[Verse 1]
The most impassionate song to a lonely soul
But don't forget the songs that made you smile
And the songs that made you cry
When you lay in awe on the bedroom floor
And said, "Oh, oh, smother me mother"
[Refrain]
Oh, la da dey, la da dey, la da dey, la da dey
Oh na na na, la da dey, la da dey, la da dey
Oh la day, la da da dey di la da da dey di
[Verse 2]
The passing of time and all of its crimes
Is making me sad again
The passing of time and all of its sickening crimes
Is making me sad again
But don't forget the songs that made you cry
And the songs that saved your life
Yes, you're older now and you're a clever swine
But they were the only ones who ever stood by you
[Instrumental Break]
[Verse 3]
The passing of time leaves empty lives waiting to be filled
The passing of time leaves empty lives waiting to be filled
I'm here with the cause, I'm holding the torch
In the corner of your room (Can you hear me?)
And when you're dancing and laughing and finally living
Hear my voice in your head and think of me kindly
[Refrain]
Oh, la da dey, la da dey, la da dey, la da dey
Oh na na na, la da dey, la da dey, la da dey
Oh la day, la da da dey di, la da da dey di
[Outro]
Do you love me like you used to?
Oh, la da dey, la da dey, la da dey, la da dey
Oh na na na, la da dey, la da dey, la da dey
Oh la day, la da da dey di, la da da dey di
(You are sleeping, you do not want to believe)
(You are sleeping, you do not want to believe)
These two lines are from a performance of Oscar Wilde’s (about whose genius Morrissey is very vocal) famous play, The Importance of Being Earnest.
I am sick to death of cleverness. Everybody is clever nowadays. You can’t go anywhere without meeting clever people.
Morrissey draws a reference to
“Mother You, Smother You” by The Supremes to use as an expression of awe. He’s an avid fan of 1960s Motown music, listing The Supremes and Diana Ross as large influences on his musicianship. In fact, “I’m Livin' In Shame” by The Supremes was listed as one of his top thirteen singles of all time.
Taking his appreciation into account, this may have been drawn from a literal experience of young Moz lying on the floor and singing the lyrics aloud in a pure sublime trance.
He’s asking the “you” that’s listening in the future if you still love him like the “you” in the past that first heard him loved him.
a frank acknowledgement of the undeniable influence of music- particularly with those who are maturing. It also serves as a recognition in that despite the predictable nature of time diminishing the importance of these songs, this is irrespective as the significance of them at the time is unequalled.
The most influential and impassionate music that we find in our lives, getting us through the tough teenage times, can be forgotten about so easily as we grow up and move on. We often leave their youthful tastes behind, as if it is a part of maturity to no longer enjoy the art that you once held as incredible.
Morrissey states these lines with purposeful irony, placing emphasis on the importance of how well-loved the song is and the amount it resonates with a person, just to let it be tossed away and ‘easily outgrown’ by the next line.
It is definitely true that people will outgrow and move on from the songs that helped keep them alive as teenagers – they have served their purpose and as the passing of time continues to make it’s way forwards, some things will just be left in the past, whether you like it or not.
On the 12" vinyl of “The Boy with the Thorn in His Side”, “Rubber Ring” flows into “Asleep”. What better way to segue than with a line about sleeping?
More interestingly, this last bit of the song uses a sample taken from a book on Electronic Voice Phenonenon, or EVP, called “Breakthrough: An Amazing Experiment in Electronic Communication with the Dead” by Dr. Konstantīns Raudive.
https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/watch?v=MU7W-K3xlIQ#t=06m24s
Supposedly, it is a translation of Swiss parapsychologist Dr. Gebhard Frei’s words from beyond the grave (it was originally in Swedish and German, which you can hear about a minute before the sampled clip).
With “Asleep” being a song so focused on death, this part works nicely to introduce it.