MAMA LAY SOFTLY ON THE RIVERBED: Full Lyrics

[Roma De Moz]

Mama, why did you do it?
Mama, you'll go to it...

Was it the pigs in grey suits
Persercuting you?
Un-civil servants
With no care for how they lied to you

Life is nothing much to lose
It's just so lonely here without you

Mama, why did you do it?
Mama, you'll go to it...

Intruding British workmen
Who scared the life out of you
Balliffs with bad breathe
I will slay them through for you

Life is nothing much to lose
It's just so lonely here without you

Mama, why did you do it?
Mama, you'll go to it...

We're gonna run to you
W're gonna come to you
We're gonna lie down next to you

We're gonna run to you
We're gonna be with you
We're gonna lie down right next you (fade out, repeat)

[Shaw]

Where did you get these from? Justs that on the recording i've got it says
"Mama, why did you do it?
Mama, who drove you to it...

Spare priggish moneymen
Who scared the life out of you
Balliffs with bad breathe
I will slit their throats for you"

At least it sounds like that anyway

[Hellie]

Mama, why did you do it?
Mama, you'll go to it...

Was it the pigs in grey suits
Persercuting you?
Un-civil servants
With no care for how they lied to you

Life is nothing much to lose
It's just so lonely here without you

Mama, why did you do it?
Mama, you'll go to it...

Intruding British workmen
Who scared the life out of you
Balliffs with bad breathe
I will slay them through for you

Life is nothing much to lose
It's just so lonely here without you

Mama, why did you do it?
Mama, you'll go to it...

We're gonna run to you
W're gonna come to you
We're gonna lie down next to you

We're gonna run to you
We're gonna be with you
We're gonna lie down right next you (fade out, repeat)


Bloody hell!!:eek:....good old Morrissey-you can always rely on him to give us his usual unconventional lyrics.That's what i love -you know he's never going to sing such lines as "ooh baby give me your luuurrve" or similar.However this sort of run of your mill Moz offerings are unlikely to appeal to your mainstream market.And a bloody good job too.:cool:

[vicarinatutugal]

Where did you get these from? Justs that on the recording i've got it says
"Mama, why did you do it?
Mama, who drove you to it...

Spare priggish moneymen
Who scared the life out of you
Balliffs with bad breathe
I will slit their throats for you"

At least it sounds like that anyway

Thing is, he changes the lyrics to his songs live, so of course we won't have the "right" ones till the album comes out in Spetember.
I do appreciate you doing it though Roma.

[ossapa]

Thing is, he changes the lyrics to his songs live, so of course we won't have the "right" ones till the album comes out in Spetember.
I do appreciate you doing it though Roma.

Ik think in Lille he sang

"Mama, why did you do it
Mama, who told you to it"

Also, at the end of the song he sings somethin else (after the "we gonna run to you bit"), but I don't know what

[GlasgowChivas]

Ik think in Lille he sang

"Mama, why did you do it
Mama, who told you to it"

Also, at the end of the song he sings somethin else (after the "we gonna run to you bit"), but I don't know what

I posted this on another thread but I hear from the Lille recording -

"Mama, why did you do it
Mama, who DROVE you to it"

and

(after the "we gonna run to you bit") -

"We're gonna come to you
We're gonna lie down beside you Mama
We're going to join you
We'll weild a final hug, Mama"

[PregnantForTheLastTime]

Intruding British workmen
Who scared the life out of you
Balliffs with bad breathe
I will slay them through for you

Intruding British workmen? What, did they come in to fix the plumbing while she was in the shower? I don't get it.

The version I have (Lille) has this:

"Spare British moneymen
Who scared the life out of you(th?)
Bailiffs with bad breath
I will slit their throats for you"

[Pokey]

Yeah really you shouldn't keep posting the "full" lyrics when they're pretty wrong :P

[shirleytemple]

I think this is one of his best new songs lyrically speaking.

[Chartres]

So far the best he's done in a long time.

:guitar:

[Scarlet Ibis]

I'm in love with this song.

