Old Man Drinks Tea
"You know what? I love Morrissey. And he has a point about Hitler, the British and tea." [Via]
1
5
Morrissey Happy
Here you will find a collection of pictures in which Steven Patrick Morrissey looks somewhat sanguine.
6
Who Is Actually Bringing Meat To A Morrissey Gig In The First Place?
"Ticket buyers who were entering Morrissey's gig at Middlesborough Town Hall last Friday (July 8) were searched in case they were carrying any meat products, according to reports."
5
Morrissey Has A Lot To Say
Morrissey is in agreement with his former bandmate Johnny Marr: British Prime Minister David Cameron is not allowed to like the Smiths. He also claims to have written 660 pages of a forthcoming memoir!
15
Morrissey Likes Bears, Dislikes Bear Hats
"There is no clever distinction in trapping and skinning bears for petty considerations based on vanity. Concern for all beings – human or animal – is a kindness and a goodness that springs from somewhere much deeper than Royal duty, and like it or not, the Guards wearing real fur reflects the human spirit at its lowest." -In a letter to the Times of London signed "Morrissey, Singer, Cheshire," singer Morrissey of Cheshire expresses dismay at the millinery sported by the Queen's Guards outside Buckingham Palace.
11
Morrissey Bottled
Here is the scene from Saturday night in Liverpool, when Morrissey-a fifty-year-old man who recently collapsed on stage during another performance-was struck in the head by a plastic beer bottle. (The photo in the link is kind of amazing.) This is probably not going to go down in the books as one of Morrissey's favorite tours. Poor thing.
9
I Keep Mine Hidden
I was gonna save this for my Shift Memo tonight, but time got away from me and I need to run off for a bit. I do have a life outside of this website, you know. Anyway, it's artist Derek Erdman's Fortunate Teens Party With Morrissey, 1994. You can learn more about it here. Okay, you're in Choire's hands now. If that dude one-ups me with another Shift Memo I will be very irate. Anyway, enjoy!
5
For England's New Wave Songwriters, a Fond Goodbye To Musical Inspiration
"During her 11-year reign, Thatcher was the politician who British musicians (and a few non-Brits) of many stripes—ska, punk, rock, New Wave, folk, reggae, even electronic dance music—loved to hate. The vitriolic song titles alone—never mind the lyrics—left listeners in no doubt about the depth of loathing: The English Beat's 'Stand Down Margaret'; Heaven 17's '(We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thang'; Klaus Nomi's 'Ding Dong! The Witch Is Dead'; The Specials' 'Ghost Town'; The Varukers' 'Thatcher's Fortress'; the Larks' 'Maggie Maggie Maggie (Out Out Out)'; Morrissey's 'Margaret on the Guillotine'; and Elvis Costello's 'Tramp the Dirt Down.'" —English music about loathed politicians has always been so much [...]
2
Old Man Wants Attention
"The singer Morrissey has continued to provoke in the Falklands row after his band played a concert in Argentina in T-shirts that shouted the words 'WE HATE WILLIAM AND KATE' around a wedding photo of the royal couple."
22
Dog Bites Sad Man
"Morrissey sustained hand and arm injuries recently after being attacked by a dog in England." I wonder if black is how he tastes on the inside. [Via]
22
Thirteen Songs Inspired By Serial Killers
Apart from being terrifying and horrific, serial killers are oddly fascinating. Why do we find ourselves so obsessed over them? Is it just the fear and revulsion, or is something else at play? And it's not just us. Songwriters are often inspired by serial killers. Here are thirteen songs with extremely sinister origins.
30
Dour Troubadour Expresses Dismay Over Impending Nuptials Between Harlequin and Chanteuse
"He swooned and sighed, 'Oh, left hand third finger, don't do it.' It was just so eloquent and poetic and like one of his songs." -There is NOTHING about this article that doesn't make me sad, and I'm sure it will give Awl pal Maura Johnston a continuing series of aneurysms, but here you go: Morrissey (yes, that one) has supposedly advised Russell Brand and Katy Perry against marrying. Also, Katy thinks Russ is too into Britpop. And a bunch of other stuff. At this point your best-case scenario for optimism is to hope that, like most of the stories in the British tabs, this is somehow made up.
27
Morrissey In Bitter Lyrics Switch Shocker
It's tough to see the poets of your youth turn into the mordant cynics of middle-age. The Times of London's man at Morrissey's Albert Hall show is shocked and disappointed by an alteration of the sacred text:
The sea-change was confirmed by a retooling of another Smiths classic, the ode to loneliness How Soon is Now. Stark lyrical changes to the song included the line: "There's a club if you'd like to go, you could meet somebody who can actually stand you/ So you go and you stand on your own and leave on your own. What a big surprise."
Morrissey is also described as bloated and "looking unhealthy [...]
1
Morrissey and Margaret Thatcher
Stephen Metcalf on Morrissey and the 80s: "I think the word that best captures the times is heartless, as evident in the stupid rictus of Sting's face, circa 1983, as it was in Margaret Thatcher's budget cuts. No wonder Morrissey's voice sounded so fresh, so slyly subversive. As much as he publicly avowed a hatred of Thatcher, culminating in 'Margaret at the Guillotine,' it was Thatcherism that made Morrissey. The Iron Lady represented a hardness of purpose, a pitilessness that would allow England once again to produce winners. But also, inevitably, losers. And here is the source of Morrissey's originality."
5
How Many Used Books Did Morrissey And His Elderly Female Accomplice Steal From The Strand?
"Morrissey, who was there alone, immediately rushed to her side and crouched on the ground to see if she was okay. She had just lost her bearings and was fine. He picked up her stray belongings and asked if he could get her some water or call for help. She declined and collected her things and moved on. But my friend said she touched Morrissey’s cheek in gratitude! Obviously, she didn’t know who he was, just was touched by this act of kindness from a nice British man… He seemed very shaken up and flustered by the incident and left the store soon afterwards without buying anything." —An anonymous [...]
3
Three New Morrissey Tracks
Morrissey's last album, 2009's "Years of Refusal," was so much better than it had to be—with at least three tracks that were actually terrific, A+ Morrissey material, and at least three more that were solidly really good. So the advance from his new album (which does not yet have a label??) is disappointing—he played three songs live on BBC Radio 2 last night and they were not so enjoyable! (Despite each of them having pretty terrific Morrissey titles.) Above is "The Kid's a Looker," the one I like best. Perhaps these songs will be formulated, in their final versions, into wonderfulness?
7
A Million Redondo Beach Sardines Are Gone Gone
Late afternoon, what is that smell? We just had the quarrel that sent you away. I was looking for you, are you gone gone?
96
The 85 Best Morrissey Solo Songs, In Order
85. The Father Who Must Be Killed 84. Let me Kiss You 83. Life is a Pigsty 82. Friday Mourning 81. I Knew I was Next 80. I Am Two People 79. Ganglord 78. Sing Your Life 77. There's a Place in Hell for Me and My Friends 76. I'm the End of the Family Line
26
Morrissey Is 50
Steven Patrick Morrissey, patron saint of artistic homosexuals and East L.A. Mexicans and the hags attendant to each, observes his 50th birthday today. Depending on which side of 1969 you are born, that should make you feel either incredibly old or incredibly young. Morrissey is observing his half-century in typical style: with two hometown shows at the Apollo in Manchester. And now I am going to take to my bed for the rest of this sunny day. Have a great weekend!
