Cemetry Gates by The Smiths Lyrics Meaning – Unveiling the Metaphysical Journey Through Verse
Lyrics
So I meet you at the cemetry gates
Keats and Yeats are on your side
A dreaded sunny day
So I meet you at the cemetry gates
Keats and Yeats are on your side
While Wilde is on mine
So we go inside and we gravely read the stones
All those people, all those lives, where are they now?
With-a loves, and hates and passions just like mine
They were born, and then they lived, and then they died
Seems so unfair, I want to cry
You say: “‘Ere thrice the sun done salutation to the dawn”
And you claim these words as your own
But I’ve read well and I’ve heard them said
A hundred times, maybe less, maybe more
If you must write prose and poems the words you use should be your own
Don’t plagiarise or take “on loan”
‘Cause there’s always someone, somewhere with a big nose, who knows
And who trips you up and laughs when you fall
Who’ll trip you up and laugh when you fall
You say: “‘Ere long done do does did”
Words which could only be your own
And then produce the text from whence was ripped
Some dizzy whore, 1804
A dreaded sunny day, so let’s go where we’re happy
And I meet you at the cemetry gates
Oh, Keats and Yeats are on your side
A dreaded sunny day, so let’s go where we’re wanted
And I meet you at the cemetry gates
Keats and Yeats are on your side, but you lose
‘Cause whale blubber Wilde is on mine
Sugar
Morrissey’s eloquent quill has often delineated the contours of life’s existential musings, and in ‘Cemetry Gates,’ a track as haunting as it is melodically charming, The Smiths transport their listeners to the liminal spaces where the living converse with the dead, and where the past blurs with the present. The song, draped in literary references, is an introspective passage through time, mortality, and the quest for originality.
Peering into the heart of this composition, one quickly unearths layers far deeper than the deceptively upbeat jangle of Johnny Marr’s guitar. ‘Cemetry Gates’ is a masterclass in the high-wire act of borrowing from the literary greats while crafting a unique artistic statement, a modern anthem that defies the grave itself.
The Interplay of Sun and Sorrow: A Contrarian Lament
The jarring juxtaposition of a ‘dreaded sunny day’ serves as a counterintuitive backdrop to the solemnity that one might associate with a place like the cemetery. This bright setting contrasts with the traditional gloom, introducing listeners to the complex emotional landscapes that The Smiths navigate with ease.
Morrissey’s use of ‘dreaded’ is itself a layered critique, perhaps of how happiness or the idealized ‘perfect day’ can feel oppressive for those who revel in the introspective calm of melancholia. The brilliance of the phrase sets the tone for a narrative that finds comfort in what others might consider morbid or somber.
A Duel of Poetical Titans: Keats, Yeats, and Wilde
The invocation of Romantic and Victorian literary figures represents more than a mere name-dropping bonanza. It unravels into a complex tapestry where the narrator’s allegiance with Oscar Wilde symbolizes the embrace of unique, even rebellious thought, against the tide of conventional wisdom.
Meanwhile, the companion’s siding with Keats and Yeats might signify a more traditional or accepted form of poetic expression. This divide serves as a battleground for authenticity and originality, central themes that echo throughout the composition.
When the Dead Whisper: Deciphering the Stones
The Smiths do not merely stroll within the gates; they commune with the denizens of the graveyard. The act of ‘gravely reading the stones’ transmutes the listener from passive observer to an active participant in unraveling the stories of countless lives, a memento mori that impresses upon us the fleeting nature of existence.
This somber rumination over the lives that preceded us, their vibrancy now reduced to etched epitaphs, challenges the listener to contemplate their legacy. Morrissey’s realization that these lives were filled with emotions as rich and tumultuous as his own serves as a poignant reminder of shared human experience.
Artistic Theft or Borrowed Genius? The Invisible Line
Delving into the song’s critique of intellectual theft, Morrissey bluntly confronts the sin of plagiarism with a tone that is part-amusement and part-reproach. The ‘big nose’ that knows becomes a metaphor for the omniscient critic, the guardian of authenticity, waiting to expose the facade of borrowed brilliance.
The mention of a ‘dizzy whore, 1804′ is a derisive nod to past scandals of literary thievery and the year, though nonspecific, insinuates a time when such deceit was perhaps rampant. It’s a stab at those who hide behind the pretense of creativity, masquerading others’ ideas as their own.
Memorable Lines that Transcend Time: ‘Ere thrice the sun done salutation to the dawn’
This particular line from the song captures a bygone era of linguistic flourish, evoking a sense of longing for a time when words were wielded with an almost magical prowess. It’s as much a nod to the past as it is a challenge to the present—to engage in the craft of writing with a respect for the past that does not compromise one’s voice.
The reiterated use of archaic diction, even when depicting absurdity (‘Ere long done do does did’), is a cunning lyrical move. It illustrates the struggle to create something new amidst the looming shadows of the greats, and the sometimes farcical outcome of those attempts. It is an ode to linguistic mastery and simultaneously a tease, a reminder that while reverence is due, slavish imitation is to be scoffed at.
