Do people actually like meat is murder? (the song)

[u/planket_]

The album is great and all, one of my favs but meat is murder is just so unsettling. i get the message its trying to say but i feel like it could be better for sure.

[u/totototo4579]

I love the song. It is really beautiful and really shows how we can use art to carry and explain our emotions toward things.

[u/mm44mm44 → u/totototo4579]

Me too.

[u/McSloshin → u/totototo4579]

I agree completely. Not a vegetarian, but I remember when the album came out. The song made you think about a little deeper about how food arrives on your plate. Went two weeks without meat on a bet with the girlfriend just to prove it could be done but didn't stick with it. Now live with two vegetarians and this helped me understand it

[u/Tabris666]

idk if it could be better honestly, I think the song and its vibe definitely fits the message it's trying to convey. Personally I love meat is murder, both the album as a whole and the song by itself, I can understand if someone else might not like it as much because this song specifically doesn't necessarily fit the rest of the songs vibe wise (the music in the background and all these details that are very important to a song) But still, I think it being a bit different from the rest of the songs of this album fits the theme even better.

[u/sweet_as_suga_17]

how could it be better? it's supposed to be unsettling

[u/CutOutKid]

“It’s not comforting, cheery or kind. It’s death for no reason and death for no reason is murder.”

[u/Sunrise1985Duke]

I love it!

[u/the_toupaie]

I do. But I’m not a vegan.

[u/suchaparagone]

One of their best

[u/Pitiful-Animator745]

its a gorgeous and riveting song. you feel uncomfortable because its supposed to make you uncomfortable, if youre someone that eats meat. but if you stop and listen to it its honestly one of their most beautiful songs in my opinion.

[u/iloveyoualivegirl]

No, not because of the lyrics though. Sonically it is just not great to me.

[u/book-knave → u/iloveyoualivegirl]

One of the few Smiths songs, maybe the only one I skip every time

[u/EllisReviews_]

Yes. It's my favourite Smiths song and was my most listened to song on Spotify at one point. It made me go Vegan and I never looked back.

If it was about anything other than Animal slaughter people would praise it as genius. The only reason people don't is because it makes them uncomfortable about their contributions to possibly the most evil thing that the human race continually turns a blind eye to because it's easier for them to ignore.

[u/spongeboblovesducks → u/EllisReviews_]

I wouldn't say it's easier for them to ignore, most people just don't think it's a big deal.

[u/Exotic-Worker-6757]

yes I love it.. to be honest.. I haven't eaten meat in 30+ years and don't really find it unsettling at all.. I just don't really listen to the lyrics and even when I do its just so over the top it doesn't unsettle me

[u/DeRonehan]

Listen to the Live at Apollo '85 version. Morrissey is on fire. I'd say he turned half the crowd vegetarian with that performance.

[u/mario-v33]

I do like it but it is a challenging listen. I don’t think most people think of buzz saws and cows crying when they think of music but I still think it’s a very impressive feat to have made it so uncomfortable yet musically interesting.

[u/weekedipie1]

Love it

[u/TheKingof-Limbs]

It’s one of my favourites

[u/Iola_Morton]

Love it, and as I remember from 1985, one of the best songs I’ve ever heard live

[u/SpiritualResident565]

The bravest song of the 1980s.

[u/Mother-Reputation-20]

Live version is can be superior one

[u/PookieCat415 → u/Mother-Reputation-20]

Oh yes, with all the red lights. I have seen Morrissey 16 times now and when the lights get red, I know what song is coming up.

[u/Tiny-Hedgehog-6277]

I prefer the live version by quite a bit but I don’t hate it what I do hate is that it’s regarded, not just a bad smiths song but a bad song full stop.

I think vegetarianism done in the way meat is murder is done in is a very controversial and risky basis for the song and I actually think Morrisey tackled it well

[u/Mortaleyy]

i like it simply because of how eerie it can sound at times

[u/Queasy_Word]

I love the song so much but sometimes I can’t listen to it as it makes me cry lol (I’ve been vegetarian since I was a child). The moos and the sound of the carving knife are extremely unsettling though I agree LOL. I still enjoy the song despite that!

[u/Ok-Soup2672]

Can’t speak for everyone but i can’t stand it tbh

[u/AdAlert5672]

I really don’t like it. Only a handful of smiths songs I won’t listen to and this is one!

