Is "Panic" secretly about Jimmy Saville? - James Hargreaves Guitar / YouTube

TLDW; We won't know until Morrissey says whether it is or isn't.

 

[Boz Boorer's Pint Glass]

What utter bollocks, it's about radio airplay (or their lack of) and most DJs around the UK who play(ed) the usual dirge.

 

[Les Tameside]

American conspiracy communities are picking up all sorts of weird things, so someone is probably interested. Tortoise made an interesting podcast about American cranks becoming obsessed with a school in Hampstead which shows how these things spread.

It's quite grim, so I won't directly link to it - but the Guardian had a piece about it, if you want to find it.

Hoaxed: a podcast investigation of Hampstead’s satanic paedophile ring – which doesn’t exist

This new series explores a conspiracy theory that has destroyed the lives of hundreds of north London parents and teachers – despite its baseless allegations

www.theguardian.com

Blimey. It reads like The Crucible.

 

[goinghome]

It´s a bit of a stretch to suggest the song is about Jimmy Saville - the looming nuclear disaster story hs always sounded more credible - but Saville was no doubt one of the DJs the song wished to see swinging from a gallows. I always remember my mum saying there is something creepy about that man. I think women saw through him a mile away. But God bless the BBC for telling the nation he was a hero.
The maker of the video has a whole series of a similar speculative nature - there is one on the hidden meaning of Sergent Pepper which is worth a watch.

As someone reasonably familiar with both the Savile scandal and Smiths music said, if Morrissey was writing about Savile, he would have had no qualms spelling it out, since intimidation and risk never put a brake on his tongue yet!

 

[Knifesedge]

Didn’t Chernobyl happen the after the song came out?

 

[Malarkey]

Didn’t Chernobyl happen the after the song came out?

No. Chernobyl happened in April, the song was released in July, 1986.

 

[archie13davidson]

Surely, if it were about Saville, it would've been his face on the T-shirt, not Wright's.

no because anyone who mentioned him in a negative way then on live broadcasts ect would be blacklisted

 

[ThomasBnotsignedin]

November Spawned a Monster is also about this same subject. He was born October 31st meaning his first full day alive concluded November 1st (unless if he was born the first minute of the day). The wheelchair girl was one of his victims. The word VILE in the music video.

Art is for the consumer. Morrissey's explanation is only relevant to him. Nowhere in the lyrics does it mention Chernobyl so why would anyone interpret it that way?

If Magritte paints a pipe and tells us "this is not a pipe" do you believe him?

 

[Anonymous]

Johnny Marr - famous for his 'jingle jangle' guitar. Sir Jimmy, famous for his 'jingle jangle' jewelry.
Coincidence, or were The Smiths secretly warning us all?

 

[Grim Reaper]

Hand in glove is really a song about a wild and dirty weekend with Alvin Stardust.

 

[Sven68]

No. Chernobyl happened in April, the song was released in July, 1986.

So the song was probably be written in April.