the long and winding road
|
i should have known better
|
brits do it better
more than words
|
this charming man
|
sing your life
|
lost(?)
|
home
|
 Morrissey's lyrics - and his persona, at times standoffish, sarcastic, or witty - can be described as beguiling, eccentric, even a little mad. His rapport with the press - especially with NME, who labeled him as a bigot and a racist - was tarnished, seemingly beyond repair, after the whole sordid Morrissey/Marr vs. Joyce/Rourke court case, but maybe the cracks had already begun earlier. It wasn't as if he was the prince of papers or anything...but considering that he was the lead singer of the Smiths, arguably the first British alternative rock band in existence, you would think the press would have treated him better. Personally, I think the press have had a bone to pick with Morrissey because he is exactly the opposite of the standard rock star with glitz and glamour, the excesses of fame and fortune and all that comes with it, and the increasingly swelled head that fame usually gives someone who's a darling of the limelight. (In other words - they can't vilify him on "normal" rock star attributes - drinking too much, being dependent on drugs, sleeping around with groupies - because they don't and have never applied to Morrissey. The media can, however, go on his eccentric lifestyle and what sharp comments do come out of his mouth.) Morrissey appears to shun all of this - he claims to have fallen in love several times in his life, but doesn't appear willing to submit to marriage or even a long term relationship; he's vegetarian (although he lost to Andre 3000 of Outkast this year for "World's Sexiest Vegetarian") and doesn't mind singing about the evils of carnivores (see "Meat is Murder" by the Smiths and the solo songs "Ouija Board Ouija Board" and "America is Not the World"); and if he ever believes someone deserves to be slagged off, he'll do it in a song with wit, not merely for the papers to make easy fodder for the gossip magazines. It is almost as if Morrissey himself has gotten the press right where he wants them - he knows whatever he says will be twisted, so he might as well have a bit of fun in the process. He continually confounds the media by refusing to indicate if he is indeed gay. I for one can't see how revealing if he is homosexual, what difference it makes to his back catalogue of amazing songs. Does that somehow negate or take away from his accomplishments? If he wanted us to know, he would have told us by now. The man is 45, for pete's sake. Leave him alone. (Unless of course he wants to invite me back to his palatial Los Angel-ees estate so we can discuss music over a spot of tea...) And I believe he's the only famous person I know of that admitted to wanting to be a librarian (in his pre-fame days, of course) to escape to solitude, absolute silence, and the romance of it all. But...this page is not supposed to be filled with my words (because that's what my essay pages will be for). Rather, I wanted this to be a collection of interesting quotes from various places (which will be added to, as I can dig them up) that support the claim that not only is Morrissey an amazing lyrical poet to the nth degree, but also a real rock 'n' roll oddity - happy with his place in this world as the patriarch of the alt-rock movement.
In many ways, Morrissey's best songs define the consolation of a hard place; that within the stifling oppression of loneliness or exile there can be the back-handed gift of insight, and that through the struggles of love to triumph, there you can find the grace of self-knowledge.--Michael Bracewell, commentary in "The Best Of!" Rhino/Warner Brothers/Sire Records compilation, 2001 Don't be fooled. He's a right bastard.--Mojo magazine special limited edition, The Top 150 Lists of Rock and Roll, 2004 He admits he was unsure if anybody still cared. "I doubt that on a monthly basis and I'm always surprised when they listen. In the midst of the seven-year gap I went through great gulps of doubt wondering whether there was actually any point to it." And yet he is hardly crippled by excessive humility. Later on he says: "I think if I was shot in the middle of the street tomorrow a lot of people would be quite unhappy. I think I'd be a prime candidate for canonisation."--excerpt from a Guardian article by Dorian Lynskey, April 2004 Morrissey has enchanted, disturbed and annoyed with his laconically delivered lyrics, popularised bunches of flowers and being miserable and continued to indulge in his passions for Oscar Wilde, Billy Fury and Sandie Shaw.--excerpt from an intro to a Star Hits question and answer column, 1985 He never believed he'd be anywhere near successful as he went on to become. Once it became clear that the Smiths were destined not for the originally intended Indie cultdom, but for stardom, a large lyrical retreat and rethink was swiftly undertaken. Nonetheless, whilst his songs became non-gender specific to a man, they still only stood up to a homosexual reading.-- Richard Smith of The Gay Times, 1990 The fans are let through the barriers, the last steps towards their Holy Grail in total awe of their idol. This is worship, the paying of respects. Morrissey is hugged, kissed, and revered. He wrings their hands. It's not unlike the Pope giving an audience. This is as near religion as you can get without the religion. Homage (and money) have been paid. Their lives are complete.-- Bill McCoid's description in The Manchester Evening News of Morrissey's Oxford Street HMV autograph session on March 15, 1994
viva Morrissey - Guardian article by Dorian Lynskey
|
2004-5 - mlmchang