Roy's Keen
"Roy's Keen" is a song by Morrissey, released as a single in October 1997. It was the second single to be taken from the Maladjusted album and was the third Morrissey single not to feature himself on the cover, instead a photograph of two boys taken by Roger Mayne on London's Southam Street in the 1950s.
"Roy's Keen" | ||||
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Single by Morrissey | ||||
from the album Maladjusted | ||||
Released | 6 October 1997 (UK) | |||
Genre | Rock | |||
Length | 3:36 | |||
Label | Island (UK) | |||
Songwriter(s) | Morrissey, Alain Whyte | |||
Producer(s) | Steve Lillywhite | |||
Morrissey singles chronology | ||||
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The single reached number 42 on the UK Singles Chart. The failure to reach the top 40 meant that a recorded performance of the song for Top of the Pops did not air until it was shown on Top of the Pops 2 in 2003.
The title is a pun of the name of former Manchester United footballer Roy Keane—a fact Morrissey acknowledged during live performances of the song by changing the lyrics to "never seen a keener midfielder". The song was played over the closing credits of Keane's 2002 documentary As I See It.
Despite being released as a single, the song was omitted from Maladjusted's remastered CD reissue in 2009.
Track listings
7" vinyl and cassette
- "Roy's Keen"
- "Lost"
12" vinyl and CD (UK)
- "Roy's Keen"
- "Lost"
- "The Edges Are No Longer Parallel"
Country | Record label | Format | Catalogue number |
---|---|---|---|
UK | Island | 7" vinyl | IS671 |
UK | Island | 12" vinyl | 12IS671 |
UK | Island | Compact disc | CID671 |
UK | Island | Cassette | CIS671 |
Musicians
- Morrissey: vocals
- Martin Boorer: guitar
- Alain Whyte: guitar
- Jonny Bridgwood: bass
- Spencer James Cobrin: drums
Reception
In his review for AllMusic Ned Raggett described the title track as "one of Morrissey's most curious songs; the music is okay enough, though his band can and have done better, but the lyric is about a window cleaner, of all things." Raggett preferred the B-sides, especially The Edges Are No Longer Parallel, "one of his all-time best songs."[1]