'Alma Matters'
"It's my life to ruin my own way"
'Alma Matters' was the first single from Morrissey’s sixth studio album, Maladjusted, and his 24th single overall. It was released July 21, 1997 and reached number 16 on the UK Singles Chart.
‘Heir Apparent’ appeared on the B-side of the 7-inch format pf the single, with the addition of ‘I Can Have Both’ on the 12-inch format.
The single’s cover art (courtesy of American photographer Derrick Ion) finds Morrissey cutting a rakish figure; insouciantly sprawled against the hood of an automobile, right hand clasping his chest under his shirt, and his crotch conspicuously displayed.
The song's title - an obvious pun on Alma Mater1 - is a rather tepid attempt at word play. 'Alma Matters' is notable for its reference to the 1961 film A Taste of Honey2 as found in the line "it's my life to ruin my own way", which Morrissey hadn't done since the early days in the Smiths. See the following clip from A Taste of Honey where the mother of Rita Tushingham’s character tells her “Well, it’s your life. Ruin it your own way.”
Co-written with Alain Whyte, the song was produced by Steve Lillywhite and recorded in the course of January 1997 sessions for the upcoming Maladjusted album at Hook End Manor in Oxfordshire, England. Morrissey's musicians on the recording were Martin Boorer (guitar, clarinet), the aforementioned Alain Whyte (guitar, piano, backing vocals), Jonny Bridgwood (bass), and Spencer Cobrin (drums).
Morrissey made a promotional music video for 'Alma Matters' with director Matthew Rolston3. The video features skinheads, one of whom (a tattooed female) is shown berating Morrissey while he attempts to eat a bowl of cereal at the breakfast table. After a brief cutaway the video returns to this breakfast encounter, and we see Morrissey flinging the bowl of milk-sodden cereal into the female skinhead's face. The import of this scene can only be guessed at. Watch the promotional music video here:
In a 1997 interview with Los Angeles radio station KROQ , Morrissey was asked to explain the meaning of the song:
"Well... it really does mean something specific. I think it means that we should be pleased and proud of the female side of our character, of our nature. Or if we're female, we should be proud of the male side of our character and give it just as much import as the other side. So, everything's fine, it doesn't matter how you behave."
It is worth noting that in a later interview Morrissey indicated that his comments to KROQ were not entirely honest, and that it was something he “felt like” saying at the time.
As was the case with the Maladjusted album, 'Alma Matters' seems to have been met with a mixed reception by his fans. While certainly not one of Morrissey's stronger songs, it possesses a vaguely "mainstream" quality musically, with a sound that grows upon the listener. While the lyrics are largely repetitive and decidedly cryptic, one can discern that Morrissey is referencing the importance of individual autonomy in the face of societal conventions. The line "it's my life to ruin my own way" is another way of saying that it is one's life to live their own way, To summarize, Morrissey seems to be saying that fidelity to one's self, beneficial "In mind, body and soul", is a critical linchpin to a life well lived.
Alma mater is an allegorical Latin phrase meaning 'nourishing mother'. It personifies a school that a person has attended or graduated from.
Morrissey listed the film as being one of his favorites in a September 1983 issue of The New Musical Express. Morrissey also described the film as having "...a massive influence on me. I mean, it was virtually the only important British film in the 1960s... as far as I'm concerned.
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Born in Los Angeles, California in 1955, Matthew Russell Rolston is an American artist, photographer, director and creative director, known for his lighting techniques[2] and detailed approach to art direction and design. Rolston has been identified throughout his career with the revival and modern expression of Hollywood glamor. Rolston's career spans the areas of photography, film, creative direction, experiential design (including hospitality development), branding, product design, fine art, publishing and arts education
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