Stretch Out And Wait

Cover art

THE SMITHS song
Name	Stretch Out And Wait
Album/single	Shakespeare's Sister The World Won't Listen
Length	2:37 (Album version) 2:44 (Alternate album version)
Writer/composer	Morrissey / Johnny Marr
Producer	Morrissey / Johnny Marr Stephen Street (Recording Engineer)
Release	March 1985
Recorded	January 1985

Lyrics

All the lies that you make up
What's at the back of your mind?
Oh, your face I can see
And it's desperately kind
But what's at the back of your mind?

Two icy-cold hands conducting the way
It's the Eskimo blood in my veins
Amid concrete and clay
And general decay
Nature must still find a way
So ignore all the codes of the day
Let your juvenile impulses sway
This way and that way
This way, that way
God, how sex implores you
To let yourself lose yourself

Stretch out and wait
Stretch out and wait
Let your puny body, lie down, lie down
As we lie, you say
As we lie, you say
Stretch out and...
Stretch out and wait
Stretch out and wait
Let your puny body lie down, lie down

As we lie, you say :
Will the world end in the night time?
(I really don't know)
Or will the world end in the day time?
(I really don't know)
And is there any point ever having children?
Oh, I don't know
All I do know is we're here and it's now

So...stretch out and wait
Stretch out and wait
There is no debate, no debate, no debate
How can you consciously contemplate
When there's no debate, no debate?
Stretch out and wait
Stretch out and wait
Stretch out and wait
Wait
Wait
Wait
Wait
Oh...

Live History

Play count (The Smiths concert): 65

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)
• Ipswich, England 1985-03-11 (The Smiths concert)
• Nottingham, England 1985-03-12 (The Smiths concert)
• Hanley, England 1985-03-16 (The Smiths concert)
• Birmingham, England 1985-03-17 (The Smiths concert)
• Oxford, England 1985-03-18 (The Smiths concert)
• Sheffield, England 1985-03-22 (The Smiths concert)
• Middlesbrough, England 1985-03-23 (The Smiths concert)

... further results

Play count (Morrissey concert): 44

Morrissey live history:

• Tijuana, BC, Mexico 2007-09-20 (Morrissey concert)
• Las Vegas, Nevada 2007-09-21 (Morrissey concert)
• San Francisco, California 2007-09-23 (Morrissey concert)
• San Francisco, California 2007-09-24 (Morrissey concert)
• San Francisco, California 2007-09-26 (Morrissey concert)
• San Francisco, California 2007-09-27 (Morrissey concert)
• Santa Barbara, California 2007-09-29 (Morrissey concert)
• Los Angeles, California 2007-10-01 (Morrissey concert)
• Los Angeles, California 2007-10-05 (Morrissey concert)
• Los Angeles, California 2007-10-06 (Morrissey concert)

... further results

Appears On

• Shakespeare's Sister (single)
• Barbarism Begins At Home (single)
• The Headmaster Ritual (single)
• That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore (single)
• The Queen Is Dead
• The World Won't Listen
• The Sound Of The Smiths
• The Smiths Singles Box
• Complete

Related Forum Threads

• The Smiths A-Z: "Stretch Out And Wait" - Morrissey-solo (Oct 03, 2022)