One of The Smiths' most inherently funny songs, "Frankly, Mr. Shankly," appears - on the surface, at least - to be a work of pure fiction, chronicling the turbulent relationship between a bitter young man and his money-grabbing boss. But unlike some of the more ambiguous Smiths' songs, "Frankly, Mr. Shankly" actually served as a sarcastic tirade against a real-life person - somebody who was making Morrissey's life a misery. True Smiths fans will know, then, that "Frankly Mr. Shankly" was conceived as a means of poking fun at then-head of Rough Trade Records, Geoff Travis. Morrissey, ever the comedian, penned the lyrics to address the rubbish deal that the band had with the company. The lines "I didnt realise you wrote poetry/I didnt realise you wrote such bloody awful poetry" referred to Travis' insistence of showing Morrissey his own naff poems.
Sam Hill is an ardent cinephile and has been writing about film professionally since 2008. He harbours a particular fondness for western and sci-fi movies.