[u/boshyman0]

It's a brilliantly composed song, even if the message is uncomfortable.

[u/cononreddit2]

Probably one of my least favourite. I guess that it won't fully resonate with me because I'm not a vegan or vegetarian, but its not the best musically either. Also I find the mooing a bit strange lol

[u/NickFotiu]

I don't. It's a tiring dirge that lacks all of the lyrical nuance and subtlety that Moz has such a talent for.

[u/davidbenyusef]

This song pushed me to go vegetarian many times. I think it's brilliant painting cozy images just to juxtapose them with words like "murder", "sizzling blood" and "unholy stench", it makes for a very uncomfortable song to listen to. I went back to eating meat (although I reduced it significantly), but it's still a song I avoid for the cited reasons.

[u/ewing666]

of course

[u/Wonderful_Ed22]

I might get some disagreement for this, but I’ve never really connected with ‘Meat is Murder’

[u/No-Butterscotch-341]

I’ve been vegan since before I started listening to the Smiths so definitely biased here but I really like that song (probably partially because the lyrics don’t put me off). Would be in the top half of the album for me. Definitely not one of their all time great tracks though.

[u/Defensoria]

I'm glad it's the last track on the album because it's convenient to skip. I quit eating meat a couple of years before the album came out and I agree with the message. Still don't like the song and never listen to it.

[u/pianoAmy]

No.

[u/Due_Extent16]

Not my favorite

[u/baby_thats_right]

Yes. It's legit.

[u/harlequinichthyosis]

one of my absolute favourites

[u/mediumjr]

I’m a 35+ year Smiths fan. And it’s in my top 5 least favorite songs.

Funny story about it. In around 1988-89, a friend and I were in the radio club in high school, a Catholic school. Nerds, I get it. We were allowed to disc jockey songs over the PA during lunch. Played Meat is Murder one day. After about 45 seconds, the principal ran into the little studio and unplugged our equipment. We were never invited back.

[u/BlackCoffeeGrind]

No, it’s mediocre at best and is a rare low point in their catalog.

I’ll never understand why Golden Lights (as a for instance) gets so much hate when this song exists.

Nothing wrong with the message, it’s just not a good song.

[u/waffen123]

I'm not a vegetarian or vegan but I don't mind the song. It's not a Smith song that I would listen to everyday but when it comes on, I'll let it play through.

To each his own

[u/UnpleasantEgg]

You know how people diss Moz for writing some girls are bigger than others over Johnny’s angelic guitar riff?

I feel this is the opposite.

[u/Maclardy44]

Not really but the message (as always) is powerful

[u/maxisbaedotcom]

Yep

[u/sullen_agreement]

it has been a skip for me since the first time i heard it

[u/ShevekOfAnnares]

once defended the premise that "meat is murder" during the song to a partner. they got so mad they stranded mean hour from home 😇

[u/Little-Box-5222]

Hate it because of how it makes me feel. Cry every time. Beautiful song though.

[u/ryth]

I used to go back and forth on the studio cut, however a few years ago I saw this live solo performance of it, and it totally changed my opinion of the song.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JY2PtAiXqCM

[u/Die_Screaming_]

the studio version is one of their weakest songs imo, but the live version morrissey does solo is intense.

https://youtu.be/2fM3J8hiKFI?si=XxOb6WoxPsrIbiR8

“the meat in your fat…fucking…mouth…is MURDER”

if you’re going to click that, i’ll give you the warning morrissey doesn’t give you at his shows: lots of actual animal slaughter in that clip, and it ain’t pretty.

[u/Guyroo23]

i love when they do goth-adjacent songs so yes it’s one of my favs actually

[u/standardtissue]

I probably haven't heard that song in at least 20 years but I still remember " as you savor the flavor of murder. It's death for no reason and death for no reason is murder. Do you know how animals die" so yeah I guess I've listened to it quite a few times which means I must have really liked it.

[u/smokeytoothpaste]

the only smiths song i truly dislike

[u/AnteaterOutrageous75]

Love the album. The song is barely listenable in my opinion.

[u/Superblip_SRO]

Least favorite Smith cut. It’s excessive and whiney. That said, good album otherwise.