Do Morrissey's political/social views make it difficult to enjoy the music?

[theloveofyourlife]

His views have always flirted with controversy but I think it's fair to say that he's become more outspoken about certain topics in recent years. Does anyone else find it really difficult at times to reconcile his beautiful lyrics with his, at times, deplorable public persona?

The post-Maladjusted years also saw a radical change in his writing style, to my ears at least. The literary allusions and playfully poetic language were largely replaced with a way more blunt approach. I feel like this must be somehow linked to an underlying change in Morrissey himself. Did anything major happen in his life during the 'wilderness' years? (I've not yet read his autobiography yet). It seems to me like he reemerged from that break as a totally different artist.

It's only natural for an artist to develop but this seemed quite sudden and veered in a counter-intuitive direction. There was so much more maturity, nuance and artistry in Vauxhall & I/Bona Drag/Viva Hate and even Maladjusted. I expected him to have something more profound to say than, 'Each time you vote you support the process' or 'Stop watching the news'. These cliched statements feel like such a step backwards for someone with his flair for language. I had always envisioned Morrissey becoming more refined with age. This is a man whose written songs like; 'Asleep', 'Late Night, Maudlin Street', 'Trouble Loves Me', 'I'm Changing My Plea'. And yet he never fully explored that more melodic style that suits his voice so well. Vauxhall is the closest he went to expanding on this and that subtlety is part of what makes it his most powerful and mature work.

How do you guys reconcile Morrissey the person from the Morrissey that lives in the music? Or is that not an issue for you? Also, is the change in his writing style well-acknowledged here or am I imagining it? It's my first visit to the forum so I'm not aware of the consensus here.

 

[Anonymous]

His views have always flirted with controversy but I think it's fair to say that he's become more outspoken about certain topics in recent years. Does anyone else find it really difficult at times to reconcile his beautiful lyrics with his, at times, deplorable public persona?

The post-Maladjusted years also saw a radical change in his writing style, to my ears at least. The literary allusions and playfully poetic language were largely replaced with a way more blunt approach. I feel like this must be somehow linked to an underlying change in Morrissey himself. Did anything major happen in his life during the 'wilderness' years? (I've not yet read his autobiography yet). It seems to me like he reemerged from that break as a totally different artist.

It's only natural for an artist to develop but this seemed quite sudden and veered in a counter-intuitive direction. There was so much more maturity, nuance and artistry in Vauxhall & I/Bona Drag/Viva Hate and even Maladjusted. I expected him to have something more profound to say than, 'Each time you vote you support the process' or 'Stop watching the news'. These cliched statements feel like such a step backwards for someone with his flair for language. I had always envisioned Morrissey becoming more refined with age. This is a man whose written songs like; 'Asleep', 'Late Night, Maudlin Street', 'Trouble Loves Me', 'I'm Changing My Plea'. And yet he never fully explored that more melodic style that suits his voice so well. Vauxhall is the closest he went to expanding on this and that subtlety is part of what makes it his most powerful and mature work.

How do you guys reconcile Morrissey the person from the Morrissey that lives in the music? Or is that not an issue for you? Also, is the change in his writing style well-acknowledged here or am I imagining it? It's my first visit to the forum so I'm not aware of the consensus here.

Absolutely an issue for me. A huge fan for over 30 years, over 100 gigs attended in multiple countries, and I am utterly sickened by his support for far right politicians.

And I am not alone.

 

[Anonymous]

yes. yes it has. i love Donald and this has ruined the songs for me.

 

[Emma]

To me his political views are not an issue at all, but I noticed the changes in his lyrics, I don´t hate them but I miss his more philosophical side, he's being too politic, and that's making him repetitive and sometimes boring...
On the other hand, I like what's he's doing with the new album, again, he's being repetitive with his political views -in some songs- but the new sounds and the risks he's taking musically make up for the overexploited political message.

 

[g23]

I think the lawsuit opened up something irreparably cynical in him. Not that he wasn't cynical before, but it seemed hugely amplified after that.

 

[URBANUS]

Absolutely an issue for me. A huge fan for over 30 years, over 100 gigs attended in multiple countries, and I am utterly sickened by his support for far right politicians.

And I am not alone.

We feel your pain, Julia!

 

[Uncleskinny]

Not at all. He could sing Mein Kampf as long as there was a tune there. But there isn't.