[dunya]

I heard the contested/unclear lyrics as

"Who drove you to it?"

"unconcerned at how they frighten you"

"I will slit their throats for you"

"we're gonna lie down beside you, Mama"
"we're gonna join you"

"and it/we will be safe and sheltered in our grave"

"we'll (?) come before you,
"and we'll touch you
".....for one final...."

As said above there are changes in concert so you could all be right.

Anyway, I was impressed on first hearing this and I think it's a very strong song all round.

:):):)

[justme]

Anyway, I was impressed on first hearing this and I think it's a very strong song all round.

:):):)

OOHHhhhh.... I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this song!! for me, it is one of his best - EVER :)

[Shaw]

Thing is, he changes the lyrics to his songs live, so of course we won't have the "right" ones till the album comes out in Spetember.
I do appreciate you doing it though Roma.

Yeah of course we won't know for sure until the album. Though i'm 95% sure he says priggish instead of the often quoted in here, "British" in the two recording i have. I'd be surprised if this particular word was changed.

[lottie]

I'm in love with this song.

seconded,
im not really bothered to know the correct full words, i just want to relish hearing and seeing him sing it.
*sighs*

[miryam_moz85]

seconded,
im not really bothered to know the correct full words, i just want to relish hearing and seeing him sing it.
*sighs*

enough said..thanks;)
http://www.smileyarchiv.net/source/ole0.gif

[William4]

aye ye ye id love a studio version..

[suparni]

KICK ASS NEW SONG!!!! I cant wait to hear the studio version... hope its gritty and fierce... I want all the new stuff to be less produced and a bit more arsenal... for some reason... lately.

[BlackEyedMoz]

Does anyone know the lyrics to this song?

[oye terence]

Mama, why did you do it?
Mama, who drove you to it?

Was it the pigs in grey suits
Persercuting you?
Uncivil servants
With no care for how they tortured 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 moneymen
Who scared the life out of you
Bailiffs with bad breath
I will slit their throats for you
Life is nothing much to lose
It's just so lonely here without you

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'll be safe and sheltered in our graves
We'll come before you
and we will touch you
We'll go for one final hug, mama



as said on http://www.worldofmorrissey.com/template.asp?id=264


they tend to be fairly accurate.

[justme]

ohh... I know I've said it a million times before BUT, I love this song!!!:guitar:

:o:)

[Corrissey]

ohh... I know I've said it a million times before BUT, I love this song!!!:guitar:

:o:)

Me too! It's a great song. And the (drum) beat is very primal. I like :cool:

[King Leer]

Who's it about, is the question.


Mama, why did you do it?
Mama, who drove you to it?

Was it the pigs in grey suits
Persercuting you?
Uncivil servants
With no care for how they tortured 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 moneymen
Who scared the life out of you
Bailiffs with bad breath
I will slit their throats for you
Life is nothing much to lose
It's just so lonely here without you

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'll be safe and sheltered in our graves
We'll come before you
and we will touch you
We'll go for one final hug, mama



as said on http://www.worldofmorrissey.com/template.asp?id=264


they tend to be fairly accurate.

[oye terence]

Who's it about, is the question.

now that is a good question,i have not really come up with a personal theory on this one yet.its an interesting lyric and the music really appeals to me.

[dunya]

Q
There are snatches of a similar drum beat at the start of "ALIAB" on ROTT.

Does this have any storytelling significance - in the way that certain instruments are used in classical music to set the scene...?

ALIAB is about rebirth after a dead life, Mama about life after death.

I surmise a story about an elderly mentor, hero or relative who is preyed upon by con-artist, or deprived by uncaring officials of the services and assistance needed in their vulnerable state. This may have led to act of desperation by the subject...

Again a rant against uncaring authority, seen in the lyrics of other songs.
Perhaps also some guilt that the singer was unaware of or unable to help until too late..and the comfort of the suggestion that death is not the end..and the ultimate victory of love over death..

:confused:

[jazzie]

Does anyone have the mp3 i can download?