Viva Hate is Morrissey's debut solo album, released on 14 March 1988 by HMV Records. The album was considered a very strong foray into Morrissey's solo career, as he utilised his traditional lyrical style and retained the basic sound that The Smiths had developed by the time they broke up. It was listed by Q as one of the top 50 albums of 1988. The album was originally going to be called Education in Reverse; some LPs in Australia and New Zealand were released with the original title.
The album was released a mere six months after The Smiths' final album, Strangeways, Here We Come. The title predicts the content as Morrissey's lyrics are sardonic and invective, while some of the tracks deal with the harshness of the breakup of The Smiths.
The album was produced by Stephen Street and most of the arrangements were by Vini Reilly of The Durutti Column. Reilly's distinctive style is evident throughout the entire album, especially in tracks such as "Late Night, Maudlin Street" and "Bengali in Platforms". The record remains one of Morrissey's best known recordings and was certified Gold by the RIAA on 16 November 1993. Some of the tracks caused controversy such as the track "Margaret on the Guillotine", which described the death of prime minister Margaret Thatcher as a "wonderful dream".
The kind people
have a wonderful dream
Margaret on the guillotine
because people like you
make me feel so tired
when will you die?
when will you die?
when will you die?
when will you die?
when will you die?
because people like you
make me feel so old inside
please die
and kind people
do not shelter this dream
make it real
make the dream real
make the dream real
make it real
Let The Right One Slip In
Let the right one in
Let the old dreams die
Let the wrong ones go
They cannot
They cannot
They cannot do what you want them to
Oh ...
Let the right one in
Let the old dreams die
Let the wrong ones go
They do not
They do not
They do not see what you want them to
Oh ...
Let the right one in
Let the old things fade
Put the tricks and schemes forward
Away
Ah ... I will advise
Ah ... Until my mouth dries
Ah ... I will advise you to ...
Ah ... let the right one slip in
Slip in
Slip in
And when at last it does
I'd say you were within your rights to write
The right one and say, "what kept you so long?"
"What kept you so long?"
Oh ...
Leave us the unwanted ones, unloved and untamed. Eat all
the rest, they're all just the same. I am gorlocked, a
salvation, a sound to calm us down, how's this for a
breakdown baby?