Morrissey A-Z: "Jacky's Only Happy When She's Up on the Stage"

BookishBoy

Well-Known Member



Our song for today is this Morrissey/Boorer composition from Low in High School - also released as a single.

What do we think?
 
I do like this song, but not sure if it should have been a single, would have been a good B side, that said it’s a decent video and at one stage I thought with all the airplay it received I thought it was heading top 40..😔
 
One of only a handful of songs from HS to still be getting a live outing and for what it’s worth, seems to get the masses gong.
The lyrics are slightly silly but all together, an ok song.
 
I think "an ok song" sums it up well. Might be one of the best examples to fit that Elvis Costello quote about Morrissey's songwriting.
 
I do enjoy this song, and it continues some of the slightly frivolous drama from “I Wish You Lonely”, so is positioned well. I also like the many intriguing touches placed throughout the instrumentation to ensure continued interest, especially the buildup at the track’s close. Lyrically, the song is pretty vague, and hints at a complex relationship between actress and stage, but their simplicity allows it to flow naturally across the more layered song. All in all, one that remains enjoyable - oh and good video, too, despite me feeling sorry for all the band members being forced to dress up like that!
8/10
 
Pleasant little self-parody, even the closing line "Everybody's heading for the exit" seems to apply to a certain extent. I can see why it gets the crowd going live, even though he he has better songs than this one.
 
At the risk of repeating myself,I like this track more when I hear it live.I like this A-Z thread it just confirms the depth and range of the artist Morrissey.
 
like it but its not a song i go searching for,video is even more hilarious than i thought,mando is a star,how can a group of people who know about rhythm not know how to dance.scores on the doors is.
7 jackies/10 stages.
 
Love it .To me that was the obvious and strongest single from the album.

Love the video but felt sorry for the lads there..
 
A strong enough little number, Jacky’s Only Happy When She’s Up On The Stage is good, but one can see a sad trend here; in this enjoyable alphabetised romp we, yesterday and the day before, enjoyed two timeless classics – both B-Sides. Today we have a song penned some 25 years later which pales in comparison, but was considered worth of being released as a single. Of course, some (no names mentioned) can celebrate this as a Christmas number 1, as it indeed was (before they quietly add, under their breath, that it was number 1 in the ‘UK Vinyl Singles Chart’).

But don’t get me wrong, I like it – and find the video mildly amusing. I think I am one of the few people who really enjoyed Low In High School – in some ways I feel that this album, as a whole, is greater than the sum of its parts. (Except for that god awful cover, which still rancours).
 
I like the song and it has an ear worm that’s hard to get out of my head but I don’t really get the lyrics except maybe there theme. I also don’t think the productions helping here. It was great live which is where I really started appreciating the song
 
Fine, solid single. And, intended or otherwise, the unofficial Brexit anthem—so it marks the history of a nation, for me.
 
This is my son's favourite Morrissey track. He is 5. I had to play it 4 times in a row driving to his swimming lesson last week.

I'm not sure what this says about the song, but it's my favourite from LIHS...admittedly, that bar is quite low.
 
I tried hard to like this one but the video stopped me in my tracks.

I couldn't believe that a shirtless Edward Woodward was cast in the role of singer in the video.

I'm not one given to cringing but this video soon changed that.

Also the video is a rip off of some soul group for the 70s isn't it?
 
Lightweight and a bit throwaway, but ultimately a good, fun song. And the video will cure you of any spiritual ailments you might suffer from.
 
I tried hard to like this one but the video stopped me in my tracks.

I couldn't believe that a shirtless Edward Woodward was cast in the role of singer in the video.

I'm not one given to cringing but this video soon changed that.

Also the video is a rip off of some soul group for the 70s isn't it?
Rip off? Are you familiar with the word "pastiche"?
 
This is my son's favourite Morrissey track. He is 5. I had to play it 4 times in a row driving to his swimming lesson last week.

I'm not sure what this says about the song, but it's my favourite from LIHS...admittedly, that bar is quite low.
My daughter was the same with When Last I Spoke to Carol. She was three or four, I think.
 
A strong enough little number, Jacky’s Only Happy When She’s Up On The Stage is good, but one can see a sad trend here; in this enjoyable alphabetised romp we, yesterday and the day before, enjoyed two timeless classics – both B-Sides. Today we have a song penned some 25 years later which pales in comparison, but was considered worth of being released as a single. Of course, some (no names mentioned) can celebrate this as a Christmas number 1, as it indeed was (before they quietly add, under their breath, that it was number 1 in the ‘UK Vinyl Singles Chart’).
Well, not really a sad trend.

Jack the Ripper indeed is stronger than today's song...
Jack the Ripper is also infinitely stronger than You're the One for Me, Fatty which was issued in the same year.
 
This is quite an enjoyable track, and the video is amusing. Particularly one moment, of course.

Not an absolute favourite for me, but a pretty strong song on the pretty strong first side of Low in High School.

In the poll on the Hoffman board it ranked halfway as 132nd of 264 solo songs.
 
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