Intelligent Life On Planet Rock
The Smiths: Suffer Little Children
The last song I heard before I got out of my car this morning before going into work was "Suffer Little Children" by The Smiths. Morrissey and Marr's lament to the children murdered by Brady and Hindley on Saddleworth Moor in the mid 60's has been stuck in my head all day and I'm not quite sure how I feel about it. The phenomenal Marr guitar playing mixed with Morrisseys ambiguous lyric and the haunting crying that can been heard as background evoke a vivid mental picture of one of Britains most horrific and most infamous crimes. I know there are many arguments about Morrissey's angle on Brady, Hindley and the murders and I still feel a litle uncomfortable listening to the song but I cannot deny it's impact. His later freindship with the mother of one of the murdered girls leads me to believe he was well intentioned yet misunderstood but that is Morrissey all over, he leaves you guessing. Some shops banned the album "The Smiths" and single "Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now" on which the song appeared and I would be interested in your views on the song and what Morrissey was trying to say.
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When I were a student..
I lived over the road from a pub called The Whitworth where, legend had it, Brady and Hindley used to drink before heading off to Saddleworth. Aparently, Moz used to spend ages in there.
Am I alone in wondering if the death of Myra was staged because the public outcry would have been so great had she merely been released? She was eligible for parole, she had admitted her guilt and so on. So: concoct the death story and spirit her out the back door with an assumed identity..
Should I get my tinfoil hat to protect me from the illminati lizards?
Well i...
..for one hope she is dead.
I saw an interview with Morrissey where he was asked what should happen to Hyndley and Brady, I think it was around the time of her parole ending and he said their fate should be the same as their victims.
Meat is Murder
I always link "Suffer Little Children" with this happy number - I believe its Morrissey in his big abrasive statement lyrical voice - it does happen quite a lot
although I think "SLC" is about Morrissey feeling some sort of collective guilt for Manchester not noticing
Smiths live clip of the other controversial track:
Oddly enough
when I worked for a certain news agency (nope, not John Menzies, ahem) Brady would ring resonably regularly from his own personal phone - usually to lambast Hindley's latest parole bid. Luckily I never got to speak to the murdering toerag
The best counters to those who wish for the death penalty..
Are the most notorious serial killers.
Brady wants to die. No. He should be made to live. Let him suffer the agonies as he comes to recognise what he did.
Does anyone think Fred West got what he deserved? No. He cheated justice.
Does anyone think Harold Shipman did anything other than take the easy route out?
Would I think differently if I was related to any of their victims? I don't know. I really don't. But I hope I would feel the same. Knowing, however, that none of them will or would have ever been released does make a difference.