1. Something is squeezing my skull

2. Mama lay softly on the riverbed

3. Black cloud

4. I’m throwing my arms around Paris

5. All you need is me

6. When last I spoke to Carol

7. That’s how people grow up

8. One day goodbye will be farewell

9. It’s not your birthday anymore

10. You were good in your time

11. Sorry doesn’t help12. I’m OK by myself

Something is squeezing my skull

I’m doing very well

I can block out the present and the past now

I know by now you think I should have straightened

myself out

thank you, drop dead

something is squeezing my skull

something I can barely describe

there is no love in modern life

I’m doing very well

it’s a miracle I even made it this far

the motion of taxis excites me

will you peel it back and bite me?

something is squeezing my skull

something I can barely describe

there is no hope in modern life

something is squeezing my skull something I can’t fi ght

no true friends in modern life

diazepam (that’s valium)

tamazepam … lithium

… hrt, ect

how long must I stay on this stuff ?

don’t gimmie anymore, don’t gimmie anymore, don’t

gimmie anymore, don’t gimmie anymore, PLEASE

DON’T gimmie anymore

you swore you would not gimmie anymore, don’t gimmie

anymore ….

please don’t gimmie anymore

oh you swore

you swore!

you swore!

you swore you would not gimmie anymore

Mama lay softly on the riverbed

Mama, why did you do it?

Mama, who drove you to it?

was it the pigs in grey suits

persecuting you?

uncivil servants unconcerned at how they frighten you

Life is nothing much to lose

it’s just so lonely here without you

Mama, why did you do it?

Mama, who drove you to it?

spare priggish money-men who scared the life out of you

bailiff s with bad-breath

I will slit their throats for you

Life is nothing much to lose

it’s just so lonely here

without you, Mama

Life is nothing much to lose

it’s just so lonely here without you, so

we’re gonna run to you

we’re gonna come to you

we’re gonna lie down

beside you, Mama

we’re gonna be with you

we’re gonna join you

we’re gonna lie down

beside you, Mama

and we will be safe and sheltered in our graves

we’ll come before you

and we will kiss you

by way of one fi nal hug, Mama.

When last I spoke to Carol

When last I spoke to Carol I said:

“I can’t pretend it gets easier.”

she said:

“I’ve hung on, I have edged along this narrow ledge since

the day I was born in .”

When last I spoke to Carol I said:

“I can’t pretend I feel love for you.”

she said:

“I’ve hammered a smile across this pasty face of mine

since the day I was born in .”

When I said goodbye to Carol

black earth upon the casket fell

she had faded to

something I always knew

to the rescue

nobody ever comes.

All you need is me

You hiss and groan and you constantly moan but you

don’t ever go away and that’s because all you need is me

you roll you eyes up to the skies mock horrifi ed—but

you’re still here

because all you need is me

there’s so much destruction

all over the world

and all you can do is

complain about me

you bang your head against the wall and say you’re sick

of it all

yet you remain

’cause all you need is me

and then you off er your one-and-only

joke and you ask me what will I be

when I grow up to be a man

me? nothing ….

there’s a soft voice singing in your head

who can this be?

I do believe it’s me

there’s a naked man standing laughing in your dreams

you know who it is

but you don’t like what it means

Th ere’s so much destruction

all over the world

and all you can do is

complain about me

I was a small fat child in a welfare house, there was only

one thing I ever dreamed about and fate has just handed

it to me, whoopee

You don’t like me but you love me

either way, you’re wrong

you’re gonna miss me when I’m gone

I’m throwing my arms around Paris

In the absence of your love

and in the absence of human touch

I have decided

I’m throwing my arms around

around Paris because

only stone and steel accept my love

In the absence of your smiling face

I travel all over the place

and I have decided

I’m throwing my arms around

around Paris because

only stone and steel accept my love

I’m throwing my arms around

around Paris because

only stone and steel

accept my love

I’m throwing my arms around

Paris because nobody wants my love

nobody wants my love

nobody needs my love

nobody wants my love

yes, you’ve made yourself plain

yes, you’ve made yourself very plain.

