You're The One For Me, Fatty

Morrissey Droll Departure From Form

Morrissey’s 13th single, ‘You're The One For Me, Fatty’ was written shortly before or during the March 1992 recording sessions in Wool Hall in Bath for the Your Arsenal studio album. The song was produced by Mick Ronson. The musicians on the song were Boz Boorer (guitar), Alain Whyte (guitar as well as co-writer), Gary Day (bass) and Spencer Cobrin (drums).

The song’s title is a reference to the Marvelettes' 1968 song, ’You Are the One for Me Bobby’.¹ It is worth noting that Morrissey wrote in Autobiography of an incident in Denver, Colorado in 1986 that may possibly have been the genesis for his using “Fatty” in the song’s title:

"In Denver city center a plump girl bangs on the window of the car shouting: ‘Ooh, I always wanted to meet you!’ which strikes me as odd since we have only existed for three years – ‘always’ surely not amounting to that much time at all. Johnny sits back and shouts: ‘Ta’ra, fatty,’ as the car pulls away. I am shocked, but I then fold into convulsive laughter. Some terrible moments are funny."²

The single, which was released on July 6, 1992, reached number 19 on the UK Singles Chart.

According to Alain Whyte, Morrissey asked him to compose music that had the same flavor as that ‘found on The Ramones’ ‘Wanna Be Your Boyfriend’ for the song:

“Fatty! Mozzer asked me to come up with an idea like The Ramones Want [sic] To Be Your Boyfriend. It also has a feel, accidentally, like Saturday's Kids by The Jam.".

Listen to ‘Saturday’s Kids’ by the Jam here:

Listen to ‘Wanna Be Your Boyfriend’ by The Ramones here:

Morrissey partnered (as it turned out, for the last time before his untimely demise) with director Tim Broad on a promotional music video for the song. The music video is composed of scenes of Morrissey and his musicians performing the song in a room along with scenes scenes of an obese woman (the “fatty”) and her suitor having a picnic in a park. Watch the music video here:

According the Morrissey³, Jake Walters’ “opening gambit” when he followed Morrissey to his home in Regent’s Park Terrace was to ask him “Why Did you mention Battersea in that song?” The song is of course ‘You're The One For Me, Fatty’, which contains the following pre-chorus verse:

All over Battersea
Some hope and some despair
All over Battersea
Some hope and some despair

Morrissey responded with “Because it rhymed with Fatty’. Morrissey then writes that Jake pulled down his lower lip with two fingers to reveal the word BATTERSEA tattooed on the inside portion!

‘You're The One For Me, Fatty’ is often derided by fans as being something of a “throwaway” track that is not up to the Morrissey standard. This view entirely misses the point; with a music catalogue rife with poignant songs dealing with loneliness, hopelessness, and desperation, the song is a bit of a musical and lyrical tonic for the listener. Suffice it to say, ‘You're The One For Me, Fatty’ is a rollicking - and sorely needed - departure from form. Sometimes it is good to smile and simply enjoy a moment of frivolity, which the song handily delivers.

1. Goddard, Simon, Mozipedia - The Encyclopedia of Morrissey and The Smiths. Ebury Press. 2009. p. 507.

2. p. 195

3. Morrissey, Autobiography. Penguin Books. 2013. p. 274