The Headmaster Ritual (single)

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Cover art (UK CD)
Dutch cover art
THE SMITHS Single
Name The Headmaster Ritual
Release February 1985 (Album version)
Summer 1985 (Holland - exact date unknown)
December 1988 (UK CD)
2009 (Reissue)
Total Length 4:52
Recorded October 1984
Writer/composer Morrissey / Johnny Marr
Producer The Smiths
Stephen Street (Recording Engineer)
Art work Cover star: Viv Nicholson (UK CD)
Dutch cover: Robert Duncan from The Uncle (1965) designed by Morrissey
Layout: Caryn Gough
Vinyl Etching No matrix message
Publisher Megadisc (Netherlands)
Rough Trade Records (UK)
Sire Records (US)
Format(s) 7" Vinyl, 12" Vinyl, CD
Chart position Not applicable (UK release 1988)
Single chronology
Barbarism Begins At Home
The Headmaster Ritual
That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore

Information

Excerpt from Peepholism: Into The Art Of Morrissey:

The sleeve photograph is a still taken from an obscure 1960's film called 'The Uncle'.

The single was originally released in Holland only, as an alternative to 'That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore', with the same four live B-sides on the 12".

The sleeve was originally intended to be a still of Sir Laurence Olivier with cane raised over Terence Stamp's hand from the film Term of Trial, but although Terence Stamp gave his consent. Olivier was not forthcoming - at least, not in time for release. Such a gripping illustration would doubtless have got up the the noses of, e g. the Manchester Evening News even more than the lyrics alone did when the song first came out on Meat Is Murder... with enraged protestations of the Greater Manchester Education Committee, talk of picketing the concerts, etc.

Track list

7" Vinyl

Netherlands - [Megadisc – MD 5290]

  1. The Headmaster Ritual – 4:52 (Morrissey/Marr)
  2. Oscillate Wildly – 2:32 (Morrissey/Marr)

12" Vinyl

Netherlands - [Megadisc – MD 125295]

  1. The Headmaster Ritual – 4:52 (Morrissey/Marr)
  2. Nowhere Fast (live in Oxford) – 2:31 (Morrissey/Marr)
  3. Stretch Out And Wait (live in Oxford) – 2:49 (Morrissey/Marr)
  4. Shakespeare's Sister (live in Oxford) – 2:12 (Morrissey/Marr)
  5. Meat Is Murder (live in Oxford) – 5:34 (Morrissey/Marr)

CD

UK - [Rough Trade – RTT 215CD]

  1. The Headmaster Ritual – 4:52 (Morrissey/Marr)
  2. Nowhere Fast (live in Oxford) – 2:31 (Morrissey/Marr)
  3. Stretch Out And Wait (live in Oxford) – 2:49 (Morrissey/Marr)
  4. Meat Is Murder (live in Oxford) – 5:34 (Morrissey/Marr)

Lyrics

Belligerent ghouls
run Manchester schools
spineless swines
cemented minds
Sir leads the troops
jealous of youth
same old suit since 1962
he does the military two-step
down the nape of my neck
I wanna go home
I don't want to stay
give up education
as a bad mistake
mid-week on the playing fields
Sir thwacks you on the knees
knees you in the groin
elbow in the face
bruises bigger than dinner plates
I wanna go home
I don't wanna stay

Belligerent ghouls
run Manchester schools
spineless bastards all
Sir leads the troops
jealous of youth
same old jokes since 1902
he does the military two-step
down the nape of my neck
I wanna go home
I don't want to stay
give up life
as a bad mistake
please excuse me from gym
I've got this terrible cold coming on
he grabs and devours
he kicks me in the showers
kicks me in the showers
and he grabs and devours
I want to go home
I don't want to stay

Live History

Play count (The Smiths concert): 40

The Smiths live history:

... further results

Play count (Morrissey concert): 20

Morrissey live history:

... further results

Appears On

Cover Versions

Discogs Information

Credits

  • Bass Guitar - Andy Rourke
  • Drums - Mike Joyce
  • Engineer - Stephen Street
  • Guitar - Johnny Marr
  • Layout - Caryn Gough
  • Producer - The Smiths
  • Sleeve - Morrissey
  • Voice - Morrissey
  • Written-By - Johnny Marr
  • Written-By - Morrissey

Notes

This is the version without any misspelling or typos. See The Headmaster Ritual Master Release page for more detailed descriptions of all misprint submissions.

Side A from the LP "Meat Is Murder”. Side B recorded live in Oxford.

Distributed in the Benelux by CBS, Heemstede.

Made in Holland ℗ 1985 ROUGH TRADE/MEGADISC RECORDS & TAPES B.V.

Tracks listed sequentially on the labels (as A1, B2, B3, B4, B5).

Images

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Discogs information (additional release)

Notes

Tracks 2 to 4 recorded live in Oxford, 1985.

Cover star: Viv Nicholson

Images

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Discogs information (additional release)

Notes

℗ 1985

Images

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