I believe you are in for a treat. It’s a movie underrated because Morrissey is a dick and the baggage weighs it down. But it expresses a kind of teenage autodidact pop loving angst which does not necessarily lead to where Stephen ended up. Johnny is from a similar background and attitude and he seems fine.
2 Likes
He does! I’m not sure what happened to Morrissey, but he’s just become a real right wing dick in recent years… much like Lydon, for that matter.
4 Likes
Fucking old Irish dicks.
1 Like
My favorite cover/homage/pastiche/parody.
7 Likes
Maybe It is because he left the Island and Common Sense.
1 Like
What is it about living in a diaspora that makes Irish people so mean?
1 Like
To be fair both his parents are from Crumlin and he identified with the kind of repression that people of his parents generation would experience and pass on in Ireland. He therefore viewed his English identity as a liberation from that.
I get that and love all my friends from childhood who are now American or British or whatever. Much as I love my Irish friends who were/are also Nigerian/Syrian or whatever.
But 7/8 of the Smiths parents were from Ireland. Only one Smith turned into a virulent racist.
It’s on him. Not the interface of identity.
ETA
Most of my class in “high school” are now a different nationality. Fucked up place here.
5 Likes
Probably is a case of acute A*****e, as he was born this way. It is sad. “The Queen Is Dead” was one of the first albums I could buy with my allowance. I was appaled when I read his infamous racist tirades some years ago.
4 Likes
Yup. I hope he has inoculated me against edgelords because he was that before the term.
I’ve seen early TV appearances by him in the last few years and he’s obviously awful from the get go.
Which is why I once again commend for you attention:
And beg you ignore the poor ratings.
5 Likes
Morrissey & Johnny Marr = Mort ici et j’en ai marre = Death is here and I’ve had enough
7 Likes
thanks! Love the Johnny Marr version
3 Likes
Yeah. I just read Sinead O’Connor’s memoir and she makes much the same point about Ireland… The population is still below pre-Famine levels, but it’s not just due to the big impact of the famine, but from continued out-migration, first continued conflict over colonialism, then from the situation in NI, as well as the rather conservative government and economic issues of the Republic until the Irish tiger era… It seems like lately things are improving there, but of course, I’m viewing it from a distance… Still. It’s lovely place and I hope to come back for another visit someday when we’re not in a fucking pandemic.
4 Likes
First of all F**K YEAH to the director who actually put some instruments in the shot and didn’t focus on “the singer” like 95% of live band performances on video! You could actually see them all play… Second of all, i don’t know why but i never imagined Marr would use a capo. And last: i just really DIG any time someone detunes the the low E (or any really) while playing. Marr is god. 
4 Likes
I remember the first impact that ‘How Soon Is Now’ had on me… was in a fetal position on the floor full of grief…
“I am the son and heir” I miss heard as ‘I am the sun and air’, which is what I got from the sonic presence of the music production, Marr’s guitar, the growling bass and ‘hit you in the chest’ drums from Andy and Mike as well as Morrissey’s breathy vocals…
It was all ‘sun an air’ in a dark time for me having The Smiths around.
I get the hate for what Morrissey has become but as the above comments seem to confirm The Smiths were more than one member and it would be criminally vulgar to reflect on their music through that myopic lens.
3 Likes
The first 30 seconds of the original is my alarm ringtone. Yes, I start my day with that sliding guitar tone, because it makes me happy.
This version mades me even happier.
6 Likes
Johnny Marr: Writes one of the most beautiful pop licks in history
Morrissey: How about “Some girls’ mothers are bigger than other girls’ mothers”
1 Like
Morrissey has gone 100 per cent off piste But the original is still best and his words. We need to have some kindness for everyone’s life - even as we reject every awful thing they say and think. There’s a slow motion car crash happening where the feet of clay of our hero’s are fuelling the bullshit conspiracy new cycle. This is not an apologia for Morrissey. Or Ian Brown. Or Clapton. Or Van Morrison.
It’s a request that we find a way through the bad ideas these people have become addicted to.
1 Like
It’s a “conspiracy” that Morrissey said and continues to say shitty racist things?
He’s refused to apologize for this racist trash talk, so he can fuck off. No one deserves support as an artist when the consistently refuse to not be assholes. We can feel how we like about Morrissey or whoever.
That’s on them, not us. THEY are the ones who need to figure that their comments are inappropriate. Maybe friends and family can help guide them, but it’s not on the fans to continue to have loyalty to people who say hurtful things that contribute to racism and other actual ills in our society.
6 Likes
Well, he was never my hero. So I guess it’s acceptable for me to call him a racist asshole.
6 Likes
