Morrissey A-Z: "At Amber"

[Amy]

"I'm disputing the bill / I will sleep in my clothes" is one of the best Morrissey lines ever. Music isn't up to much but great lyrics.

 

[carlislebaz]

"I'm disputing the bill / I will sleep in my clothes" is one of the best Morrissey lines ever. Music isn't up to much but great lyrics.

Beware, I bare more grudges than lonely high court judges....
That certainly tops yours Amy..
But I’m jumping the gun here aren’t I...

 

[Amy]

Beware, I bare more grudges than lonely high court judges....
That certainly tops yours Amy..
But I’m jumping the gun here aren’t I...

It's an ok line, I'm not too keen on it. Another great one:

"I decree today that life is simply taking and not giving
England is mine and it owes me a living"

 

[carlislebaz]

It's an ok line, I'm not too keen on it. Another great one:

"I decree today that life is simply taking and not giving
England is mine and it owes me a living"

An agreement at last Amy...
Yes ... it’s been like the EU leaving deal with us two lately
Getting off topic even more,
I was doing a zoom quiz with my eldest two daughters and future son in- law last night, one of her questions was.... what is the biggest Smiths selling single. ( I got it wrong) Do you know Amy?
No google allowed at this point.....

 

[Eldritch]

In either this version or in its The Bed Took Fire form the song is pretty average b-side material. Nothing to really dislike about it, but both musically and lyrically it is pretty thin. The words feel fairly half-baked and I can see why it wasn't exactly a priority to release it at the time.

Generally speaking, with some exceptions, I would say that the quality of songs takes a slide downwards across those first 7 solo singles. That being said, this is certainly much stronger than Get Off the Stage.

I think it was originally intended to be the b-side to Interesting Drug and was one of the 6 songs recorded with Andy, Craig and Mike.

In the poll on the other board it ranked 218 from 264 songs

I agree with all of this. It's a very minor song. It has its charm, but like Flibberty said, compared to the other 1988-1990 stuff it's clearly an also-ran.

Get Off the Stage and Journalists Who Lie might be the very worst songs Morrissey has done. The tiresome subject matter, the trite lyrics and just horrible music.

 

[SuedeMoz]

A gem and pure nostalgic bliss for me. While being a bit too young to appreciate The Smiths while they were together, I was fully poised for Morrissey's solo career and devoured all the early singles and b-sides.

 

[crotty32]

Another song that to me is a bit dull but having said that if I heard it live I would love it.

 

[That's Enough For Me]

For me, this song is about a girl who used to live in the north of England and I will never forget her.

 

[Mozzer1980]

One of his B-sides masterpieces. I heard it for the first time on the excellent compilation My Early Burglary Years . Yeah, I liked it then and I like it now. And I love the way he sings the word "foyer"

 

[BookishBoy]

I wonder if he's ever met Alison Moyet, in a foyer.

 

[Deleted member 29417]

It's lovely - also it's a far less glamorous Death In Venice. He hates everything, doesn't fancy anyone & he doesn't die, he just sits about freezing, complaining about the bill.

A bit like Simon Gray's diaries.

 

[MrShoes]

I wonder if he's ever met Alison Moyet, in a foyer.

If he did, I imagine he may say, "Yaz-who?"

Thanks folks - I am here all week!

 

[Mike Rourke]

Yep, really like this one. One of the less good Morrissey/Street compositions but that just shows how great Street's song-writing skills were.
Love the line 'It's not lowlife, it's just people having a good time'. So brilliantly non-judgemental!