Paint a Vulgar Picture Lyrics
At the record company meeting
On their hands, a dead star
And, oh, the plans they weave
And, oh, the sickening greed
[Verse 2]
At the record company party
On their hands, a dead star
The sycophantic slags all say
"I knew him first, and I knew him well"
Re-issue, re-package, re-package
Re-evaluate the songs
Double pack with a photograph
Extra track and a tacky badge
[Verse 3]
A-list, playlist
"Please them, please them, please them"
Sadly, this was your life
But you could have said no if you'd wanted to
You could have said no if you'd wanted to
BPI, MTV, BBC
"Please them, please them"
Sadly, this was your life
But you could have said no if you'd wanted to
You could have walked away, couldn't you?
I touched you at the soundcheck
You had no real way of knowing
In my heart, I begged "Take me with you
I don't care where you're going"
But to you, I was faceless, I was fawning, I was boring
A child from those ugly new houses
Who could never begin to know
Who could never really know
[Guitar Solo]
[Verse 5]
Best of, most of, satiate the need
Slip them into different sleeves
Buy both, and feel deceived
Climber, new entry, re-entry
World tour, "Media whore"
"Please the Press in Belgium!"
This was your life
And when it fails to recoup? Well, maybe
You just haven't earned it yet, baby
[Verse 6]
I walked a pace behind you at the soundcheck
You're just the same as I am
What makes most people feel happy
Leads us headlong into harm
So, in my bedroom in those "ugly new houses"
I danced my legs down to the knees
But me and my "true love"
We will never meet again
About
A dense song about Morrissey’s feelings towards the music industry, exemplified by tragedy – the death of a star, failing, or otherwise.
The lyrics takes the viewpoint of two different narrators, some omniscient insider, and a fan of the deceased. Through them, it is analyzed how a person’s legacy is a (cruelly) amorphous and malleable thing, and how music itself (an individual’s whole life work!) can be a source of intimate emotional connection, or simple profit.
Ironically one of the major topics that Morrissey brings up, is repackaging old material and selling it off to make more money off the innocent fan. The Smiths became renowned for doing this after releasing five greatest hits albums and two boxsets after their split-up.
Q&A
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- 8.Paint a Vulgar Picture