Meaning of “Reel Around the Fountain” by The Smiths

Reel Around the Fountain is a Smiths‘ song which talks about the loss of innocence. Speaking with Rolling Stone magazine, Smiths’ singer Morrissey said of the meaning of the song as one that is about the “loss of innocence”, and that until a person has a “physical commitment” with someone else, there’s going to be “something childlike” about the person’s soul, hence the birth of the famous line, in which Morrissey sings about taking a child and making “him old”. It is worth noting that the lyrics of the song are very rife with sexual undertones and connotations with phrases such as “fifteen minutes with you”, “the haven of your bed” and “reel around the fountain”. Also, it must be known that over the years, a number of tabloid papers and music critics have suggested that the lyrics of Reel Around the Fountain condone child abuse.

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