 

[Maurice E Maher]

Absolutely an issue for me. A huge fan for over 30 years, over 100 gigs attended in multiple countries, and I am utterly sickened by his support for far right politicians.
And I am not alone.

Are you also utterly sickened by his support for far left politicians such as Bernie Sanders, Jeremy Corbyn and George Galloway?

 

[ZOOM FROM GLOOM]

His views have always flirted with controversy but I think it's fair to say that he's become more outspoken about certain topics in recent years. Does anyone else find it really difficult at times to reconcile his beautiful lyrics with his, at times, deplorable public persona?

The post-Maladjusted years also saw a radical change in his writing style, to my ears at least. The literary allusions and playfully poetic language were largely replaced with a way more blunt approach. I feel like this must be somehow linked to an underlying change in Morrissey himself. Did anything major happen in his life during the 'wilderness' years? (I've not yet read his autobiography yet). It seems to me like he reemerged from that break as a totally different artist.

It's only natural for an artist to develop but this seemed quite sudden and veered in a counter-intuitive direction. There was so much more maturity, nuance and artistry in Vauxhall & I/Bona Drag/Viva Hate and even Maladjusted. I expected him to have something more profound to say than, 'Each time you vote you support the process' or 'Stop watching the news'. These cliched statements feel like such a step backwards for someone with his flair for language. I had always envisioned Morrissey becoming more refined with age. This is a man whose written songs like; 'Asleep', 'Late Night, Maudlin Street', 'Trouble Loves Me', 'I'm Changing My Plea'. And yet he never fully explored that more melodic style that suits his voice so well. Vauxhall is the closest he went to expanding on this and that subtlety is part of what makes it his most powerful and mature work.

How do you guys reconcile Morrissey the person from the Morrissey that lives in the music? Or is that not an issue for you? Also, is the change in his writing style well-acknowledged here or am I imagining it? It's my first visit to the forum so I'm not aware of the consensus here.

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'deplorable public persona'


bye girl.








edit: BrummieBoy rating my post 'troll' the irony !!!
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[George the 23rd]

When biographers and observers look back at Morrissey's career, they shall divide it into two eras- the English phase of 1982-1997, and the American phase of 1997- present. The key event that happened in 1997 was the move to America, and whether through adaption of a more blunt 'American' attitude, artistic choice, age or otherwise you are correct to identify (as, indeed, many have) a change in writing style from Quarry onwards. I've always seen his final Maladjusted b-side, This Is Not Your Country, as a transitional song in that respect; the vitriol of "BBC scum" stands out against his more subtle lyricism of the time, but would sadly be standard fare in the American era. And of course Sorrow Will Come in The End, indeed the court case was a key event as g23 (copying my name, are ya?) says.

That is not to write off all the American years as of no quality. There is at least one song on every album since Maladjusted, say Home Is A Question Mark to offer a recent example, where the tact and beauty of the earlier lyricism is successfully maintained in an older and matured era. But particularly with his social and political songs, the replacement of humour and wit with bluntness and vitriol has, as one would expect, resulted in a subsequent decline in quality. Compare the title tracks of The Queen Is Dead to World Peace Is None of Your Business and you'll get the picture.

His racially suspect attitudes haven't been a recent development, as anyone who's listened to Bengali in Platforms will know. But whereas these were usually confined to specific songs (or, preferably, kept out of them) and were alleviated by wit, melody, or insight (most of his 'racist' songs aren't), many of his new songs include lyrics that are easy to relate to his increasing flirtations with the far-right. Lyrics about politicians not saying what they mean and telling your children not to trust the mainstream media are worthy sentiments in themselves, but knowing that Moz is likely thinking of anti-Muslim views when he sings them does sour them to this young liberal/remoaner/pussy/cuck on a larger scale than any of his previous material.

 

[javert]

As M himself in many interviews has said, it's age. - It's very hard to compare Morrissey's earlier work, especially in The Smiths to his work today, especially from a lyrical perspective and environment. A teenager, suffering from the depths of depression in the 1960's and 70's, compared to a successful multi-millionaire career that he enjoys now. From an ideological perspective, his political views are no different to what they were back in the 80's, a leftist from an economic point of view, with a hatred from the EU and it's common market properties, which should make no surprise for his advocation for Brexit. Immigration as a hot topic and the issue of Islam to him is one of which is of personal observation, you can agree or disagree with him, but the man has the right to an opinion regardless.

