"Late Night, Maudlin Street"
(Morrissey/Stephen Street)

 

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

Winter coming *
winter push on *
push on *
winter push on *
winter, is so long *
winter move on
*
The last night on Maudlin Street
goodbye house
goodbye stairs
I was born here
and I was raised here, and
...I took some stick here
love at first sight
may sound trite 1
but it's true, you know
I could list the details
of everything you ever wore
or said, or how you stood that day 2
and as we spend the last night
on Maudlin Street, I say
"goodbye house-forever!"
I never stole a happy hour 3
around here
Where the world's ugliest boy
it became what you see
here I am - the ugliest man
It's the last night on Maudlin Street
and truly I do love you
oh, truly I do love you
When I sleep with that picture of *
you framed beside my bed *
oh, it's childish and it's silly *
but I think it's you in my room *
by the bed (...yes, I told you it was silly...) *
and I know *
I took strange pills *
but I never meant to hurt you *
oh truly I love you *
I came home late one night *
everyone had gone to bed *
But you know *
nobody no one stays up for you *
when you have I had sixteen stitches *
all around your my head *
the last bus I missed to Maudlin Street 4
so, he drove me home in the Van
complaining: "Women only like me for my mind..." 5
don't leave your torch behind *
a power-cuts ahead *
1972, you know *
as and so we crept through the park *
but no I cannot steal a pair of jeans *
off a clothesline for you *
but you...without clothes 6
oh I could not keep a straight face 6
me - without clothes? 6
well a nation turns its back and gags... 6
I'm packed *
I am moving house 6
a half-life disappears today 6
with every slag hag waves me on 6, 7
(secretly wishing me gone 6
well, I will be soon *
oh - I will be soon) *
I will be soon *
I will be soon *
I will be soon *
I will be soon *
I will be soon *
I will be soon
*
There were bad times on Maudlin Street *
when they took you away in a police car *
dear Inspector - don't you know? *
don't you care? *
don't you know - about Love? *
Your gran died
and your mother died 8
on Maudlin Street
in pain and ashamed
with never time to say
those special things
I took the keys from Maudlin Street
well, it's only bricks and mortar!
and...truly I do love you
wherever you are *
wherever you are *
wherever you are *
I hope you're singing now *
I do hope... *
I hope you're singing now
*

 

Note: The song was significantly restructured when Morrissey performed it on the 2002 tour. Some segments were dropped (* above) while others were reversed (the two 4-line blocks numbered 6 above). Also the corrections above apply only to the studio version of the song because Morrissey seemed to revert to his original intention when he did the song live. Here is a rundown of the other remaining live-only changes:

1 In live performances Morrissey usually sang "love at first sight sounds trite" or "love at first sight it sounds trite".

2 Live: "how you stood on the day".

3 Live: "I never stole one happy hour around here".

4 The line "There were bad times on Maudlin Street" was salvaged from one of the dropped verses and replaced this one in live versions of the song.

5 Morrissey dropped the word 'complaining' in live renditions of the song. It changed the subject and made it sound like he might be the one complaining instead of the person driving him home in the van.

6 These two blocks of 4 lines each were reversed in live performances of the song.

7 In some live performances Morrissey reverted to the original "every slag waves me on secretly wishing me gone" or "every swag waves me on..."

8 When Morrissey did the song on the 2002 tour he changed this line to "Your gran died in pain and ashamed on Maudlin Street".