The Headmaster Ritual (single)
| THE SMITHS Single | |
|---|---|
| Name | The Headmaster Ritual |
| Release | February 1985 (Album version) Summer 1985 (Holland - exact date unknown) December 1988 (UK CD) 2009 (Reissue) |
| Total Length | 4:52 |
| Recorded | October 1984 |
| Writer/composer | Morrissey / Johnny Marr |
| Producer | The Smiths Stephen Street (Recording Engineer) |
| Art work | Cover star: Viv Nicholson (UK CD) Dutch cover: Robert Duncan from The Uncle (1965) designed by Morrissey Layout: Caryn Gough |
| Vinyl Etching | No matrix message |
| Publisher | Megadisc (Netherlands) Rough Trade Records (UK) Sire Records (US) |
| Format(s) | 7" Vinyl, 12" Vinyl, CD |
| Chart position | Not applicable (UK release 1988) |
| Single chronology | |
| Barbarism Begins At Home ← The Headmaster Ritual → That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore
| |
Information
Excerpt from Peepholism:
The sleeve photograph is a still taken from an obscure 1960's film called 'The Uncle'.
The single was originally released in Holland only, as an alternative to 'That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore', with the same four live B-sides on the 12".
The sleeve was originally intended to be a still of Sir Laurence Olivier with cane raised over Terence Stamp's hand from the film Term of Trial, but although Terence Stamp gave his consent. Olivier was not forthcoming - at least, not in time for release. Such a gripping illustration would doubtless have got up the the noses of, e g. the Manchester Evening News even more than the lyrics alone did when the song first came out on Meat Is Murder... with enraged protestations of the Greater Manchester Education Committee, talk of picketing the concerts, etc.
Track list
7" Vinyl
Netherlands - [Megadisc – MD 5290]
- The Headmaster Ritual – 4:52 (Morrissey/Marr)
- Oscillate Wildly – 2:32 (Morrissey/Marr)
12" Vinyl
Netherlands - [Megadisc – MD 125295]
- The Headmaster Ritual – 4:52 (Morrissey/Marr)
- Nowhere Fast (live in Oxford) – 2:31 (Morrissey/Marr)
- Stretch Out And Wait (live in Oxford) – 2:49 (Morrissey/Marr)
- Shakespeare's Sister (live in Oxford) – 2:12 (Morrissey/Marr)
- Meat Is Murder (live in Oxford) – 5:34 (Morrissey/Marr)
CD
UK - [Rough Trade – RTT 215CD]
- The Headmaster Ritual – 4:52 (Morrissey/Marr)
- Nowhere Fast (live in Oxford) – 2:31 (Morrissey/Marr)
- Stretch Out And Wait (live in Oxford) – 2:49 (Morrissey/Marr)
- Meat Is Murder (live in Oxford) – 5:34 (Morrissey/Marr)
Lyrics
Belligerent ghouls
run Manchester schools
spineless swines
cemented minds
Sir leads the troops
jealous of youth
same old suit since 1962
he does the military two-step
down the nape of my neck
I wanna go home
I don't want to stay
give up education
as a bad mistake
mid-week on the playing fields
Sir thwacks you on the knees
knees you in the groin
elbow in the face
bruises bigger than dinner plates
I wanna go home
I don't wanna stay
Belligerent ghouls
run Manchester schools
spineless bastards all
Sir leads the troops
jealous of youth
same old jokes since 1902
he does the military two-step
down the nape of my neck
I wanna go home
I don't want to stay
give up life
as a bad mistake
please excuse me from gym
I've got this terrible cold coming on
he grabs and devours
he kicks me in the showers
kicks me in the showers
and he grabs and devours
I want to go home
I don't want to stay
Live History
Play count (The Smiths concert): 40
The Smiths live history:
- Chippenham, England 1985-02-27 (The Smiths concert)
- Guildford, England 1985-02-28 (The Smiths concert)
- London, England 1985-03-01 (The Smiths concert)
- Portsmouth, England 1985-03-03 (The Smiths concert)
- Reading, England 1985-03-04 (The Smiths concert)
- Poole, England 1985-03-06 (The Smiths concert)
- Brighton, England 1985-03-07 (The Smiths concert)
- Margate, England 1985-03-08 (The Smiths concert)
- Ipswich, England 1985-03-11 (The Smiths concert)
- Nottingham, England 1985-03-12 (The Smiths concert)
Play count (Morrissey concert): 20
Morrissey live history:
- Las Vegas, Nevada 2004-04-17 (Morrissey concert)
- Anaheim, California 2004-04-18 (Morrissey concert)
- Los Angeles, California 2004-04-22 (Morrissey concert)
- Los Angeles, California 2004-04-24 (Morrissey concert)
- Los Angeles, California 2004-04-26 (Morrissey concert)
- Los Angeles, California 2004-04-27 (Morrissey concert)
- New York, New York 2004-05-03 (Morrissey concert)
- New York, New York 2004-05-08 (Morrissey concert)
- Manchester, England 2004-05-22 (Morrissey concert)
- London, England 2004-06-11 (Morrissey concert)
Appears On
- Meat Is Murder
- The Headmaster Ritual (single)
- ...Best II
- Who Put The 'M' In Manchester?
- The Sound Of The Smiths
- The Smiths Singles Box
- Complete
Cover Versions
Mentioned In
Discogs Information
Credits
- Bass Guitar [The Bass Guitar] - Andy Rourke
- Drums [The Drums] - Mike Joyce
- Engineer [Engineered By] - Stephen Street
- Guitar [Guitars] - Johnny Marr
- Layout - Caryn Gough
- Producer [Produced By] - The Smiths
- Sleeve - Morrissey
- Voice - Morrissey
- Written-By - Johnny Marr
- Written-By - Morrissey
Notes
This is the version without any misspelling or typos. See The Headmaster Ritual Master Release page for more detailed descriptions of all misprint submissions.
Side A from the LP "Meat Is Murder”. Side B recorded live in Oxford.
Distributed in the Benelux by CBS, Heemstede.
Made in Holland ℗ 1985 ROUGH TRADE/MEGADISC RECORDS & TAPES B.V.
Tracks listed sequentially on the labels (as A1, B2, B3, B4, B5).
Images
- The Headmaster Ritual - Discogs master release: https://www.discogs.com/master/21160
- The Headmaster Ritual (12" 45 RPM Single Stereo) - Discogs release: https://www.discogs.com/release/546534-The-Smiths-The-Headmaster-Ritual
Discogs information (additional release)
Notes
Tracks 2 to 4 recorded live in Oxford, 1985.
Cover star: Viv Nicholson
Images
- The Headmaster Ritual (Single) - Discogs release: https://www.discogs.com/release/1566244-The-Smiths-The-Headmaster-Ritual
Discogs information (additional release)
Notes
℗ 1985
Images
- The Headmaster Ritual / Oscillate Wildly (7" 45 RPM Single Stereo) - Discogs release: https://www.discogs.com/release/482458-The-Smiths-The-Headmaster-Ritual-Oscillate-Wildly