Looking back, this song is clearly about reVILEd DJ Jimmy Savile, which Morrissey must have had knowledge about, some 26 years ago.
'The Leeds side streets that you slip down, the provincial towns you jog 'round', it's so obvious now listening to it.
The original promo video shows the lead character smoking throughout (albeit a cigarette and not a cigar) and passionately kissing a skull at the end (a reference to one of Savile's bizarre 'interests'), and throughout has a first person view of an outstretched hand running down sidestreets in a groping fashion, whilst switching back to children playing in the playground, as the line 'Hang the DJ' is sung by youngsters. There are also other possible references in the video. It's funny the original promo video was remade with live footage overlaid over the original video, obscuring most of the content in the process, but both can be found on YouTube.
I'm sure some of the inspiration may have come about because of the Steve Wright / Wham thing referenced earlier, and the line 'the music that they constantly play' is clearly in tune with that line of thinking, but I'm almost certain this is about Savile.
@uvlight I love you for explaining this song's, now glaringly obvious oblique references. My jaw dropped when i read your comment, as I've been doing a deep dive on Savile lately, and this song's been on my mind.
I salute the band. THIS is what true musical artists are made of and for, and this insight made my day.
@uvlight I love you for explaining this song's, now glaringly obvious oblique references. My jaw dropped when i read your comment, as I've been doing a deep dive on Savile lately, and this song's been on my mind.
I salute the band. THIS is what true musical artists are made of and for, and this insight made my day.
I should point out that of course it's all speculative / conjecture - nobody would truly know other than the man himself, and anyone around him that he happened to let in on it.
I should point out that of course it's all speculative / conjecture - nobody would truly know other than the man himself, and anyone around him that he happened to let in on it.
It's likely not necessarily explicitly 100% about one thing or another. Like an onion, songs can have many layers. But I do think when you closely at some of the lyrical references and the original promo video content then it does appear to be a veiled way of putting it out there.
It's likely not necessarily explicitly 100% about one thing or another. Like an onion, songs can have many layers. But I do think when you closely at some of the lyrical references and the original promo video content then it does appear to be a veiled way of putting it out there.
The original promo video is a bit of clue and is a bit harder to find online these days for those looking as its been replaced by an updated one that overlays live footage onto the main imagery mainly obscuring it. However, I did find it with ease on Vimeo this morning so it's still out there. I think many of those who instantly dismiss this theory perhaps aren't looking at this original promo video and connecting the dots. It's at least a little bit odd it got updated to obscure much of the content, and it's more difficult to find the original version.
As well as all the potential lyrical references, and the references mentioned earlier, there's other imagery in this video to pick up on that seem out of place with the song if it's purely about Steve Wright and Radio 1 music etc., but seem to go hand-in-hand with the Savile scandal.
Plus, the subject seems to have been an open secret amongst many in the music industry at the time and wider afield. It's really not a far stretch that Morrissey was aware of him, and this was a way of putting it out there. Others were also putting it out there in the 80's, some in a far more explicit and obvious manner.
Many dismiss it all as nonsense, there is some discussion about it elsewhere on the t'interweb, but personally I don't think so, and many others have picked up on the same things.
Me and a sibling had a near-miss with the guy as kids ourselves in the late 70's / early 80's - thankfully nothing happened... but needless to say he was at a school, my siblings school, which happened to be a school for children with a particular disability, he turned up as a guest of honour as it was celebrating some sort of anniversary.
Looking back, this song is clearly about reVILEd DJ Jimmy Savile, which Morrissey must have had knowledge about, some 26 years ago.
'The Leeds side streets that you slip down, the provincial towns you jog 'round', it's so obvious now listening to it.
The original promo video shows the lead character smoking throughout (albeit a cigarette and not a cigar) and passionately kissing a skull at the end (a reference to one of Savile's bizarre 'interests'), and throughout has a first person view of an outstretched hand running down sidestreets in a groping fashion, whilst switching back to children playing in the playground, as the line 'Hang the DJ' is sung by youngsters. There are also other possible references in the video. It's funny the original promo video was remade with live footage overlaid over the original video, obscuring most of the content in the process, but both can be found on YouTube.
I'm sure some of the inspiration may have come about because of the Steve Wright / Wham thing referenced earlier, and the line 'the music that they constantly play' is clearly in tune with that line of thinking, but I'm almost certain this is about Savile.
Not a bad theory. Saville came from Leeds, after all.
Not a bad theory. Saville came from Leeds, after all.
A less cynical view would be that Morrissey was taking a cheap shot at Savile and Top of the Pops.
A less cynical view would be that Morrissey was taking a cheap shot at Savile and Top of the Pops.
@uvlight I love you for explaining this song's, now glaringly obvious oblique references. My jaw dropped when i read your comment, as I've been doing a deep dive on Savile lately, and this song's been on my mind. I salute the band. THIS is what true musical artists are made of and for, and this insight made my day.
@uvlight I love you for explaining this song's, now glaringly obvious oblique references. My jaw dropped when i read your comment, as I've been doing a deep dive on Savile lately, and this song's been on my mind. I salute the band. THIS is what true musical artists are made of and for, and this insight made my day.
@jenny11837 You're welcome.
@jenny11837 You're welcome.
I should point out that of course it's all speculative / conjecture - nobody would truly know other than the man himself, and anyone around him that he happened to let in on it.
I should point out that of course it's all speculative / conjecture - nobody would truly know other than the man himself, and anyone around him that he happened to let in on it.
It's likely not necessarily explicitly 100% about one thing or another. Like an onion, songs can have many layers. But I do think when you closely at some of the lyrical references and the original promo video content then it does appear to be a veiled way of putting it out there.
It's likely not necessarily explicitly 100% about one thing or another. Like an onion, songs can have many layers. But I do think when you closely at some of the lyrical references and the original promo video content then it does appear to be a veiled way of putting it out there.
The original promo video is a bit of clue and is a bit harder to find online these days for those looking as its been replaced by an updated one that overlays live footage onto the main imagery mainly obscuring it. However, I did find it with ease on Vimeo this morning so it's still out there. I think many of those who instantly dismiss this theory perhaps aren't looking at this original promo video and connecting the dots. It's at least a little bit odd it got updated to obscure much of the content, and it's more difficult to find the original version.
As well as all the potential lyrical references, and the references mentioned earlier, there's other imagery in this video to pick up on that seem out of place with the song if it's purely about Steve Wright and Radio 1 music etc., but seem to go hand-in-hand with the Savile scandal.
Plus, the subject seems to have been an open secret amongst many in the music industry at the time and wider afield. It's really not a far stretch that Morrissey was aware of him, and this was a way of putting it out there. Others were also putting it out there in the 80's, some in a far more explicit and obvious manner.
Many dismiss it all as nonsense, there is some discussion about it elsewhere on the t'interweb, but personally I don't think so, and many others have picked up on the same things.
Me and a sibling had a near-miss with the guy as kids ourselves in the late 70's / early 80's - thankfully nothing happened... but needless to say he was at a school, my siblings school, which happened to be a school for children with a particular disability, he turned up as a guest of honour as it was celebrating some sort of anniversary.