"Viva Hate", album, 1988, Morrissey
Released surprisingly quickly after the break-up, in March 1988, Viva Hate answered the pundits who declared that Morrissey would be lost on his own. Although flawed in many ways, Viva Hate has many absolutely classic tracks, notably singles "Everyday Is Like Sunday" and "Suedehead", and the epic monologue album track "Late Night, Maudlin Street".
The guitarist Vini Reilly was enlisted by writer/producer Stephen Street, playing keyboards and guitar on several tracks. Vini Reilly was reportedly unhappy with the contribution he made towards the album, saying "[Stephen Street] may as well have got a very good session guitar player to do what what I did." Vini's complex style of play did not really fit with Street's simplistic pop.
There is a noticable change in Morrissey's lyrical style as compared to his days as a Smith. With one exception (the evil "Margaret On The Guillotine"), gone are the detached diatribes of the past or the character-based poetry of early Smiths stuff. Even a song such as "Little Man, What Now ?" is laced with a feeling that the song is more to do with the lyricist than the subject matter (a fading star of a defunct television network).
This album was originally called "Education In Reverse", but changed name to reflect Morrissey's feelings after the break-up. Some Australian LPs were misprinted with this title, and are now worth about £25 in good nick.
This album was recently reissued by EMI in a limited edition case at a limited edition price, in order to celebrate EMI's centenary. It comes with a 100-page EMI history which is completely devoid of any interest; the album has eight extra tracks (all B-sides, some excellent, some poor)
Were you and he Lovers?
and would you say so if you were?
on a forecourt
on a Friday
passing my way
Were you and he Lovers?
and if you were, then say that you were!
on a groundsheet
under canvas
with your tent-flap
open wide
A note upon his desk:
"P.S. Bring Me Home And Have Me!"
Leather elbows on a tweed coat
- Oh! -
Is THAT the best you can do?
So came his reply:
"...but on the desk is where I want you!"
So I ask (even though I know):
were you and he Lovers?
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An afternoon nostalgia
television show
you spoke in silhouette
(but they couldn't name you)
although the panel were
very polite to you
but I remembered you
from Friday nights 1969
ATV - you murdered every line
too old to be a child star
too young to take leads
four seasons passed
and they AXED you
nervously juvenile
(WON'T SMILE!)
What became of you?
did that swift eclipse torture you?
a star at eighteen
and then-suddenly gone
down to a few lines
in the back page of a teenage annual
oh but I remembered you
I looked up to you
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Trudging slowly over wet
sand
back to the bench
where your clothes were stolen
this is the coastal town
that they forgot to close down
Armageddon - come Armageddon!
Come Armageddon! Come!
Everyday is like Sunday
everyday is silent and grey
Hide on the promenade
scratch out a postcard
"how I dearly with I was not here"
in the seaside town
...that they forgot to bomb
Come! Come! Come - nuclear bomb!
Everyday is like Sunday
everyday is silent and grey
Trudging back over pebbles and sand
and a strange dust lands on your hands
(and on your face)
Everyday is like Sunday
"Win Yourself A Cheap Tray"
share some greased tea with me
everyday is silent and grey
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No no no
he does not want to depress you
oh no no no no no
he only wants to impress you
Bengali in platform
she only wants to embrace your culture
and to be your friend forever
Bengali, Bengali
oh shelve your Western plans
and understand that life is hard enough when you belong here
A silver-studded rim that glistens
and an ankle-star that...blinds me
a lemon sole so very high
which only reminds me, to tell you
so I break the news gently
I break the news to you gently
"Shelve your plans"
Bengali, Bengali
its the touchy march of time
that blinds you
don't blame me
don't hate me
just because I'm the one to tell you
that life is hard enough when you belong here
life is hard enough when you belong here
shelve your western plans
life is hard enough when you belong here
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ANGEL, ANGEL, DOWN WE GO TOGETHER
Angel, Angel
don't take your life tonight
I know they take
and that they take in turn
and they give you nothing real
for yourself in return
and when they've used you
and they've broken you
and wasted all your money
and cast your shell aside
and when they've bought you
and they've sold you
and they've billed you for the pleasure
and they've made your parents cry
I will be here
BELIEVE ME
I will be here
...believe me
Angel, don't take your life
some people have got no pride
they do not understand
the Urgency of life
but I love you more than life
I love you more than life
I love you more than life
I love you more than life
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The last night on Maudlin
Street
goodbye house
goodbye stairs
I was born here
I was raised here, and
...I took some stick here
love at first sight
may sound trite
but it's true, you know
I could list the details
of everything you ever wore
or said, or how you stood that day
and as we spend the last night
on Maudlin Street, I say
"goodbye house-forever!"
I never stole a happy hour
around here
Where the world's ugliest boy
became what you see
here I am - the ugliest man
Its the last night on Maudlin Street
and truly I do love you
oh, truly I do love you
When I sleep with that picture of
you framed beside my bed
oh, it's childish and it's silly
but I think it's you in my room
by the bed (...yes, I told you it was silly...)
and I know
I took strange pills
but I never meant to hurt you
oh truly I love you
I came home late one night
everyone had gone to bed
nobody stays up for you
when you have sixteen stitches
all around your head
the last buss I missed to Maudlin Street
so, he drove me home in the Van
complaining: "Women only like me for my mind..."
don't leave your torch behind
power-cuts ahead
as we crept through the park
but no I cannot steal a pair of jeans
off a clothesline for you
but you...without clothes
oh I could not keep a straight face
me - without clothes?
well a nation turns its back and gags...
