Scott Walker recorded "Mrs Murphy" way back in 1966. Although it's technically credited to the Walker Brothers it was released on an EP called Solo Scott, Solo John which, as the name obviously implies contained two solo tracks each from Scott Engel and John Maus.
And one of Scott's songs was the self-penned "Mrs Murphy". It's pretty much the first of Scott's run of classic kitchen sink dramas (he later refined this style of writing on such wonders as "Montague Terrace" or "Such A Small Love" or "The Amorous Humphrey Plugg" (which is arguably the pinnacle of these acutely observed slices of suburban 60's life)).
But "Mrs Murphy" surely has one of Scott's best ever lyrics. For all Scott's love of obscure film noir and the existential dread of directors like Bergman, "Mrs Murphy" is rooted firmly in the working class streets of 60's England. It's a mini film for the ears, as if Room At The Top or Saturday Night, Sunday Morning or Billy Liar had been put to music.
The unfolding scandal of the affair, the gossiping wives, the details of the street, the mysterious tall boy lodging at number 22 – all sketched out in just three concise verses, but such vivid, perfectly described verses. Oddly, despite all the detail and realism it's impossible to think of "Mrs Murphy" in anything other than black and white - it's so clearly the mid 1960s and England just seemed so totally black and white then... The song is also very cleverly constructed so that the listener switches across various points of view as the story develops.
The third verse begins ‘Poor Mr Johnson, being married to a
wife, who should be caged’ – and it’s the sheer relish with which Scott delivers
the word ‘caged’ which makes it so wonderful. It's my favourite line in a song filled with plenty of gems. And it's a brilliant bit of singing.
The whole song is terrific
though, the orchestral arrangement is just tremendous, and Scott’s vocal is one of his
all time best. A genuine triumph.
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