the first lines 'take me to the moor, dig a shallow grave and i'll lie me down' morrissey seems to put himself in the place of the murdered children, suggesting that everyone in manchester felt an very personal pain, that there was a sort of collective empathy, resulting from the moors murders. 'we will by your side, till the day you die' suggests the profound social effect of the murders, a crime the likes of which was truly shocking and unheard of in its day. 'manchester, so much to answer for' suggests a sense collective guilt that such a terrible thing could happen in manchester society
i think the song is ultimately about the effects of the moors murders on manchester society as a hole. with the first lines 'take me to the moor, dig a shallow grave and i'll lie me down' morrissey seems to put himself in the place of the murdered children, suggesting that everyone in manchester felt an very personal pain, that there was a sort of collective empathy, resulting from the moors murders. 'we will by your side, till the day you die' suggests the profound social effect of the murders, a crime the likes of which was truly shocking and unheard of in its day. 'manchester, so much to answer for' suggests a sense collective guilt that such a terrible thing could happen in manchester society