"Shaven cave" and "scatter glue"? Are these just bad lyrics or do they mean something?

The lyric is "scatter gloom", and to analyze it, one must put it in perspective of the song's content, and the lyrical context prior to this snippet. The lyric to the stanza is as follows: "I carry out the powerful vulgarian view/ I scatter gloom/ do as I say or I'll scatter you". As the sentiment of the song as a whole, to put it simply, bears an anti-war message, one can see that Morrissey is mocking military and political leaders that are "powerful" and calls them "Vulgarians", and basically shines a light on the stupidity of their decisions in war to "scatter gloom" which basically means distributing about darkness, death, and murder in the context of war, while the soldiers must simply obey and carry out this order. The next line "Do as I say or I'll scatter you" has two possible meanings in my interpretation, with one being that it's a punishment if you don't follow the "vulgarian" leader's view you will be killed, while the other is that it's an extension of the leader's order, that the soldiers must force people on the opposing side of the war to surrender or die. This is my interpretation. But only Moz really knows.... :)
 
Interpretations for "shaven cave" are much more ambiguous and one, once again, put it in context: "I have been brave/ Deep in every shaven cave/ But none were you". As the song deals with being isolated and plays on the word "home", metaphorically asking whether true comfort and happiness is being found within yourself or another person, I believe Morrissey studies the word "cave" with a meaning regarding safety and protection and a rather simple form of shelter. It is a very primitive method of housing and coupled with the adjective "shaven", it gives off this very barren imagery as shaven implies that something is gone or "shaved off" and therefore it has nothing special to it, and Morrissey comes to the conclusion that this person he used this "home" analogy for was not the true "home" he is looking for hence "But none were you".
 
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Gaetano said:
Interpretations for "shaven cave" are much more ambiguous and one, once again, put it in context: "I have been brave/ Deep in every shaven cave/ But none were you". As the song deals with being isolated and plays on the word "home", metaphorically asking whether true comfort and happiness is being found within yourself or another person, I believe Morrissey studies the word "cave" with a meaning regarding safety and protection and a rather simple form of shelter. It is a very primitive method of housing and coupled with the adjective "shaven", it gives off this very barren imagery as shaven implies that something is gone or "shaved off" and therefore is has nothing special to it, and Morrissey comes to the conclusion that this person he used this "home" analogy for was not the true "home" he is looking for hence "But none were you".
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Moz does enjoy a sexually suggestive double entendre now and again though, so, deep in the the hairless vagina would satisfy that agenda in addition to your more thought out possibility.
 
This album has a lot of sexual references and love themes, anyone know the back story?
 
Gaetano said:
It is a very primitive method of housing and coupled with the adjective "shaven", it gives off this very barren imagery as shaven implies that something is gone or "shaved off" and therefore it has nothing special to it, and Morrissey comes to the conclusion that this person he used this "home" analogy for was not the true "home" he is looking for hence "But none were you".
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Jeepers H Christ - it's clearly a reference to someone's groomed genital area (theoretically a shaven vagina, though given Morrissey's usual humasexual preferences a guy's depilated butt is the more obvious). There really is no need to go digging for obscure non-sexual meanings here - this is the same damn song where he asks if someone will wrap their legs around his head, for Cliff's sake - so it's a bit late to be prudish.

The narrator of the song has been looking for sexual comfort in other people - but they aren't the particular subject (the 'you' ),that the narrator is addressing - so they ultimately feel unfulfilled. The song clearly equates physical intimacy with this person as being a metaphorical homecoming, hence the references to touching, and various body parts ("I hug the land but nothing more....but never in arms, etc"). It's pretty much the same lyrical conceit as something like "I entered nothing, and nothing entered me - till you came, with the key" - yet I expect there are still prudes out there desperate to read that as non-sexual as well, when it couldn't be any more clearly about butt-sex (particularly when Morrissey used to change the line to "nobody entered me" live, just to hammer the point home.

People can titter about the 'shaven cave' line - but I think in context, and with the sense of longing it's sung, it's actually very moving.
 
Gaetano said:
Interpretations for "shaven cave" are much more ambiguous and one, once again, put it in context: "I have been brave/ Deep in every shaven cave/ But none were you". As the song deals with being isolated and plays on the word "home", metaphorically asking whether true comfort and happiness is being found within yourself or another person, I believe Morrissey studies the word "cave" with a meaning regarding safety and protection and a rather simple form of shelter. It is a very primitive method of housing and coupled with the adjective "shaven", it gives off this very barren imagery as shaven implies that something is gone or "shaved off" and therefore it has nothing special to it, and Morrissey comes to the conclusion that this person he used this "home" analogy for was not the true "home" he is looking for hence "But none were you".
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I think it means he finally discovered the joys of rimming.
 
