"Rusholme Ruffians"
(Morrissey/Marr)

 

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

Note: In concerts from September 1985 to October 1986, this song was done as a medley with an intro from Elvis' "(Marie's The Name) His Latest Flame". See here for lyrics.

The last night of the fair
by the big wheel generator
a boy is stabbed
and his money is grabbed
and the air hangs heavy like a dulling wine
she is Famous 1
she is Funny
an engagement ring
doesn't mean a thing
to a mind consumed by brass(money)
and though I walk home alone *
tough I walk home alone 2 *
but
my faith in love is still devout 2 *
the last night of the fair
from a seat on a whirling waltzer
her skirt ascends for a watching eye
it's a hideous trait (on her mother's side)
from a seat on a whirling waltzer 3
her skirt ascends for a watching eye
it's a hideous trait (on her mother's side)
and though I walk home alone *
tough I walk home alone 2 *
but
my faith in love is still devout 2 *
then someone falls in love
and someone's beaten up
someone's beaten up 4
and the senses being dulled are mine 5
and someone falls in love
and someone's beaten up 6
and the senses being dulled are mine
and though I walk home alone 7 *
tough I walk home alone*
but
my faith in love is still devout *
this is the last night of the fair 8
and the grease in the hair
of a speedway operator
is all a tremulous heart requires 9
a schoolgirl is denied 10
she said: "How quickly would I die
if I jumped from the top of the parachutes?"
this is the last night of the fair
and the grease in the hair
of a speedway operator
is all a tremulous heart requires
a schoolgirl is denied 10
she said: "How quickly would I die
if I jumped from the top of the parachutes?"
so scratch my name on your arm with a fountain pen *
(this means you really love me) *
scratch my name on your arm with a fountain pen *
(this means you really love me) *
and though I walk home alone
I just might walk home alone
but
my faith in love is still devout
I might walk home alone
but my faith in love is still devout
And I walk home alone
but my faith in love is still devout

 

1 In an early studio outtake of this song Morrissey repeated the line "the last night of the fair" before this one.

2 In an early studio outtake of this song these two lines are repeated.

3 In an early studio outtake of this song Morrissey repeated the line "the last night of the fair" before this one.

4 In an early studio outtake of this song Morrissey repeated the line "someone falls in love" instead of this one.

5 In an early studio outtake of this song Morrissey sang "the pulses being beat are mine".

6 In an early studio outtake of this song Morrissey repeated this line.

7 In an early studio outtake of this song Morrissey sang "and tonight, I will walk home alone, I will walk home alone". He also repeated this block of three lines.

8 In an early studio outtake of this song, before going into this part Morrissey repeated the song's first 10 lines then adlibbed "And though I walk home alone, yes I might walk home alone, but still my faith in love is still devout, I might walk home alone tonight, but my faith in love is still devout", then sang the "scratch my name on your arm" section of the song.

9 In an early studio outtake of this song: "Is it all a tremulous heart requires?".

10 In an early studio outtake of this song Morrissey sang "a girl who is denied says".

* Lines followed by * were not sung live, as heard on the live album "Rank".