Death At One's Elbow

Cover art

THE SMITHS song
Name	Death At One's Elbow
Album/single	Strangeways,_Here_We_Come
Length	2:01
Writer/composer	Morrissey / Johnny Marr
Producer	Stephen Street Assisted by Morrissey / Johnny Marr
Release	September 1987
Recorded	Spring 1987

Information

The song's title appears to be derived from a quote by Joe Orton:

"As the corpse is downstairs in the main living room it means going out or watching television with death at one’s elbow."

("The Orton Diaries", December, 1966).

Lyrics

Ooh Glenn
don't come to the house tonight
Ooh, Glenn
don't come to the house tonight
because there's somebody here
who really really loves you
stay home
be bored
(it's crap, I KNOW)
Ooh, Glenn
don't come to the house tonight
Ooh, Glenn
don't come to the house tonight
because there's somebody here
who'll take a hatchet to your ear
how the frustration renders me
hateful, Glenn!
don't come to the house tonight
don't come to the house tonight
because you'll slip on the
trail of my bespattered remains
and so, that's why
GOODBYE MY LOVE, GOODBYE MY LOVE
GOODBYE MY LOVE, GOODBYE MY LOVE
GOODBYE MY LOVE, GOODBYE MY LOVE
Belch

Live History

Play count (The Smiths concert): 0

Play count (Morrissey concert): 25

Morrissey live history:

• Wolverhampton, England 1988-12-22 (Morrissey concert)
• Birmingham, England 2009-10-23 (Morrissey concert)
• London, England 2009-10-27 (Morrissey concert)
• Leeds, England 2009-10-29 (Morrissey concert)
• Sheffield, England 2009-10-30 (Morrissey concert)
• Salisbury, England 2009-11-02 (Morrissey concert)
• Brentwood, England 2009-11-03 (Morrissey concert)
• London, England 2009-11-05 (Morrissey concert)
• Nijmegen, Netherlands 2009-11-09 (Morrissey concert)
• Lille, France 2009-11-10 (Morrissey concert)

... further results

Appears On

• Strangeways, Here We Come
• Complete

Related Forum Threads

• The Smiths A-Z: "Death at One's Elbow" - Morrissey-solo (Jan 20, 2022)