I think the ‘home’ in question in this song refers to sexuality - quite explicitly so, in fact. ‘Shaven cave’ is quite reminiscent of the phrase ‘shaven haven’ which is slightly crass euphemism for vagina. It’s a pretty British phrase. I’m sure Morrissey may be aware if this phrase and adapted it to ‘cave’ for this song.
 
what the f*** is up with that? musically I like it, but some of the lyrics... ew.
 
rifke said:
what the f*** is up with that? musically I like it, but some of the lyrics... ew.
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The lyrics have been crotch-centric since Reel Around The Fountain to I Keep Mine Hidden to Angel, Angel Down We Go Together to Something Is Squeezing My Skull. I'm surprise some people are only just noticing...
 
yes, but he has never used such plain text before when it comes to this sort of thing! has he?!

in other news, I'm sick in bed and not at all myself, thus I'm not really responsible if I make dumb threads. now, as I was sick in bed I watched, among other things, Suddenly Last Summer (excellent by the way). this is relevant because all throughout the movie I kept wondering who Montgomery clift reminded me of, and then I realized: it's Morrissey! for some reason he physically reminds me very much of Morrissey. (that's a good thing mozzer! for you and for monty! by the way, howARE you?! is your tour going well? remember when you talked to me?? I think you should really do it again. don't worry, babycakes, ill know. rifke always knows. ;) <3 mwah!)
 
There are a lot of crotch references (at least three songs), but again - the sex references are nothing new. We are talking about an artist whose debut single featured a naked guy's butt on the cover, and lyrics about the sun shining out of someone's butthole - while the B side referred to mammary glands, boys in bushes and getting head on the conjugal bed. Even when we skipped to the solo career, the debut single talked about having a 'good lay'.

Most of the crotch references on 'Low in High School' seem to be aiming for the blunt shock factor previously displayed on something like 'there are explosive kegs between my legs', but there are more subtle references in there. One of my favourite 'hidden' bits of smut that most people don't seem to have picked up on yet, is the reference to an 'almighty crack' on 'In Your Lap'. Given the amount of Carry On films Morrissey has seen, there is no way that is not a deliberate double entendre.
 
i remember when lotl came out, some critics advised him to keep his hands off from sex descriptions and scenes altogether, but m wouldnt be m, if he didnt do exactly the opposite of that, and probably even more so on his next publication. i dont think that he deserved something like a bad sex award for lotl, this should go to all the pornographic, misogynist and paedophile shit that is accepted on a grand scale by our society and media, i can only guess, as a tasteful sort of entertainment. he does not adopt a particularly male pov in his descriptions, i.e. objectifying bodies for the sake of satisfying male needs (esp. those of men 50+ who need more stimulation in order to still feel a tickle in their pants). so i guess he offers potential double entendres in his lyrics for those listeners who need this sort of stimulation in order to be able to enjoy the songs in a serious manner. i, personally, find them mostly funny because they activate your imagination
 
"If I ever get there, would you meet me? Wrap your legs around my face just to greet me?" and "Everything I know deserts me now, when you open your legs" are some of the better lyrics on the album.

He should do more sex and less world politics.
 
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My best guess for shaven cave was that it was a reference to being up someone's arse. Obviously metaphorically in terms of record bosses, but it is kind of a double meaning then when saying 'but none were you'.
 
Anonymous said:
There are a lot of crotch references (at least three songs), but again - the sex references are nothing new. We are talking about an artist whose debut single featured a naked guy's butt on the cover, and lyrics about the sun shining out of someone's butthole - while the B side referred to mammary glands, boys in bushes and getting head on the conjugal bed. Even when we skipped to the solo career, the debut single talked about having a 'good lay'.

Most of the crotch references on 'Low in High School' seem to be aiming for the blunt shock factor previously displayed on something like 'there are explosive kegs between my legs', but there are more subtle references in there. One of my favourite 'hidden' bits of smut that most people don't seem to have picked up on yet, is the reference to an 'almighty crack' on 'In Your Lap'. Given the amount of Carry On films Morrissey has seen, there is no way that is not a deliberate double entendre.
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The ‘almighty crack’ bit totally escaped my attention! Well done
 
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