Why The Smiths’ Funniest Song Is Actually About Gay Rebellion

The Smiths are undoubtedly funny, despite playing such dreary music. So claiming a song is their funniest can be tricky. “Vicar In A Tutu” is absolutely in the running, with a full cast of characters and a bit of added trolling from Morrissey himself, directed straight toward the Church. This is the story of that song, from it’s last-minute origins to its rockabilly influences and on to its legacy of subversion.

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WATCH NEXT:
✓ The Humor in Frankly Mr Shankly: https://youtu.be/tPJAN4sOSkI
✓ The Smiths’ Darkest Song: https://youtu.be/tgrWNyeTfek
✓ Morrissey’s Big Mouth Strikes Again: https://youtu.be/_RTDWQ0jM7o
🎥 The Smiths on Poetic Wax: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLylroYWVYWWXL84MH1T4Qr0wrRzjwlGMR

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Poetic Wax is hosted by Andy Fenstermaker.

CHAPTERS:
0:00 The Story of Vicar In A Tutu
1:27 The Spark of Eccentricity
4:09 Gay Manchester in the 1980s
6:35 Crafting The Smiths Comic Genius
10:06 The Lyrical Humor of Vicar in a Tutu
11:47 A Tutu Amid Thrones

REFERENCES & CLIPS:
Culture of Manchester, The Gay Village: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hF2nzQbaFP4
The Smiths “Vicar in a Tutu” Live on Whistle Test (1986) (cr Tysongreer)
https://youtu.be/3isSM7qDlFI?si=hjlC7ahua7HxQQwE
The Smiths “Vicar in a Tutu” Instrumental Demo (1985) (cr Ann Coates) https://youtu.be/gMRym2St_uw?si=RE7BtlYSvHQYRy1t
Kenny Everett Cupid Stunt and Double Entendres (cr HelloDaves via YouTube) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBWpi44gLqU
Morrissey “Vicar In A Tutu” Wireless Festival, Hyde Park, London (July 4, 2008) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wpy0ZS2V_zg

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Written by Poetic Wax