"This Charming Man"
(Morrissey/Marr)
These words are transcribed without permission the way they appear in the "Hatful Of Hollow" album. The lyrics are noted differently in Sire releases of the debut album and some later compilations, but these are not from an official source and contain mistakes. Additions to the printed lyrics are in darker text while omissions are striken out.
Punctured bicycle
on a hillside desolate
will Nature make a man of me yet? 1
when in this charming car
this charming man
why pamper life's complexities 2
when the leather runs smooth on the passenger seat? 3
I would go out tonight
but I haven't got a stitch to wear
this man said "it's gruesome
that someone so handsome should care" 4
a jumped-up pantry boy
who never knew his place
he said "return the ring" 5
he knows so much about these things
he knows so much about these things
I would go out tonight
but I haven't got a stitch to wear
This man said "it's gruesome
that someone so handsome should care"
this charming man
this charming man
A jumped-up pantry boy
who never knew his place
He said "return the ring"
he knows so much about these things
he knows so much about these things
he knows so much about these things
1 On a few occasions during the Smiths days Morrissey changed this line to "Will nature make a mouse of me yet?" or "I wonder will nature make a man of me yet?".
2 In the single version of the song as well as in many live performances (mainly with the Smiths also sometimes in solo), Morrissey actually sang "why pamper life's complexity".
3 When the song was done on the Tour Of Refusal and the Swords tour, Morrissey introduced the change to "when the pleather runs smooth on the passenger seat".
4 During the Smiths days Morrissey sometimes changed this line to "It's gruesome that someone so ugly should care". He repeated this on the 2009 Swords Tour.
5 In the Peel session version of the song available on "Hatful Of Hollow": "he said return the rings".
Quotes
The line from "This Charming Man," "I would go out tonight but I haven't got a stitch to wear." Was that written from experience?
"From total experience. For years and years I never had a job, or any money. Consequently I never had any clothes whatsoever. I found that on those very rare occasions when I did get invited anywhere I would constantly sit down and say, 'Good heavens, I couldn't possibly go to this place tonight because I don't have any clothes... I don't have any shoes.' So I'd miss out on all those foul parties. It was really quite a blessing in disguise."
- Morrissey, Undress, 1984