Morrissey A-Z: "Good Looking Man About Town"

Me too. What do you think it means, lyrically?

I always thought it was either like a choir of random people shouting "marry me" at the good looking man about town because, well, he's so good looking....

Or it's the echoes of friends, family, acquaintances ("the gang") etc. getting older, getting married, starting their own families while the subject of the song still dreams of an alternative, meeting and bringing up the courage to look "at the flesh of a good looking man about town" etc.
This was written at the time that gay marriage wasn't legal, so I always took this as various women begging the good-looking man to marry them, and settle down. But, this being a Morrissey song, it's all about rejection of heterosexuals norms and embracing some sort of repressed homosexuality. The good-looking man has got his degrees, and is outwardly successful, but feels wretched, because he's never been 'naked' with another man, and is 'scared to death of touching another man's flesh etc. Being a Morrissey song, the dream of this lifestyle never quite materializes, but becomes sand, and slips through his fingers.

Morrissey has dozens of songs along similar lines, back to the very earliest Smiths songs, so it seems fairly clear. The only thing I can't work out is if the frustrated 'good-looking man' is someone Morrissey is lusting after, and encouraging to reject heterosexuality - or if he himself is the subject, and he is himself the 'good looking man about town', and is talking to himself.
 
Anyone by chance have an idea of why swords isn’t fully available on the us Spotify. It’s been a while
 
This was written at the time that gay marriage wasn't legal, so I always took this as various women begging the good-looking man to marry them, and settle down. But, this being a Morrissey song, it's all about rejection of heterosexuals norms and embracing some sort of repressed homosexuality. The good-looking man has got his degrees, and is outwardly successful, but feels wretched, because he's never been 'naked' with another man, and is 'scared to death of touching another man's flesh etc. Being a Morrissey song, the dream of this lifestyle never quite materializes, but becomes sand, and slips through his fingers.

Morrissey has dozens of songs along similar lines, back to the very earliest Smiths songs, so it seems fairly clear. The only thing I can't work out is if the frustrated 'good-looking man' is someone Morrissey is lusting after, and encouraging to reject heterosexuality - or if he himself is the subject, and he is himself the 'good looking man about town', and is talking to himself.

Well, it was legal in some places, but I also thought it was probably women, because marriage is usually associated with heterosexual relationships in Morrissey's lyrics and basically represents the dull, repressive, 'n*rmal' option as opposed to a life of passion, danger and adventure. "The gang" is just a strange expression to use in reference to a group of women.

For once I don't think he's describing himself here in the lyric - at least not in the first verses. He seems to be speaking to someone else and clearly feels superior, it almost seems as if he's mocking the other guy because he's too afraid to overcome his fears.
That's what I meant by change of perspective. The last verse seems indeed to be about himself, but as you said, he doesn't get lucky either, so it's all a bit ironic, almost bittersweet in the end.
 
A duff b-side from Morrissey's most disappointing album release year ever. At least 91 and 95 had lots of great extra non-album songs. 2006 was just dismal.
 
Sting is a great songwriter even if his personality is a bit much at times. You could look at the first few Police records as talented musicians slumming it in popular alternative styles of the day, but he wrote a lot of hits and you can't just do that on purpose. There has to be something else coming through or it won't work.
The songs have groove and humor and they're relatable. You also have to look at it in the context of what was happening at the time. It's better than Phil Collins.

It was also amazing to hear Fela Kuti after thinking that the Talking Heads had created a new genre in the time leading up to Remain In Light.

The thing is some musicians embarrass themselves by trying to "appropriate" the music of other cultures while others are inspired by it and make some great music. And music really is universal.
 
The "marry me" part probably is about women. In another song that is is much better it kind of explains why this one seems to have had minimal effort put into the recording, he did write, "Would you like to marry me?"
The "Good Looking Man About Town" might be "William IWRN." Everyone's doing reboots now.
 
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