Everyday Is Like Sunday by Morrissey Lyrics Meaning – Nostalgia and Nuance in a Seaside Sadness
Lyrics
Back to the bench where your clothes were stolen
This is the coastal town
That they forgot to close down
Armageddon, come Armageddon
Come, Armageddon, come
Everyday is like Sunday
Everyday is silent and grey
Hide on the promenade, etch a postcard
“How I dearly wish I was not here”
In the seaside town
That they forgot to bomb
Come, come, come, nuclear bomb
Everyday is like Sunday
Everyday is silent and grey
Trudging back over pebbles and sand
And a strange dust lands on your hands
And on your face
On your face
On your face
On your face
Everyday is like Sunday
“Win yourself a cheap tray”
Share some greased tea with me
Everyday is silent and grey
Like the crashing of grey waves on a dreary British beach, Morrissey’s ‘Everyday Is Like Sunday’ resonates with an exquisite blend of melodrama and melancholy. The second single from his 1988 debut solo album, ‘Viva Hate’, this track stands as a timeless exhibition of the singer’s knack for coupling haunting melodies with evocative lyrics.
More than just a song, it’s a delve into the psyche of those who have wandered the same despondent promenades, felt the same oppressive skies, and yearned for an escape from the drudgery of life. Through its stark imagery and mournful tune, Morrissey presents a narrative rich in emotional depth and cultural commentary.
The Bleakness of a British Resort Town
Morrissey’s opening lines transport us to the heart of a seaside town that time and circumstance have forgotten. The visual of trudging slowly over wet sand sets a scene not of holiday splendor but of sullen retreat. It is as if the very elements of the place are synonymous with a sense of loss and abandonment, painted with broad strokes of grey.
This depiction resonates with post-industrial British seaside towns, once bustling with life but since left to languish in the wake of economic downturn and changing vacation habits. Morrissey uses the physical space as a metaphor for emotional desolation, where the vestiges of better times only intensify the present gloom.
Apocalyptic Overtones and Serene Desolation
Armageddon is invoked not once but thrice in the opening verse, alluding to a cataclysmic event that never arrives. The juxtaposition of a ‘coastal town that they forgot to close down’ against the repeated cry for ‘come Armageddon’ captures an individual’s existential yearning for a conclusion to the tedious narrative of their life.
Yet, there’s also a silent plea within these lines—the desire for an ending, whether through natural decay or a sudden nuclear event, reveals a complex relationship with the town and its monotonous existence. Instead of actual destruction, Morrissey highlights the destructive feeling of consuming despair.
A Cry for Identity Amidst Anonymity
The act of hiding ‘on the promenade’ and the etching of a postcard that reads ‘How I dearly wish I was not here’ serves as a powerful emblem of the search for self within a place of pervasive anonymity. It’s a sentiment many can relate to—finding oneself in a place that embodies the antithesis of one’s own desires, yet being unable to leave.
Morrissey’s character is both present in the physical location and attempting to erase themselves from it, an interplay of existence and non-existence that many listeners find themselves empathizing with. The song becomes a shared wish for something more than the mundane repetitions of daily life.
The Song’s Hidden Meaning – Dust, Memories, and the Inescapable Void
As Morrissey trudges back, ‘a strange dust lands’ not just on the physical self but also metaphorically on the soul. It could be interpreted as the ash of a world that’s lost its vibrancy, the residue of forgotten dreams, or the abrasive touch of unfulfilled potential.
The ‘strange dust’ settling on one’s face picturesquely symbolizes how the environment leaves its mark on us, how experiences, no matter how grey, shape our narratives. It adds a layer of depth to the song, suggesting that while every day might feel the same, each one leaves a trace that alters us in imperceptible ways.
The Memorable Lines Evoke Universal Longing
The chorus, with its memorable declaration that ‘Everyday is like Sunday,’ captures a universally understood sensation—the unshakable feeling of time standing still in the throes of ennui. This line, coupled with the somber ‘Everyday is silent and grey,’ echoes in the listener’s mind long after the song has ended, tying the specific emotions of the song’s narrative to broader human experience.
Moreover, the offer to ‘win yourself a cheap tray’ conjures the image of consolation prizes, a metaphorical token to compensate for the emptiness of existence in this seaside limbo. This symbolism, paired with the prosaic invitation to ‘share some greased tea,’ adds an ironic touch to the track’s exploration of the banality and small consolations of life.
