Is Symphony of Tourette the worst song ever written?

[PaulTMA]

I find it odd any of the GATS album tracks get singled out for such abuse when songs like Socialist Seranade, Royal Correspondent, Valley Boy and One Day Like This by Elbow exist

[raven]

Originally Posted by Glyn

Top trolling with the last line of your post! but yeah it does stand out a bit as being poorly researched and on the nose.

My guess would be that it was one of Richey's earlier attempts at character writing. There's a clear change in his writing after GT from sloganeering to personal or character pieces (and obviously often the lines blurred). Patrick Bateman, Symphony of Tourette and (the far more successful) La Tristessa Durera are the first real stabs at the way of writing that he would perfect on The Holy Bible (Yes, 4st 7lb, Die in the Summertime) and the Journal For Plague Lovers lyrics (VSEC, Williams Last Words, Bag Lady).

Not sure who the trolling dig was aimed at but apart from that (if it was moi) you make good points. Richey's lyrics were evolving with practice and experience. It makes the holy bible more remarkable when you consider how he was still able to write from the perspective of others even if he brought his own feelings in to do that (he didn't make it all about Me) and his disappearance cut short a talent that was evolving

[Glyn]

Originally Posted by raven

Not sure who the trolling dig was aimed at but apart from that (if it was moi) you make good points.

Haha, no was reference to the dig at Faster in the OP , that's crazy talk !

Woke up in a cold sweat last night wondering if Traci Lords' lines in Little Baby Nothing blows my 'Richey only started to explore character writing after GT' theory but have thought it through and LBN is more of a pastiche of a female pop star than a true character voice. That's my excuse anyway!

[Porco]

This song always makes me think of this Simpsons gag:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_62lUMlknaY

[everlasting]

I've always loved that the last word in the song, "eyes", is more clear and doesn't have the 'gritty filter' on it like the rest of the entire vocals.

[Borderliner]

I simply love when lyrics make no sense, most of the things in the universe make no sense at all. And Symphony of Tourette is amazing song from amazing album.

Everything in GATS is so unique, something that's never been done just like James's husky voice on Drug Drug Druggy or Sean's extra tom on La Tristesse Durera.

[VCK]

I always thought the guitar riff in the intro was cool.

[Bonesy]

Originally Posted by Borderliner

I simply love when lyrics make no sense, most of the things in the universe make no sense at all. And Symphony of Tourette is amazing song from amazing album.

Everything in GATS is so unique, something that's never been done just like James's husky voice on Drug Drug Druggy or Sean's extra tom on La Tristesse Durera.

It's been done and better in the first half of the album by Happy Mondays and in the latter half by David Bowie and Def Leopard.

[socialist cook]

Originally Posted by VCK

I always thought the guitar riff in the intro was cool.

Phew! I'm glad it wasn't just me that thought that.

[Marconi Delorian]

HOT TAKE

[Porco]

Honestly I don’t dislike this song, but OP buried the lead ending with the bombshell of “Up there with the worst songs ever next to Faster.”

[Red]

Symphony Of Tourette is one of the best songs ever written.

Let's take a second look at the lyrics.

> Stutter, stutter, says the little boy

Nonsense, yeah? Yeah. But! You need to remember that Richey didn't write lyrics, he wrote collages of phrases which conveyed how he felt. That's important, because James often mangled things in converting Richey's writing into song. Let's rephrase the line:


> STUTTER. STUTTER.
> says the little boy; "I wanna blow a hole in my head"

And now, here we are, with a line which sets the tone of the narrator stuttering uncontrollably, and lamenting that he wants to kill himself, as is depressingly common for those (usually male) people who suffer the condition. You can see why Richey might have identified with the little boy. It's actually very similar in theme to his writing about zoo animals in Small Black Flowers.


> I swear what this world wants to hear

Neat little bit of wordplay with the "I swear" part of this line. Credit where it's due.


> Trapped in what we know as truth syndrome

The running theme of the first album is just how shit the world around them is. GATS is an album of impotent anger - realising that no matter what truth they spoke to the world, the world didn't care. The subject of this song speaks uncontrollable truth, and is condemned for it. Richey writing himself through the tourette is going to emerge as a theme a lot throughout this lyrical run-through.


