At least some of this song is inspired (like many of Morrissey's lyrics) by Shelagh Delaney's seminal Kitchen Sink drama A Taste of Honey. The part of the narrative explored in this song is concerned with the doomed romance between the spirited but sexually inexperienced teenaged protagonist Jo and the older black sailor, Jimmy.
Certain lines from the song are entirely lifted from the play including the repeated line “I’ll probably never see you again”. Other lines are more subtly paraphrased; when Morrissey sings “And if people stare then people stare/ oh I really don’t know and I really don’t care” he is simply reworking the following piece of dialogue from the play, which follows Jimmy’s attempt to kiss Jo in public:
Jimmy: Afraid someone'll see us?
Jo: I don't care.
Jimmy: Say that again.
Jo: I don't care.
Given that the play was first staged in 1958 it’s unsurprising that a public display of affection between racially mixed couple was considered a social taboo.
At least some of this song is inspired (like many of Morrissey's lyrics) by Shelagh Delaney's seminal Kitchen Sink drama A Taste of Honey. The part of the narrative explored in this song is concerned with the doomed romance between the spirited but sexually inexperienced teenaged protagonist Jo and the older black sailor, Jimmy. Certain lines from the song are entirely lifted from the play including the repeated line “I’ll probably never see you again”. Other lines are more subtly paraphrased; when Morrissey sings “And if people stare then people stare/ oh I really don’t know and I really don’t care” he is simply reworking the following piece of dialogue from the play, which follows Jimmy’s attempt to kiss Jo in public:
Jimmy: Afraid someone'll see us? Jo: I don't care. Jimmy: Say that again. Jo: I don't care.
Given that the play was first staged in 1958 it’s unsurprising that a public display of affection between racially mixed couple was considered a social taboo.