I think this song is an assault on the deculturalisation of modern Britain and the gradual numbing of it's populace.
"I'd like to drop my trousers to the world
each household appliance
is like a new science in my town" -
These lyrics invoke a disgruntled youth who is either a bookworm (as Morrissey is/was) who is indignant at the incessant materialisation of the lower crust of society and society's acceptance of that or perhaps, he has caught the bug himself and wishes to shed off the obsession both in real terms (shunning coffee percolators and the like) and in symbolic terms ala dropping down his trousers.
"and if the day came when I felt a
natural emotion
I'd get such a shock I'd probably jump
in the ocean" -
He speaks as someone who seems to be disaffected by his current state of living. The subjugation of his class of people (the lower) serves to numb them and, in turn, himself. If he felt a natural emotion such as optomism for his future or ambition derived from self esteem then he'd be out of his comfort zone. It seems that the household appliances and whatever else, all serve to weaken the morale of those of slender means as they provide a fleeting satisfaction rather than one found at the end of hard work and perseverance.
"and when a train goes by
it's such a sad sound" -
The sound of progress and elsewhere puts his occupationally threadbare existance into glaring apparency. for the humdrum of his working class lifestyle runs to a much slower riff than the that of a train. This is symoblically represented by Johnny Marr's riff in between the second and third verse in that it is a solo that clatters away like the wheels of z train over a tracks.
Much of the rest of the song explains itself away quite easily or is not integral to my interpretation of the song. This section of the final verse however: -
"And when I'm lying in my bed
I think about life
and I think about death
and neither one particularly appeals to me" -
When emotions are dumbed down due to the monotony experienced by many, suicide becomes a prime contemplation. After not very long of course, the notion of death becomes exactly that, notional. Morrissey, like any healthy human being realises that he is quite fond of his existance really. He is quite devoted to his mundane life. As much as realising death isn't appealing may add some short relief, it becomes quickly apparent that life isn't all too appealing in itself. Hence forth Morrissey finds himself back in numb depression once more; no longer contemplating life or death, and certainly feeling no natural emotions.
I think this song is an assault on the deculturalisation of modern Britain and the gradual numbing of it's populace.
"I'd like to drop my trousers to the world each household appliance is like a new science in my town" - These lyrics invoke a disgruntled youth who is either a bookworm (as Morrissey is/was) who is indignant at the incessant materialisation of the lower crust of society and society's acceptance of that or perhaps, he has caught the bug himself and wishes to shed off the obsession both in real terms (shunning coffee percolators and the like) and in symbolic terms ala dropping down his trousers.
"and if the day came when I felt a natural emotion I'd get such a shock I'd probably jump in the ocean" - He speaks as someone who seems to be disaffected by his current state of living. The subjugation of his class of people (the lower) serves to numb them and, in turn, himself. If he felt a natural emotion such as optomism for his future or ambition derived from self esteem then he'd be out of his comfort zone. It seems that the household appliances and whatever else, all serve to weaken the morale of those of slender means as they provide a fleeting satisfaction rather than one found at the end of hard work and perseverance.
"and when a train goes by it's such a sad sound" - The sound of progress and elsewhere puts his occupationally threadbare existance into glaring apparency. for the humdrum of his working class lifestyle runs to a much slower riff than the that of a train. This is symoblically represented by Johnny Marr's riff in between the second and third verse in that it is a solo that clatters away like the wheels of z train over a tracks.
Much of the rest of the song explains itself away quite easily or is not integral to my interpretation of the song. This section of the final verse however: -
"And when I'm lying in my bed I think about life and I think about death and neither one particularly appeals to me" - When emotions are dumbed down due to the monotony experienced by many, suicide becomes a prime contemplation. After not very long of course, the notion of death becomes exactly that, notional. Morrissey, like any healthy human being realises that he is quite fond of his existance really. He is quite devoted to his mundane life. As much as realising death isn't appealing may add some short relief, it becomes quickly apparent that life isn't all too appealing in itself. Hence forth Morrissey finds himself back in numb depression once more; no longer contemplating life or death, and certainly feeling no natural emotions.