 

[Uncleskinny]

As M himself in many interviews has said, it's age. - It's very hard to compare Morrissey's earlier work, especially in The Smiths to his work today, especially from a lyrical perspective and environment. A teenager, suffering from the depths of depression in the 1960's and 70's, compared to a successful multi-millionaire career that he enjoys now. From an ideological perspective, his political views are no different to what they were back in the 80's, a leftist from an economic point of view, with a hatred from the EU and it's common market properties, which should make no surprise for his advocation for Brexit. Immigration as a hot topic and the issue of Islam to him is one of which is of personal observation, you can agree or disagree with him, but the man has the right to an opinion regardless.

He has a right to his opinion, just like we all do to call him out on his lazy, shallow support for racists.

 

[ZOOM FROM GLOOM]

Are you also utterly sickened by his support for far left politicians such as Bernie Sanders, Jeremy Corbyn and George Galloway?

 

[Anonymous]

I think the lawsuit opened up something irreparably cynical in him. Not that he wasn't cynical before, but it seemed hugely amplified after that.

Yep, definitely lost a bit of vitality after the courtcase, his music changed after Your arsenal, we still got a great album in 1994, but beyond that, he became ultra cynical. There's such a lack of humour in his music post 1994.

 

[BrummieBoy]

There's a huge difference between being an agent provocateur & being a gross troll. His earlier lyrics played with 'dangerous' lyrical topics but in a way that allowed interpretation. His latest words just seems gratuitously provocative, having no purpose beyond igniting a reaction. I doubt he believes half the stuff he flirts with.

I also think he's become increasingly bitter and angry as he ages and realised the only reason he hasn't become a major star is because people regard him as a C List talent with a penchant for trolling. The lyrics to the latest songs just seem like random diary entries of a confused, drifting middle-aged misanthrope who is lost in absurd conspiracy theories. I've concluded the only reason he carries on is because he lacks the guts to face failure and stop. He doesn't seem to be remotely inspired by his music or words, just using them as a vehicle to vent his spleen at a world that either ignores him or mocks him.

 

[ZOOM FROM GLOOM]

hatebots will be hatebots !!!








edit: BrumieBoy, it only hurts you because it's true.

 

[g23]

the court case was a key event as g23 (copying my name, are ya?) says.

Nah. My name actually is George, and I wrote under the pen name "George the 23rd" for years following the release of Certain People, and had people shorten it to g23, so there ya go. I'm actually only the second in a line of Georges, with two generations removed prior to me.

 

[Anonymous]

There's a huge difference between being an agent provocateur & being a gross troll. His earlier lyrics played with 'dangerous' lyrical topics but in a way that allowed interpretation. His latest words just seems gratuitously provocative, having no purpose beyond igniting a reaction. I doubt he believes half the stuff he flirts with.

I also think he's become increasingly bitter and angry as he ages and realised the only reason he hasn't become a major star is because people regard him as a C List talent with a penchant for trolling. The lyrics to the latest songs just seem like random diary entries of a confused, drifting middle-aged misanthrope who is lost in absurd conspiracy theories. I've concluded the only reason he carries on is because he lacks the guts to face failure and stop. He doesn't seem to be remotely inspired by his music or words, just using them as a vehicle to vent his spleen at a world that either ignores him or mocks him.

Mmmh, no.
Listening to his new songs, I can't believe, not even for one second, that he is uninspired by his music or words

 

[George the 23rd]

'(most of his 'racist' songs aren't)'

and what are these 'racist' songs that you speak of George the 23rd ?

Starting with Bengali in Platforms, the string of early solo songs that dealt with race in one way or another, see Asian Rut, We'll Let You Know and the National Front Disco which along with Madstock etc. were wilfully misinterpreted by the NME et al for their 'Morrissey is racist' angle.

 

[ZOOM FROM GLOOM]

Starting with Bengali in Platforms, the string of early solo songs that dealt with race in one way or another, see Asian Rut, We'll Let You Know and the National Front Disco which along with Madstock etc. were wilfully misinterpreted by the NME et al for their 'Morrissey is racist' angle.

yes I agree, those songs were and still are misinterpreted (by a few crackpots) as racist, but those songs are not racist.


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edit: BrummieBoy you only rate it 'funny' because it's true and it hurts you.