> STUTTER. STUTTER
> Silence no friend

Because there's no escape, and no stopping TS. Not even sitting in silence. Richey likely wrote this line feeling the same way about his own mental health problems, which likewise wouldn't go away, even as far as he did, be it through travel, treatment, or alcohol abuse.


> Children can be cruel she said
> So I smashed her in the fucking head
> Sorry, dear, that's the nature of Tourette

Honestly, I'm not really sure about this bit. A propensity for physical violence isn't a part of TS afaik, so I'm not sure why Richey describes it as its nature. Maybe he's conflating it with a related or co-morbid condition like ADHD, which is a condition similar in that it results in unrestrained outbursts, except with ADHD, physical violence does tend to be more of a thing. In Richey's defense, he wasn't in the best of health when he wrote these words.



> Stutter, stutter
> nothing else but me
> I twitch and turn while underneath
> My contemporaries are so in control. Fuck you, fuck you.
> I grunt and groan
> Stutter, stutter
> can't keep it no more

Again, it sounds like Richey's quest to write the perfect lyric which sums up how he felt through his life in 12 lines (or whatever the target was), told through the character of the tourette. It's like he's saying "I'm fucked up. Everyone around me is fine. I'm immensely jealous of them. I can't hold on", but can't say those words himself. In that context, it becomes clearer why Richey chose to write about a tourette. He only wishes he could be so open and honest with his cry for help.


> Stutter, stutter, are your eyes closed?
> You know a hole through which you can fall
> But I can't even be bothered to hang on
> When you're this numb news don't register
> I just opened my eyes

The words of Richey's scream becoming a limply resigned sigh. Are your eyes closed? He's calling out for help as clearly as he can, in his weirdly fucked up, encrypted ways.

Musically, the song's an absolute beast. It's some of James' angriest riffing and vocal delivery. It's an aggressive, confused, fucked up three and a half minutes, with lots of interesting touches. It's like a rawer version of the style which he'd master for The Holy Bible, with some obvious similarities to the "who's responsible?" bit of Walking Abortion at points. Its only let-down is that JDB hadn't quite mastered his vocal cadence or lyric rejigging in '93, causing some lines (especially the last one) to come out pretty clumsily. They were still relatively new to the game, though. This was only their second album.

What's really inexcusable is that they were still singing catchphases over and over several albums later, even when they were at their peak. "Ah deh sign for whore life [x4]"? Makes me understand why the skinny fella bailed when he did.

[raven]

Originally Posted by Red

> Children can be cruel she said
> So I smashed her in the fucking head
> Sorry, dear, that's the nature of Tourette

Honestly, I'm not really sure about this bit. A propensity for physical violence isn't a part of TS afaik, so I'm not sure why Richey describes it as its nature. Maybe he's conflating it with a related or co-morbid condition like ADHD, which is a condition similar in that it results in unrestrained outbursts, except with ADHD, physical violence does tend to be more of a thing. In Richey's defense, he wasn't in the best of health when he wrote these words.

See, I've never taken these words literally. It's the adult that nods at you and comes out with some condescending platitude to show their 'tolerance'... ' Ah, children can be cruel'....so you oblige and respond in kind ...'oops that'd been the tourettes'...it's a piss take

Originally Posted by Red

What's really inexcusable is that they were still singing catchphases over and over several albums later, even when they were at their peak. "Ah deh sign for whore life [x4]"? Makes me understand why the skinny fella bailed when he did.

Ah I spot another piss take

[Son of Stopped]

"My contemporaries are so in control.
Fuck you fuck you I grunt and groan"

See it's those two lines that make me wish instead of that book or biopic, they instead work with the Royal Opera House Company just for those two lines alone!
Great analysis though, Red!

[rosetree]

I think Symphony of Tourette is also a brilliant song, musically and intelligently through Richey's insight. I don't know why they haven't played it?

I think 'I swear what this world wants to hear' also fits well with the 'Children can be so cruel she said' .... line in which the verse rhymes.

It's like he's suggesting people prefer and relate that better than understanding the nature of tourette.

Stutter stutter are your eyes closed' are some of the best words, though I love the whole song and album.