The Moz/Smiths Top 100, Part 131: ON THE STREETS I RAN

[Comtesse]

Musically, it's completely unmemorable and lyrically it's clunky - especially that horrible last line - but I still find some of the lyrics appealing. Thus it climbs out of the grime and up to the lofty position of 6. Definitely one of the worst tracks of Ringleader, but not quite "Boy Happy" horrible.

 

[celibate]

a 5

as I wrote many times, an automatic-pilot , '10-ina pack' song from
His mediocre album ROTT

there are 5 or 6 songs on this album who're '10-ina-a pack' ones, and
deseve[d] the same ranking as this one, or a little 6.

Bring back Steve Lillywhite

 

[M-in-Oz]

I gave it 10

Just love this song so much, I listen to it on repeat.

The lyrics really get to me, especially the Pittsburgh bit, find it intersting that in the song he values life - rather than wanting to die.

 

[BillyBudd]

Along with 'The father who must be killed' and 'At last I am born', this is one of the saving graces on the relatively disappointing 'Ringleader' which was clearly a far from the league of 'You are the quarry' - I think most people realized this after the initial excitement wore off.

I think it's a great tune and fine lyrics to match, although I could have done without the ending.

 

[9 x Fined]

Probably still my favorite song on Ringleader. 10.

 

[MozzaBedfordSpur]

Great tune, Mozza crooning at his best, a song I like to play loud, a resounding 8 from me.

 

[Comtesse]

Along with 'The father who must be killed' and 'At last I am born', this is one of the saving graces on the relatively disappointing 'Ringleader' which was clearly a far from the league of 'You are the quarry' - I think most people realized this after the initial excitement wore off.

I think it's a great tune and fine lyrics to match, although I could have done without the ending.

Actually, I still maintain, I still maintain that Ringleader is a much better album than Quarry. IMHO, Quarry is the most overrated album of Moz's career... and Maladjusted is the most underrated.

 

[Deleted member 4260]

This is a 10. This is the first track I play on the cd when I pop it in.
It's not the best lyrically, but the music is very powerful.
I also like the knock on Pittsburgh at the end.

 

[King Leer]

The last line is outrageous! It makes me laugh every time I hear it.

I like the guitars and the energy of the song. I didn't get into the vocal melody at first, but it grows on you.

I think the haters have only heard it once or twice. Go on, torture yourself and listen to it 20-30 times and you'll start to like it more. It's a grower.

7.5, rounded down to 7.

 

[celibate]

I think the haters have only heard it once or twice. Go on, torture yourself and listen to it 20-30 times and you'll start to like it more. It's a grower.
7.5, rounded down to 7.

I wrote it already 29 times, and will do it again for you
ROTT was released on me birthday, and a week after a 3 week stay in
the hospital, where I was 2 week in IC and from that ,1 week held in-a-coma
...1 week recovery unit, when i got home I could hardly speak or walk, so
I got help for washing me, and clothing me [4 weeks], and they got me
3 times a day out the house to walk with that kinda thing old people
walk with.
So I had nothing to do for at least a month than listen to ROTT, and wait
tilll it grabbed me as Quarry, but it didn't, I listened to it at least 10
times a day for a month, and only 4 songs that I enjoyed.
Southpaw cost me 4 year to like, so maybe i fall for ROTT in the future [when all's well]

 

[konstantinl]

Not one of the top Moz tracks but one of the better ones from Ringleaders.

I like the extreme cowardice at the end.

As for the song it's about the violence of working class Manchester acting as a spur for Moz, being a big scardy cat, to get the hell out of there. So the meaning of the song is literal....on the streets he ran...home...to get away from the scary nutters!

(PS, I think that Morrissey sometimes exaggerates this 'poor' routes. Having seen pictures of the house he lived in, he would have been considered 'posh' in my neck of the woods. Generally heroin addicts don't have a nice garden and street gangs of razor wielding toughs don't hang around on leafy streets, not that he wouldn't have been exposed to them, but he tends to pump things up with his own brand of melodrama)

 

[FDR]

Great. Was the first song I was hooked on from the album. Difficult to sing which is probably why it has been left off the setlist.

 

[King Leer]

Well, there are exceptions.

Glad you recovered from whatever it was that happened. Maybe Moz' music helped.

I wrote it already 29 times, and will do it again for you
ROTT was released on me birthday, and a week after a 3 week stay in
the hospital, where I was 2 week in IC and from that ,1 week held in-a-coma
...1 week recovery unit, when i got home I could hardly speak or walk, so
I got help for washing me, and clothing me [4 weeks], and they got me
3 times a day out the house to walk with that kinda thing old people
walk with.
So I had nothing to do for at least a month than listen to ROTT, and wait
tilll it grabbed me as Quarry, but it didn't, I listened to it at least 10
times a day for a month, and only 4 songs that I enjoyed.
Southpaw cost me 4 year to like, so maybe i fall for ROTT in the future [when all's well]

 

[celibate]

Well, there are exceptions.

Glad you recovered from whatever it was that happened. Maybe Moz' music helped.

my apologies for my comment, it wasn't meant to be personal, and trying
to get sympathy or whatever in that way, i only wanted to let everyone
known that I'm not very fond of ROTT, and that I really listened to it a
lot... I find it kinda strange also why Ringleaders didn't satisfy me till now.

I'm Ok now, but the damage is done in my past, and now I have to pay
for it, and live with... which is better than the life I had the past century.

Again, sorry, nothing personal to you, and I shouldn't have made that
comment, with personal things... which I do often, maybe I should get
a blog

 

[Maurice E]

Actually, I still maintain, I still maintain that Ringleader is a much better album than Quarry. IMHO, Quarry is the most overrated album of Moz's career... and Maladjusted is the most underrated.

I agree completely. Quarry is hugely over-rated. It's his weakest album along with Southpaw Grammar.
Conversely, Maladjusted with four brilliant songs, and a few ok ones is his most under-rated.
Not sure it's been entirely worth resurrecting this thread for these comments though. Wanted to see the scores for the top 130 and couldn't resist chipping in!

 

[Jamie]

The one bona fide occasion where Jesse Tobias made a worthwhile contribution to ROTT and, perhaps, the only song that justifies the inclusion of three guitar players. The energy of the song is just right for the song sequencing.

I was a bit shocked that Visconti didn't exert enough quality control to repair where Morrissey's voice breaks in the second chorus. Unfortunately, it comes off more as slapdash than spontaneous. One of the better lyrics on the album ("here everybody's 'friendly,' but nobody's friends / oh dear god / when will I be where I should be?"), too.

Cheers,
Jamie

 

[Well I Wonder]

Mediocre song from a mediocre album​

 

[vicarinatutugal]

I have it on LOUD! its great.

 

[Kuiper]

I have it on LOUD! its great.

Isn't it, though?

 

[vicarinatutugal]

Isn't it, though?

someone gave it a 2!