This song must have been written at some point in 1994. An instrumental was recorded in December 1994 at Miraval Studios in France, with Boz Boorer (guitar), Alain Whyte (guitar), Johnny Bridgwood (bass) and Woodie Taylor (drums), but no Morrissey.

It came together at rehearsals in January 1995 at Abbey Road studios in London, with Spencer Cobrin replacing Woodie Taylor at the drums. The song was recorded with producer Steve Lillywhite at Hook End Manor the following March-April alongside most of the rest of the "Southpaw Grammar" album.

album version {11:15}

• "Southpaw Grammar" album, original edition

• "Southpaw Grammar" album, redesigned edition [remastered 2009]

This song has never been performed specifically for radio, television or the web.

This song has been done in concert a total of 82 times by Morrissey. It was on the setlist every night on the brief 13-date tour put together to promote the release of the "Southpaw Grammar" album in 1995. It was done a further 24 times on the 1997 Maladjusted tour, which means that slightly less that 50% of the audiences were treated to it. It made the setlist 4 times very early on the 1999-2000 Oye Esteban tour, but was then dropped for over 6 weeks, to return as a near-regular until the end of the tour (45 performances in total on the latter tour).

There are no officially released live recordings of the song at this point in time.

vocal demo {13:16}

Supposedly taken from a record company cd-r of a scrapped reissue of "Southpaw Grammar", this has not yet leaked on bootlegs.

Quotes

In a 1995 interview published in Les Inrockuptibles magazine, Morrissey said "There are, of course, two levels of interpretation: the line [To be finished would be a relief] in the song context - these teachers who are afraid of their pupils and dream of escaping - and a second more intimate, more personal thought on my life and career. To leave would effectively be a relief. Not to feel all this pressure anymore, to be able to let up a bit."