Black cloud

Th e one I love

is standing near

the one I love

is everywhere

I can woo you

I can amuse you

but there is nothing I can do to make you mine

black cloud, black cloud

Th e one I love

roosts in the mind

can snap this spell

or, increase hell

I can chase you

and I can catch you

but there is nothing I can do to make you mine

black cloud, black cloud

oh, black cloud

oh, black cloud

I play the game of Favourites now

I can I must I will I do

I can please you

or, I can freeze you out

but there is nothing I can do to make you mine

Black cloud, black cloud, black cloud

I can choke myself to please you and I can sink much

lower than usual

but there’s nothing I can do

to make you mine.

You were good in your time

Let the heart rest

lay back your head

you were good in your time

and we thank you

You made me feel less alone

you made me feel not quite so

deformed, uninformed and hunchbacked

Time takes all breath away

you were good in your time

and we thank you so

You said more in one day

than most people say

in a lifetime, it was our time

and we thank you

An end-of-the-ride sigh

your soft smile says:

“please understand, I must surrender.”

Th en you grip with your hand

now so small in mine

are you aware wherever you are

that you have just died?

It’s not your birthday anymore

Your voice it might say ‘no’

but the heart has a will of its own

your voice it might say ‘no’

but the heart has a heart of its own

It’s not your birthday anymore

there’s no need to be kind to you

and the will to see you smile and belong has now gone

It’s not your birthday anymore

did you really think we meant

all of those syrupy, sentimental things

that we said?

It cannot be given

and so it must be taken

it cannot be given

and so it must be taken

All of the gifts that they gave can’t compare in any way

to the love I am now giving to you right here right now

on the fl oor

all of the gifts that they gave can’t compare in any way

to the love I am now giving to you right here right now

on the fl oor

It’s not your birthday anymore

there’s no need to be kind to you

and the will to see you smile and belong has now gone

It’s not your birthday anymore

did you really think we meant

all of those syrupy, sentimental

things that we said yesterday?

One day goodbye will be farewell

Always be careful when you abuse the one you love

the hour or the day no one can tell

but one day “goodbye” will be “farewell”

and you will never see the one you love again

you will never see the one you love again

I have been thinking

(“what with?”)

my fi nal brain-cell

how Time grips you slyly in its spell

and, before you know, goodbye will be farewell

and you will never see the one you love again

and the smiling children tell you that you smell

well, just look at me—a savage beast—

I’ve got nothing to sell

and when I die I want to go to hell

and that’s when goodbye should be farewell

One day “goodbye” will be “farewell”

so grab me while we still have the time.

That’s how people grow up

I was wasting my time

trying to fall in love

disappointment came to me and booted me and bruised

and hurt me

But that’s how people grow up

that’s how people grow up

I was wasting my time

looking for love

someone must look at me and see their sunlit dream

I was wasting my time

praying for love

for a love that never comes from someone who does not

exist

But that’s how people grow up

that’s how people grow up

let me live before I die

….. not me, not I

I was wasting my life

always thinking about myself

someone on their death-bed said:

“there are other sorrows, too.”

I was driving my car

I crashed and broke my spine

so, yes, there are things worse in life than never being

someone’s sweetie

Th at’s how people grow up

that’s how people grow up

as for me, I’m OK

for now, anyway.

I’m OK by myself

Could this be an arm around my waist?

well, surely the hand contains a knife?

it’s been so all of my life

why change now? “it hasn’t!”

now this might surprise you, but

I fi nd I’m OK by myself

and I don’t need you

or your morality to save me

no, no, no, no, no

Th en came an arm around my shoulder

well surely the hand holds a revolver?

it’s been so all of my life

why change now? “it hasn’t!”

now this might disturb you, but

I fi nd I’m OK by myself

and I don’t need you

or your benevolence to make sense

Noooooooo!

Noooooooo!

Noooooooo!

Noooooooo!

After all these years I fi nd I’m OK by myself

and I don’t need you

or your homespun philosophy

no, no, no, no

Th is might make you throw up in your bed:

I’M OK BY MYSELF!

and I don’t need you

and I never have, I never have

Nooooooooo!

