"Still Ill"
(Morrissey/Marr)
These words are transcribed without permission the way they appear in the "Hatful Of Hollow" album which is very similar to the way they appear in subsequent compilations and in the debut album. Additions to the printed lyrics are in darker text while omissions are striken out.
I decree today that life is simply taking and not giving
England is mine and it owes me a living 1
But ask me why and I'll spit in your eye 2
ask me why and I'll spit in your eye
but we cannot cling
to the old dreams anymore
no, we cannot cling to those dreams
does the body rule the mind
or does the mind rule the body?
I dunno...
under the iron bridge we kissed
and although I ended up with sore lips 3
it just wasn't like
the old days anymore
no, it wasn't like those days
am I still ill?
Oh no...
am I still ill?
Oh no...
does the body rule the mind
or does the mind rule the body?
I dunno...
ask me why and I'll die
ask me why and I'll die
and if you must go to work tomorrow
well if I were you I wouldn't bother 4
for there are brighter sides to life
and I should know because I've seen them
but not very often 5
under the iron bridge we kissed
and although I ended up with sore lips
it just wasn't like
the old days anymore
no it wasn't like those days 6
am I still ill?
Oh no...
am I still ill?
Oh no...
1 Debut album: "England is mine and it owes me a living". On tour, the line was sometimes adapted to the city being visited, such as "Dublin is mine, and it owes me a living" or "Ireland is mine, and it owes me a living". When Morrissey revived the song on his 2006 tour, he sang this line as "England's a swine, and it owes me a living"
2 Debut album: "But ask me why and I'll spit in your eye".
3 On a few 1984 live performances, Morrissey sang "Under the iron bridge we kissed, and although I ended up with two lips".
4 Live, most of the time during the Smiths days, but particularly on live album "Rank": "I really wouldn't bother".
5 In the Peel session of this song, as heard on "Hatful Of Hollow", Morrissey sang "but not very often". On a few occasions, particularly on the Meat Is Murder tour, he changed this line to "There are brighter sides to life and I should know because I've seen them... once!" or "...oh but not often". When the song was performed on the Tour Of The Tormentors MMVI, Morrissey changed the line to "there are brighter sides to life and I should know because I've seen them and very very often" or "...because I see them very very often".
6 In the very first performance of this song, this line was sung in the present tense: "It just isn't like those days".