"Bengali In Platforms"
(Morrissey/Stephen Street)

 

These words are transcribed without permission the way they appear in the "Viva Hate" album. Additions to the printed lyrics are in darker text while omissions are striken out.

Bengali, Bengali...
Bengali, Bengali...

No no no
he does not want to depress you
oh no no no no no
he only wants to impress you
Bengali in platform
he only wants to embrace your culture
and to be your friend forever
forever
Bengali, Bengali
Bengali, Bengali
oh shelve your Western plans
and understand
that life is hard enough when you belong here
A silver-studded rim that glistens
and an ankle-star that...blinds me
a lemon sole so very high
which only reminds me, to tell you
so I break the news gently
I break the news to you gently
"Shelve your plans"
"Shelve your plans, shelve them"
Bengali, Bengali
its the touchy march of time
that binds you
don't blame me
don't hate me
just because I'm the one to tell you
that life is hard enough when you belong here
that life is hard enough when you belong here
shelve your western plans
shelve your western plans
cause life is hard enough when you belong here

life is hard enough when you belong here
shelve your western plans
(undecipherable line)
cause life is hard enough when you belong here
life is hard enough when you belong here

 

Note: Early versions of the song (with the Smiths but after Marr had left) included the lyrics: "Misguided Bengali! Misguided Bengali!", "A terrible jumper, a shame it's an old one, has anyone told him?" and "and not to depress you - shelve your Western plans, goodbye!" Most of the variations above between the printed lyrics and the sung ones stem from the song's post production and don't apply to these early versions.