the boy with the thorn in his side

Listening to Morrissey's latest album has brought back fond memories of The Smiths, to which I used to listen compulsively in my late teens. I was not much aware of this at the time, but it was mainly the sexual obliqueness and ambiguity of their lyrics and performances that gripped (and still do, I guess) so many of us - an ambiguity continuously fed by Morrissey's refusal to accept petty, worn-out labels.
I'm not sure what to make of the title of this late album, Years of Refusal, of its campy cover and desperately sad, lonely effusiveness. Whatever the case, songs like "Hand in Glove", "Handsome Devil", "Shoplifters of the World Unite", "There is a Light That Never Goes Out" or this all-time favourite of mine, "The Boy with the Thorn in His Side", will continue to move and mesmerise with their ambivalence, their openness to all interpretations and inclinations.

The boy with the thorn in his side
Behind the hatred there lies
A murderous desire for love
How can they look into my eyes
And still they don't believe me ?
How can they hear me say those words
Still they don't believe me ?
And if they don't believe me now
Will they ever believe me ?
And if they don't believe me now
Will they ever, they ever, believe me ?
Oh no ...
Oh ...

The boy with the thorn in his side
Behind the hatred there lies
A plundering desire for love
How can they see the love in our eyes
And still they don't believe us ?
And after all this time,
They don't want to believe us
And if they don't believe us now
Will they ever believe us ?
And when you want to live
How do you start ?
Where do you go ?
Who do you need to know ?
Oh no no no ...


Oh ...
Oh no ...
Oh ...
La ...



The Smiths / Lyrics by Morrissey