Honestly I thought the song was referring to Billy Pilgrim, the protagonist of Slaughterhouse-Five. In Kurt Vonnegut's novel, Billy Pilgrim marries a fat girl that he absolutely despises just because she's rich, and he buys a ridiculously expensive diamond ring for her. Billy leads a very sad and empty life, he becomes successful but it brings him no happiness. Every day of his life after he comes home from fighting as a teenager in WWII is just dismal, empty, or "humdrum". I think the dreams referred to in the song are how Billy Pilgrim has delusional fantasies about how he would like his life to be, married to a beautiful movie star and living on a different planet where his life makes sense.
I have no idea if Morrissey ever read the book or not, I just think the coincidences are cool.
Honestly I thought the song was referring to Billy Pilgrim, the protagonist of Slaughterhouse-Five. In Kurt Vonnegut's novel, Billy Pilgrim marries a fat girl that he absolutely despises just because she's rich, and he buys a ridiculously expensive diamond ring for her. Billy leads a very sad and empty life, he becomes successful but it brings him no happiness. Every day of his life after he comes home from fighting as a teenager in WWII is just dismal, empty, or "humdrum". I think the dreams referred to in the song are how Billy Pilgrim has delusional fantasies about how he would like his life to be, married to a beautiful movie star and living on a different planet where his life makes sense. I have no idea if Morrissey ever read the book or not, I just think the coincidences are cool.