That’s How People Grow Up by Morrissey Lyrics Meaning – The Art of Maturity and Misadventures in Love

You can view the lyrics, alternate interprations and sheet music for Morrissey's That's How People Grow Up at Lyrics.org.

Lyrics

I was wasting my time
Trying to fall in love
Disappointment came to me and
Booted me and bruised and hurt me

That’s how people grow up
That’s how people grow up

I was wasting my time
Looking for love
Someone must look at me
And see their sunlit dream

I was wasting my time
Praying for love
For a love that never comes from
Someone who does not exist and

That’s how people grow up
That’s how people grow up

Let me live before I die
Not me, not I!

I was wasting my life
Always thinking about myself
Someone on the deathbed said
“There are other sorrows too”

I was driving my car
I crashed and broke my spine
So yes, there are things worse in life than
Never being someone’s sweetie

That’s how people grow up
That’s how people grow up

That’s how people grow up
That’s how people grow up

As for me I’m okay
For now anyway

Morrissey’s gift for blending melancholy with wry observation strikes a resonant chord in ‘That’s How People Grow Up’. With an outpouring of frustration and self-awareness, Morrissey’s lyrics navigate through the tempest of looking for love and the consequential growth that comes from life’s disappointments.

While the track might feel like a stark acceptance of love’s elusiveness, there’s more beneath the surface. It is a poignant exploration of growth, which often stems from experiences that bruise the heart and challenge the soul, making it a ripe subject for introspective dissection.

The Pursuit of Love’s Mirage: A Tale of Idealism and Reality

The song opens with a confession of wasted time, the pursuit of an idealized love that ultimately bears no fruit. ‘That’s How People Grow Up’ paints a vivid portrait of the protagonist’s quest for an ‘other,’ a search punctuated by the harsh realization that such a fantasy is often just that – a fantasy.

Morrissey’s lyrical prowess is on full display as he captures the universality of an all-consuming desire to be seen, to be loved, and to find one’s ‘sunlit dream’ reflected in another’s eyes. But the pursuit is fraught with disappointment; a truth acknowledged in the chorus that serves as a moment of ironic enlightenment.

Mortality and Perspective: Life’s Painful Epiphanies

A poignant moment comes as Morrissey sings of someone on their deathbed, expanding the narrative beyond the personal to embrace a wider perspective on human suffering. It’s a sobering shift that highlights the self-involved nature of the protagonist’s previous laments.

This narrative pivot is crucial. It challenges the listener to question not just their heartaches, but the very nature of sorrow and existence. The protagonist’s growth is interwoven with a newfound consciousness that personal anguish is just a single shade in a spectrum of human experience.

The Collision of Illusion and Catastrophe: Crashing towards Enlightenment

The metaphor of a car crash serves as a jarring analogy for the moment of realization; the collision that catalyzes a dramatic shift in perspective. It’s symbolic of a violent and sudden awakening – from the figurative to the literal spine-breaking fallout of life’s unanticipated blows.

This violent upheaval leads to a bitter, yet mature acknowledgment; that there are indeed fates worse than solitude, emphasizing the song’s central theme: growth through pain. It’s a raw depiction of the struggle to accept the harsh realities that life can and does put forth.

The Chorus that Echoes with Wisdom: How Suffering Sculpts the Soul

The chorus is where the lesson is both repeated and driven home. ‘That’s how people grow up’, sung with an almost liturgical solemnity, is less a defeatist surrender and more a hymn of enlightenment. The repetition serves as a powerful reminder of the song’s message of personal development through hardship.

This proclamation is a stark contrast to the pop culture narrative of pain-free, idyllic love and happiness. Morrissey refuses to soften the uncomfortable edges of life’s truths, instead choosing to elevate the discourse to a meditation on the formative power of life’s low points.

Unclouded Endings: Acceptance without the Bitter Aftertaste

In its closing, the song surprisingly shifts to a lighter note. ‘As for me I’m okay, for now anyway’. It shows acceptance without resignation, a delicate balance of contentment despite the trials faced. Morrissey’s closing thought is one of resilience; an acquiescence to the ebb and flow of life’s fortunes and miseries.

This ending is critical in understanding the song’s hidden meaning. It’s not only about growing up but also about realizing that well-being is dynamic, and that being ‘okay’ is a significant attainment in the face of life’s unpredictable nature. Morrissey, ever the enigmatic poet, leaves us with a quietly optimistic ambiguity that resonates long after the last note fades.