THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.
940-Morrissey-Suedehead.1988-Number 6 single.Best Bit-At 2.30.’Oh, it was a good lay, good lay, it was a good lay, good lay’, and this from a man who claims to be celibate.
‘Suedehead’ was Morrissey’s debut solo single, released only just a short while after the split of The Smiths, in early 1988. In the chart it out performed any of The Smiths singles, as ‘Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now,’ and ‘Shiela Take a Bow,’ had both only peaked at Number 10.
The song was co-written by Morrissey (see also best songs 673-222-167 and 72,) and Stephen Street, who wrote the music, and was also producer. Street had worked with Morrissey before on previous Smiths Albums.For this song, and it’s parent Album, Morrissey’s solo debut, ‘Viva Hate,’ they were joined by Vini Reilly, who played guitar and keyboards, and Andrew Paresi, who played drums, and percussion.The songs video is a tribute to Morrissey’s boyhood idol James Dean (1931-1955,) but the songs subject probably has little do do with him. The name ‘Suedehead’ is probably a red herring as well, it is the title of a book by British author Richard Allen, about post-skinhead gangs, Morrissey liked the word ‘Suedehead.
‘The songs lyrics are open to interpretation, one school of thought is that the narrator has had a fling with someone, he doesn’t want to continue the relationship, but they become obsessive, by going behind his back, and sneaking a look in his diary, which he finds sickening.At the end, all he can say was, that it was ‘A good lay,’ he wishes that the other person would leave it like that.
‘It was just to see, all the things you knew I’d written about you.’
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