1. December 2017 By Walter Price 0

NEW SOUNDS / VIDEO: Morrissey Single “Jacky’s Only Happy When She’s Up on the Stage”

Morrissey single, from Low In High School available on iTunes.

The Moz is continuously making headlines in equal parts music related and his unique social commentaries. Love or hate either one of Morrissey’s public personas, what you have is a genuine pop-icon.

And with his new album, Low In High School, the former Smiths frontman, is at his best in years. If you need further convincing, his new single “Jacky’s Only Happy When She’s Up on the Stage” is undoubtedly his best solo track since 1988’s “Every Day Is Like Sunday”.

Lyrically I was convinced the track is about false stardom and the inevitable collapse under the weight of realism.

Jacky’s only happy when she’s up on the stage
I make this claim, now let me explain
Since she lost you
Jacky’s only happy when she’s up on the stage
Free in the truth of make-believe
Since she lost you

Then, understanding Morrissey for over thirty-plus years as much as I can muster, I think I’m finding hints in the track about his thoughts on Brexit.

“Cue lights! I am singing to my lover at night!
Scene Two: Everyone who comes must go!
Scene Four: Blacker than ever before!
Scene Six: This country is making me sick!”

If I only knew who ‘Jacky’ was referencing could I be certain of what the real deal is here. But, then again, it has never really mattered to me too much about the actual meaning of Morrissey’s lyrics. What has held me as a fan for all these decades is the way he delivers snarkiness in one-of-a-kind pop songs. And, yes, “Jacky’s Only Happy When She’s Up on the Stage” is by far one of his best. And at the age of 58, The Moz is better than 67% of all things current in music.

The Robert Hales-directed film for the single is simply brilliant in its tongue-in-cheek ode to whatever era shiny tracksuits and horribly choreographed dance moves on TV were in favor, Who cares, for when an artist and a director can make something that provides a sneaky little smile from the viewer, we all win. And win big we have.