I can't think of any musician that I actually like that I would like to punch in the face more than Morrissey. He evinces this combination of smugness and self-pity that I just find incredibly irritating. But he's played a key role in the creation of some fantastic songs, so I've got to give him some credit for that, right? It's interesting that some of the lyrics are far less irritating than others, although for the most part they come from roughly the same attitude and aesthetic. Here is my half-assed guide to songs by The Smiths that I find annoying or not annoying, with vague and unsatisfying explanations as to why or why not.
Annoying: "Hang the blessed DJ/For the music that they constantly play/It says nothing to me about my life" - This is true. My foremost complaint in dance clubs is that the songs do not feature lyrics that I can relate to. I don't understand why more DJs don't play more songs by Coldplay, or Iron and Wine. I also agree that this crime against my emotions should be punishable by death.
Not as Annoying: "I would go out tonight/But I haven't got a stitch to wear" - I like to carry this to its very literal conclusion in my head, where the lyric is more like "I would go out tonight, but instead I'm going to sit on my couch watching reruns of Cheers and eating Doritos, clad only in my underwear."
Annoying: - "In my life/Why do I give valuable time/To people who don't care if I live or die?" - Seriously, who has the kind of time for social interactions with anybody but close friends and relatives? For Morrissey, every second spent idly chatting with a mere friendly acquaintance feels like an eternity, as he ponders the countless hours wasted making small talk with people who would not be deeply upset at news of his passing.
Not as Annoying: - "I am human and I need to be loved/Just like anybody else" - "How Soon is Now?" represents an astonishing emotional breakthrough for Morrissey, as he realizes that there are actually human beings who feel emotions who aren't Morrissey. It also made the Smiths one of those bands that are famous for the song that sounds the least like the rest of their catalog.
1 comment:
I literally laughed until I cried at the thought of Morrissey sitting on his couch in his underwear eating Doritos and watching sitcom reruns. That is true desolation.
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