I'm packed
I am moving house
a half-life disappears today
every slag waves me on
(secretly wishing me gone
well, I will be soon
oh - I will be soon)
There were bad times on Maudlin Street
when they took you away in a police car
dear Inspector - don't you know?
don't you care?
don't you know - about Love?
Your gran died
and your mother died
on Maudlin Street
in pain and ashamed
with never time to say
those special things
I took the keys from Maudlin Street
well, it's only bricks and mortar!
and...truly I do love you
wherever you are
wherever you are
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Why do you come here
why do you hang around
I'm so sorry
I'm so sorry
Why do you come here
when you know it makes
things hard for me
when you know, oh
why do you come?
Why do you telephone?
and why send me silly notes?
I'm so sorry
I'm so sorry
why do you come here
when you know it makes
thing hard for me
when you know, oh
why do you come?
You had to sneak into my room
'just' to read my diary
was it just to see all the things
you knew I'd written about you?
and...so many illustrations
I'm so very sickened
oh, I am so sickened NOW
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The strange logic of your
clumsiest line
stayed emblazoned on my mind
break up the family
and lets begin to live our lives
I went to see all my friends tonight
it wasn't Youth, it wasn't even Life
born Old, sadly wise
resigned (well, we were)
to ending our lives
I'm so glad to grow older
to move away from those awful times
I want to see all my friends tonight
Yes you found love but you weren't
at peace with your life
home late, full of Hate
despise the ties that bind
oh I'm so glad to grow older
to move away from those younger years
now I'm in love for the first time
and I don't feel bad
Let me see all my old friends
let me put my arm around them
because I really do love them
now, does that sound mad?
Captain of games, solid framed
I stood on the touchline
hailstones, driven home
in his car - no breaks? I don't mind
I'm just so glad to grow older
to move away from those darker years
I'm in love for the first time
and I don't feel bad
so wish me luck my friends
goodbye
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Here is London
here is London
is it home of the free,
or what?
can you squeeze me
into an empty page of your diary
and psychologically save me
I've got faith in you
I sense the power
in the fingers
within an hour the power
can totally destroy me
or it could same my life
here is London
'home of the brash, outrageous
and free'
you are repressed
but you're remarkably dressed
is it Real?
but you're far to busy
busy scissors
busy clippers
hair dresser on fire
all around Sloane Square
and you're far too busy
to see me
"busy,busy"
hairdresser on fire
was a client over-cautious
he made you nervous
and when he said
"I'm gonna sue you"
I really felt for you
so can you squeeze me
into an empty page of your diary
and supernaturally change me
CHANGE ME, CHANGE ME
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Ordinary boys, happy knowing
nothing
happy being no one, but themselves
Ordinary girls, supermarket clothes
who think it's very clever to be cruel to you
for you were so different
you stood all alone
and you knew
that it had to be so
avoiding ordinary boys
happy going nowhere, just around here
in their rattling cars
and ordinary girls
never seeing further
than the cold, small streets
that trap them
but you were so different
you had to say no
when those empty fools
tried to change you, and claim you
for the lair of their ordinary world
where they feel so lucky
so lucky, so lucky
with their lives laid out before them
they're so lucky, so lucky
so lucky, so lucky
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I don't mind
I don't mind if you forget me
having learned my lesson
I never left an impression on anyone
so now you send me your hardened 'regards'
when once you'd send me 'love'
sincerely I must tell you
your mild 'best wishes'
they make me suspicious
but I don't mind
I don't mind if you forget me
having learned my lesson
I never left
an impression on anyone
the pressure to change, to move on
was strange
and very strong
so this is why I tell you
I really do understand
BYE BYE
I don't mind if you forget me
no no no no no no no
REJECTION IS ONE THING
BUT REJECTION FROM A FOOL
IS CRUEL
REJECTION IS ONE THING
BUT REJECTION FROM A FOOL
IS CRUEL
and I don't mind if you forget me
I don't mind if your forget me
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Further into the fog I fall
well, I was just
following you!
when you said:
"Do as I do and scrap your fey ways"
(dial-a-cliche)
"grow up, be a man, and close your mealy-mouth!"
(dial-a-cliche)
But the person underneath
where does he go?
does he slide by the wayside?
or...does he just die?
when you find that you've organized
your feelings, for people
who didn't like you then
and certainly don't like you now
yet still you say:
"Do as I do and scrap your fey ways"
(dial-a-cliche)
"grow up, be a man, and close your mealy-mouth!"
(dial-a-cliche)
"the Safe way is the only way!
there's always time to change, son!"
yes well I've changed
but I'm in pain!
dial-a-chiche
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The kind people
have a wonderful dream
Margaret on the guillotine
because people like you
make me feel so tired
when will you die?
when will you die?
when will you die?
when will you die?
when will you die?
because people like you
make me feel so old inside
please die
and kind people
do not shelter this dream
make it real
make the dream real
make the dream real
make it real
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Other albums with all songs and lyrics:
The Smiths:
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Morrissey:
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This Page was created by David Rapava
22 May 1998