\nOg et s\u00e5dan lys er The Queen Is Dead, The Smiths’ 3. studiealbum, der blev udsendt d. 16. juni for 20 \u00e5r siden. Morrissey og Johnny Marr synes begge bedre om efterf\u00f8lgeren, Strangeways Here We Come, men for de fleste er det denne plade, der igen og igen n\u00e6vnes som et af hovedv\u00e6rkerne indenfor moderne britisk musik. Det er her Johnny Marr peaker, b\u00e5de som arrang\u00f8r, overlegen sangskriver og stildannende guitarist. Og her Morrissey for alvor f\u00e5r bugt med manererne og synger sig op i mesterklassen. The Smiths var s\u00e5 f\u00e6nomenalt produktive i denne periode, at pladens oplagte hit, “There Is A Light That Never Goes Out”, aldrig n\u00e5ede at komme ud p\u00e5 single. For allerede i starten af juli, alts\u00e5 en lille m\u00e5ned senere, udsendtes istedet det helt nye track “Panic”, heller ikke ligefrem nogen d\u00e5rlig sang. Den historie er meget sigende om et band, som konstant bev\u00e6gede sig med en fart og kreativ intensitet, der forekom h\u00e6sbl\u00e6sende. Og som havde sin h\u00f8je pris. Kun godt et \u00e5r efter den kollektive triumf med The Queen Is Dead var det hele forbi for The Smiths, der meget tidligt blev ofre for de misforst\u00e5elser, ego-sammenst\u00f8d og personlige forskelle, der f\u00f8r eller siden \u00e6der alle store bands op indefra.<\/p>\n
THE QUEEN IS DEAD<\/p>\n
(Oh ! Take me back to dear old Blighty,
\nPut me on the train for London Town,
\nTake me anywhere,
\nDrop me anywhere,
\nLiverpool, Leeds or Birmingham
\nBut I don’t care,
\nI should like to see my…)<\/p>\n
I don’t bless them
\nFarewell to this land’s cheerless marshes
\nHemmed in like a boar between arches
\nHer very Lowness with a head in a sling
\nI’m truly sorry – but it sounds like a wonderful thing<\/p>\n
I said Charles, don’t you ever crave
\nTo appear on the front of the Daily Mail
\nDressed in your Mother’s bridal veil ?
\nOh …<\/p>\n
And so, I checked all the registered historical facts
\nAnd I was shocked into shame to discover
\nHow I’m the 18th pale descendant
\nOf some old queen or other<\/p>\n
Oh, has the world changed, or have I changed ?
\nOh, has the world changed, or have I changed ?<\/p>\n
Some 9-year old tough who peddles drugs
\nI swear to God
\nI swear : I never even knew what drugs were
\nOh …<\/p>\n
So, I broke into the palace
\nWith a sponge and a rusty spanner
\nShe said : “Eh, I know you, and you cannot sing”
\nI said : “That’s nothing – you should hear me play piano”<\/p>\n
We can go for a walk where it’s quiet and dry
\nAnd talk about precious things
\nBut when you’re tied to your Mother’s apron
\nNo-one talks about castration
\nOh …<\/p>\n
We can go for a walk where it’s quiet and dry
\nAnd talk about precious things
\nLike love and law and poverty
\nOh, these are the things that kill me<\/p>\n
We can go for a walk where it’s quiet and dry
\nAnd talk about precious things
\nBut the rain that flattens my hair …
\nOh, these are the things that kill me<\/p>\n
All their lies about make-up and long hair, are still there<\/p>\n
Past the Pub who saps your body
\nAnd the church who’ll snatch your money
\nThe Queen is dead, boys
\nAnd it’s so lonely on a limb<\/p>\n
Past the Pub that wrecks your body
\nAnd the church – all they want is your money
\nThe Queen is dead, boys
\nAnd it’s so lonely on a limb<\/p>\n
Life is very long, when you’re lonely
\nLife is very long, when you’re lonely
\nLife is very long, when you’re lonely
\nLife is very long, when you’re lonely<\/p>\n
\u00a9 Morrissey<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n