The Boy With a Thorn In His Side

A thorn in the side is a term normally used for someone with relationship troubles, which is just what this song is about.


This song is an expression of Morrissey's frustration with the press and music industry. Ever since The Smiths appeared on the scene Morrissey has been labeled as someone who can only the negative aspects to life. However, the only reason that he sings about these topics is because he cares so much - "Behind the hatred there lies a plundering desire for love". In the song there is profuse frustration that the world simply is not listening to him and is not understanding the message he is trying to bring to the world. This frustration is easily understood when you cast your mind back to all the trouble that he has gone through over the years with the press misinterpreting his lyrics.

For those reading this that are clued up on Morrissey's past troubles you may recall the controversies surrounding the track off the Your Arsenal album, National Front Disco. There were two main criticisms made of this song. The first was that Morrissey was labeled as a racist, when the song is a warning about England losing its heritage (hmmm, maybe a future blog topic). The second, which leads us onto the other meaning of this song, was that Morrissey had no shame and would use anything to try and get publicity. This obviously upsets him as "how can they see the love in your eyes and still they don't believe me". How can they see all the effort and passion, hard work and determination that he puts into his live shows and campaigns and then simply dismiss it as an attempt to sell albums?

The song moves from the first to the third person. This could imply Morrissey's realisation that he is not alone with these problems and there are other artists out there, who should unite together to try and fight their cause.

This song could also be a warning about ignoring his words and leading ourselves into an unpleasant future. A future which Morrissey himself does not know what it will contain and seems unnerved about its prospects.