Morrissey A-Z: "Have-A-Go-Merchant"

[ALLIE WALLS]

I m sure i read somewhere that it was about Natalie Merchants cover of EDILS ?
Seems i did.

Moz flipping Nat Merchant the bird?

In the video "Introducing Morrissey", the second song they perform is Have-A-Go Merchant, which, as we all know is a potshot at Natalie Merchant for her essaying his Every Day is like Sunday tune....Twice, as he sings "ha ha, ha ha, ha ha, ahhh-ahhh HA HAAAA!" he leans forward towards the...

www.morrissey-solo.com

 

[Deleted member 29235]

I m sure i read somewhere that it was about Natalie Merchants cover of EDILS ?
Seems i did.

Moz flipping Nat Merchant the bird?

In the video "Introducing Morrissey", the second song they perform is Have-A-Go Merchant, which, as we all know is a potshot at Natalie Merchant for her essaying his Every Day is like Sunday tune....Twice, as he sings "ha ha, ha ha, ha ha, ahhh-ahhh HA HAAAA!" he leans forward towards the...

www.morrissey-solo.com

Interestingly (or not) Lloyd Cole also wrote a song about Natalie Merchant.

 

[Jamie]

The Boxers single was one of the best because all of the tracks were derived from one session so the sound/production is consistent. At several points in his career - especially in the Bona Drag & Kill Uncle days - Morrissey culled the tracks for singles from multiple/standalone sessions or cut the B-sides separately from the album sessions. Even when the producer was the same, the sound and presentation would vary from track to track.

I think Have-A-Go Merchant is probably the closest he came to a "Britpop" song in those halcyon days. The two repeated guitar riffs and the knees-up, boozy chorus are undeniably catchy. It worked really well as an opening salvo with Billy Budd on the Introducing Morrissey tour/video. I always wondered if this is a melody Alain wished had been held onto for an A-side. By my lights, the tune is more memorable than Boxers if not quite up to the standard of Whatever Happens, I Love You.

Title-wise, I always assumed it was short-hand for saying the lager lout concerned was always up for - selling, if you will - a fight, hence a merchant of having-a-go.

 

[MrShoes]

The Boxers single was one of the best because all of the tracks were derived from one session so the sound/production is consistent. At several points in his career - especially in the Bona Drag & Kill Uncle days - Morrissey culled the tracks for singles from multiple/standalone sessions or cut the B-sides separately from the album sessions. Even when the producer was the same, the sound and presentation would vary from track to track.

I think Have-A-Go Merchant is probably the closest he came to a "Britpop" song in those halcyon days.

I never found anything Moz did back then came close to anything Britpop. But then again, I thought him independent of that so-called movement.

 

[ZOOM FROM GLOOM]

I m sure i read somewhere that it was about Natalie Merchants cover of EDILS ?
Seems i did.

Moz flipping Nat Merchant the bird?

In the video "Introducing Morrissey", the second song they perform is Have-A-Go Merchant, which, as we all know is a potshot at Natalie Merchant for her essaying his Every Day is like Sunday tune....Twice, as he sings "ha ha, ha ha, ha ha, ahhh-ahhh HA HAAAA!" he leans forward towards the...

www.morrissey-solo.com

Don’t see any connection to the lyrics and NM. Someone trying to put a spin on it? yes.

 

[Verso]

Don’t see any connection to the lyrics and NM. Someone trying to put a spin on it? yes.

For all the ways that Morrissey can be an asshole, I don't see him writing a song to insult a woman for covering one of his songs. Consider this one MYTHBUSTED.

 

[ZOOM FROM GLOOM]

I never found anything Moz did back then came close to anything Britpop. But then again, I thought him independent of that so-called movement.

Yeah, don’t know how people define the ‘Britpop’ sound. Too me it was Blur at the helm, with Super furry Animals, Pulp, etc following behind.

I never felt Suede belonged to that,
and definitely not Morrissey, who even at times to his own detriment has always paddled his own canoe, still does.

 

[MrShoes]

Yeah, don’t know how people define the ‘Britpop’ sound. Too me it was Blur at the helm, with Super furry Animals, Pulp, etc following behind.

I never felt Suede belonged to that,
and definitely not Morrissey, who even at times to his own detriment has always paddled his own canoe, still does.

Agreed. Some say Gene was party to it as well.

 

[ZOOM FROM GLOOM]

Agreed. Some say Gene was party to it as well.

Gene, Elastica, long list. I never bought into it. It all seemed a bit retro to me.

Yeah, some can say Suede were retro, but they brought there own thing to it, sincere in their intent, their first two albums.

 

[Janice]

And another one that he gave a second life quite recently on This is Morrissey.

I’ve always loved this song. And the Boxers-single in general. And the Boxers-Tour. Probably my favourite Moz-Tour. This song worked really well live, too.

8,3

A tour which you probably didn’t attend any gigs as usual. But make out that you did.

 

[SuedeMoz]

Agreed. Some say Gene was party to it as well.

A personal favorite, Sleeper.

 

[gordyboy9]

Yeah, don’t know how people define the ‘Britpop’ sound. Too me it was Blur at the helm, with Super furry Animals, Pulp, etc following behind.

I never felt Suede belonged to that,
and definitely not Morrissey, who even at times to his own detriment has always paddled his own canoe, still does.

for me suede were almost too avante garde for britpop although songs like so young and trash definitely have a britpop feel about them,used to love suede a long time ago.

 

[SuedeMoz]

for me suede were almost too avante garde for britpop although songs like so young and trash definitely have a britpop feel about them,used to love suede a long time ago.

Brett has said in numerous interviews that he never wanted to be associated with BritPop, even though many credit Suede for starting the wave that became known as BritPop.

 

[gordyboy9]

Brett has said in numerous interviews that he never wanted to be associated with BritPop, even though many credit Suede for starting the wave that became known as BritPop.

yip remeber it well,it was a marketing ploy between oasis and blur,designed to see who could sell the most records.the word britpop means nothing now and it meant nothing then.

 

[Nikita]

for me suede were almost too avante garde for britpop although songs like so young and trash definitely have a britpop feel about them,used to love suede a long time ago.

Don't get me wrong, I like Suede, but avant-garde? Seriously?

 

[gordyboy9]

Don't get me wrong, I like Suede, but avant-garde? Seriously?

avante garde as in they had a more stylised look almost like roxy music than their contemparies.

 

[Nikita]

avante garde as in they had a more stylised look almost like roxy music than their contemparies.

So more than twenty years afterwards, not really avant-garde - and even in 1971, Roxy Music would have been more avant-garde than Suede.

 

[gordyboy9]

So more than twenty years afterwards, not really avant-garde - and even in 1971, Roxy Music would have been more avant-garde than Suede.

i never said it was a contest,as someone who has seen roxy and ferry solo many times i see similarities in both groups.

 

[crotty32]

A great b side,it would be great to hear it live.

 

[Anonymous]

I find this pretty average, to be honest - and nowhere close to the perfection of 'Boxers' when it comes to choosing which should be the A Side. It's got plenty of good bits, both musically and vocally (I love the "ah shut up" bit), but it doesn't quite gel into anything special. The 'ah ha' chorus also unfortunately just comes across to me as an inferior retread of the similar laughing chorus of 'We Hate it When Our Friends Become Successful'. A decent, solid B-side, but nothing more. [7 out of 10]