"Morrissey as Existential Hero" by Kevin Michael Klipfel - Ethos Review

nice, very nice. very true as well

 

[keene]

I know that. Jeez...

I was making a comment about the difficulty of conversing here with "anonymous". You could be talking to one or five, who knows. I just added that to my remark to you. I find it frustrating, do you? No damn big deal.

 

[Adeptly_Inept]

i never found morrissey songs or lyrics to be sad or about depression. i most found them to be angry, composed, revolted, amused and laughing slyly, bitterly, and sternly in the face of very very scary themes. i got into morrissey because hes a fighter not a sad man being sad. morrisseys lyrics dont have any elements of him hating himself which i think is a big part of depression be contextual or biological in origin

How about in I Have Forgiven Jesus, when Morrissey sings "Why did you stick me in self deprecating bones and skin?" ? ... That's pretty indicative of self hatred.

 

[Chickpea]

How about in I Have Forgiven Jesus, when Morrissey sings "Why did you stick me in self deprecating bones and skin?" ? ... That's pretty indicative of self hatred.

Or... "Where the world's ugliest boy became what you see / Here I am, the ugliest man" & 'Me without clothes, well a nation turns its back and gags"

 

[Adeptly_Inept]

Or... "Where the world's ugliest boy became what you see / Here I am, the ugliest man" & 'Me without clothes, well a nation turns its back and gags"

Exactamondos. Although, I do agree that he, more often than not, expresses his self hatred with a great deal of humour.

 

[Chickpea]

Exactamondos. Although, I do agree that he, more often than not, expresses his self hatred with a great deal of humour.

The best ones always do.

 

[Anonymous]

The line in I have forgiven jesus I read as more of an i/we but the ugly one ill give you. He for sure cared about that except for the time took e which is funny to think about. I think he writes about human condition with an I perspective for the sake of the song a lot of the time. Was morrissey a believer or does he hate that society expects and tries to force guilt on you in jesuses name.Thtas why the turnaround of the title is so good . Morrissey on e, id loved to have seen that one

 

[Detritus]

I don't think we should assume that every lyric Morrissey writes is autobiographical. The narrator of "I Have Forgiven Jesus" is not necessarily Morrissey himself. It could be, but it could also just be one of many characters he's created.

That said, his attitudes and experiences definitely inform his writing, and considering how frequently he disparages himself in interviews, it's no surprise that self-loathing is a recurring theme throughout his work. Maybe the anon needs to listen to more Morrissey songs. A few more examples, in addition to what Chickpea offered:

"I know I'm unlovable, you don't have to tell me."

"I am sick and I am dull and I am plain..."

"You are too brave, and I'm ashamed of myself as usual."

"Wish I had the charm to attract the one I love, but you see I've got no charm."

 

[Anonymous]

I don't think we should assume that every lyric Morrissey writes is autobiographical. The narrator of "I Have Forgiven Jesus" is not necessarily Morrissey himself. It could be, but it could also just be one of many characters he's created.

That said, his attitudes and experiences definitely inform his writing, and considering how frequently he disparages himself in interviews, it's no surprise that self-loathing is a recurring theme throughout his work. Maybe the anon needs to listen to more Morrissey songs. A few more examples, in addition to what Chickpea offered:

"I know I'm unlovable, you don't have to tell me."

"I am sick and I am dull and I am plain..."

"You are too brave, and I'm ashamed of myself as usual."

"Wish I had the charm to attract the one I love, but you see I've got no charm."

These lines I often think are more about societys judgement of him rather than his own judgement of himself and how he throws them back in there face. I mean do you really think morrissey thought of himself as plain. I do not. I think he often found others lacking in his own standard and was digusted with them. That doesn't suggest to me a person who does not like himself but one who's frustrated by his forced place in society at large.

 

[marred]

I know that. Jeez...

I was making a comment about the difficulty of conversing here with "anonymous". You could be talking to one or five, who knows. I just added that to my remark to you. I find it frustrating, do you? No damn big deal.

I do find it frustrating but I don't really respond to anonymous posters anyway. There are plenty of dicks here with actual names to deal with like corn et al.

 

[Anonymous]

"Wish I had the charm to attract the one I love, but you see I've got no charm."

Well. It's tough to attract anyone with a technicolour yawn. It's really nothing personal.