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

Take me back to dear old Blighty
Put me on the train to London Town
Take me anywhere, drop me anywhere
Liverpool, Leeds or Birmingham,
But I don't care!
I should like to see my...

By land, by sea
Farewell to this lands cheerless marches ¹
hemmed in like a boar between arches ²
her very Lowness with her head in a sling
I'm truly sorry - but it sounds like a wonderful thing ³
dear I say Charles, dont you ever crave
to appear on the front of the Daily mail
dressed in your Mother's bridal veil? ⁴
And So, I checked all the registered historical facts
and I was shocked into shame to discover
how I'm the 18th pale descendent ⁵
of some old queen or other
has the world changed, or have I changed?
has the world changed, or have I changed?
as some 9-year old tough peddles drugs
(I swear to God I swear I never even knew what drugs were) ⁶
And so, I broke into the Palace
with a sponge and a rusty spanner
she said: "Eh, I know you, and you cannot sing"
I said: "that's nothing - you should hear me play piano" ⁷
We can go for a walk where it's quiet and dry
and we can talk about precious things
but when you're tied to your Mother's apron
no one talks about castration
We can go for a walk where it's quiet and dry *
and we can talk about precious things *
like love and law and poverty *
these are the things that kill me *
We can go for a walk where it's quiet and dry *
and we can talk about precious things *
but the rain that flattens my hair *
these are the things that kill me *
All the lies about makeup and long hair are still there
Passed the Pub that who saps your body ⁸
and the church who'll snatch your money ⁹
the Queen is dead, boys
and it's so lonely on a limb
Pass the pub that wrecks your body ⁸
and the church - all they want is your money
the Queen is dead, boys
you can trust me, boys and it's so lonely on a limb ¹⁰
life is very long, when you're lonely ¹¹
life is very long, when you're lonely
life is very long, when you're lonely
life is very long, when you're lonely

 

² In the one-off live performance of this song in 1997 Morrissey changed this line to "stuck like a pig between arches". On the 2007 Greatest Hits tour he took half a step back and sang "stuck like a boar between arches".

³ In the one-off live performance of this song in 1997 Morrissey changed this line to "I'm not sorry! It sounds like a wonderful thing". On the 2007 Greatest Hits tour he just dropped the "I'm truly sorry" part of this line.

⁴ In solo live performances of this song on the 2007 Greatest Hits tour Morrissey usually changed this line to "...to appear on the front of the Daily mail dressed in your brother's bridal veil?".

⁵ On the first few dates the 2007 Greatest Hits tour Morrissey often changed this line to "Look! I'm the 18th pale descendent of some old queen or other".

⁶ In the one-off live performance of this song in 1997 Morrissey changed this line to "When I was nine I never knew what drugs were!". On the 2007 Greatest Hits tour he switched to "I still don't know what drugs are".

⁷ In solo live performances of this song on the 2007 Greatest Hits tour Morrissey always changed this line to "she said 'I know you, and you cannot sing', I said: 'Of course I can you silly thing!'".

⁸ On the Queen Is Dead tour (as heard on live album "Rank"), Morrissey usually sang "Passed the pub who wrecks your body".

⁹ On the Queen Is Dead tour (as heard on live album "Rank"), Morrissey usually sang "and the church who snaps your money".

¹⁰ In all live performances of this song, whether with the Smiths on the Queen Is Dead tour (as heard on live album "Rank") or in solo performances, Morrissey always changed this line to "you can trust me, boys".

¹¹ In concert on 28 August 1986, Morrissey took a jab at some brutal security by singing "life is very long, when you're a bouncer".

Notes:
The "Take Me Back To Dear Old Blighty" intro was not included in live performances of the song.

Lines followed by * were never done live, whether by the Smiths on the Queen Is Dead tour (as heard on live album "Rank") or by Morrissey in solo.