This track appears on Morrissey’s 1994 album Vauxhall and I, his fourth solo release.
The four Smiths albums plus Morrissey’s first four solo records make up the universe of my appreciation for him and the band. I listened to his next couple of releases with diminishing enthusiasm, and jumped off the bandwagon entirely by the mid-2000’s. I’m surprised to see that Morrissey released his 13th (!) solo album just this year.
The fact that I tuned out in no way diminishes how great I find Morrissey’s output with The Smiths and on these first four albums. It was excellent then and it remains excellent.
This song is an airing of grievances with the music industry, perhaps aimed at an up-and-coming star who has yet to see the “glass hidden in the grass.”
The sanest days are mad
Why don’t you find out for yourself
Then you’ll see the price
Very closely
[Verse 2]
Some men here
They have a special interest
In your career
They wanna help you to grow
And then syphon all your dough
Why don’t you find out for yourself
Then you’ll see the glass
Hidden in the grass
You’ll never believe me, so
Why don’t you find out for yourself
Sick down to my heart
That’s just the way it goes
[Verse 3]
Some men here
They know the full extent of
Your distress
They kneel and pray
And they say:
“Long may it last!”
Why don’t you find out for yourself
Then you’ll see the glass
Hidden in the grass
Bad scenes come and go
For which you must allow
Sick down to my heart
That’s just the way it goes
[Verse 4]
Don’t rake up my mistakes
I know exactly what they are
And what do you do?
Well you just sit there
I’ve been stabbed in the back
So many many times
I don’t have any skin
But that’s just the way it goes
Well, your diminished interest in Morrissey reduces the odds he will appear on random iTunes Fairy weekends (although I find his voice in this song more tolerable😜).