Nooooooooo!

Nooooooooo!

Nooooooooo!

Sorry doesn’t help

Sorries pour out of you

All wide-eyed simple smiles

certain to see you through

like a QC full of fake humility

you say:

“Oh, please forgive ..”

you say:

“Oh, live and let live .. “

but sorry doesn’t help us

and sorry will not save us

and sorry will not bring my teen years back to me (any

time soon)

Forced back, it springs right out

seasoned, you have no doubts

you lied about the lies that you told

which is the full extent of what being you is all about

you say:

“Oh, please forgive .. “

you say:

“Oh, live and let live .. “

but sorry doesn’t help us

sorry will not save us

sorry will not bring my love into my arms (as far as I

know .. )

sorry doesn’t help us

sorry will not save us

sorry is just a word you fi nd so easy to say … so you say

it anyway

sorry doesn’t help us

sorry won’t protect us

sorry won’t undo all the good gone wrong.

Recorded at conway studios in los angeles 2008

Produced by Jerry fi nn

Engineered by Seth waldmann

Front photography of Morrissey with Sebastien pesel

browne was taken by Jake walters in los angeles 2008

Group photograph was taken by Travis shinn in

los angeles 2008

Inner bag: Bodegon con jarra de Vino, 1914 (oil on canvas),

fuentes, A. Photography by Arturo osorno / inba /

the Bridgeman art library

Sleeve art is by No allegiances for Stylorouge london

Morrissey is managed by Irving azoff , Andy gould,

Lil gary for Front line management group

Jeff beck plays guitar on track 3

piano and keyboards by the great Roger joseph manning jr.,

courtesy of the Oglio entertainment group

Mark isham plays trumpets on tracks 4, 6 � 8, courtesy

Earle-tones records

Kristopher pooley sings backing vocals on track 2, 6 � 8

Kristeen young provides additional voice on track 7

Moz posse is: Charlie browne, Eduardo mendoza,

Miro lagioia, Arturo hernandez, Damon anacreonte,

Max conwell, Milky, Oliver waring, Joseph joannides,

Jaeki hildisch, Richard coble, Lloyd tripp, Rocky robert,

Rich modica

travel by Debra copelan at Tzell travel in los angeles

very special thanks to Chrissie hynde, Joe mcgrath,

Jeff beck, Jennifer ivory, Roger manning,

Susan pesel browne, Peter ellis at Crawfords

watch PARMIGIANI

tracks 5, 11 � 12 written by Morrissey and Jesse tobias

tracks 3, 4, 7 � 8 written by Morrissey and Boz boorer

tracks 1, 2, 6, 9 � 10 written by Morrissey and

Alain whyte

Morrissey is published by Warner chappell music ltd.

Boz boorer is published by Universal music ltd.

Jesse tobias is published by 8 Stitches 9 lives music

(ascap)

Alain whyte published by Copyright control

Mastered by Bill inglot and Dan hersch at Digiprep

los angeles

www.true-to-you.net

Please join the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals—

www.peta.org

Matt walker

drummer

Boz boorer

guitarist

Jesse tobias

guitarist

Solomon walker

bassist

Something is squeezing my skullMama lay softly on the riverbedBlack cloudI’m throwing my arms around ParisAll you need is meWhen last I spoke to CarolThat’s how people grow upOne day goodbye will be farewellIt’s not your birthday anymoreYou were good in your timeSorry doesn’t helpI’m OK by myself

produced by jerry fi nn

recorded in los angeles

play very loud

All tracks P 2009 Morrissey except 5 & 7 P 2008 Morrissey. © 2009 Morrissey.

Licensed exclusively to Decca Music Group Limited, London, England by Morrissey.

Under exclusive license in the usa to umg Recordings, Inc., 401 Commerce Street,

Suite 1100, Nashville, Tennessee 37219. Manufactured and distributed in the United

States by Universal Music Distribution. Warning: All rights reserved. Unauthorized

duplication is a violation of applicable laws. Printed in the usa.