Is Morrissey still the role model he once was to you?

[marred]

He's not singing about your life,he's singing about his

you took the lyrics right out of my mouth!

While I'm here Morrissey is not a role model. I've heard him say so himself in countless interviews. Like we need to hear him say it anyway? I think anyone who who takes Morrissey at his word literally is going to be disappointed and is missing the point of his words in the first place. For god's sakes Morrissey doesn't even take himself as seriously as some of his fans do.

 

[Harsh Truth]

That Joke, I Know its Over, Never Had.... Just about the sorriest songs in the catalog.

Cheer up, friend!

 

[mauve21]

This is exactly how I feel.

And anyway, he's just a f***ing singer isn't he?

Heh...heh... exactly

 

[SweetFA]

Very true.

Morrissey never has been a role model to me, I simply appreciate / enjoy his musical output.

Spot on. I'd rather be Johnny Marr than Morrissey anyway

 

[murder and desire]

Spot on. I'd rather be Johnny Marr than Morrissey anyway

What a prat you are. Who in their right mind would be a short guitar player?

 

[Soil Falling Over]

....And anyway, he's just a f***ing singer isn't he?

Um, I get your point, but just to be argumentative:

How much time do you spend on the Dinah Shore or Mick Hucknall forums?? ;~}

 

[Mmmmmm]

I'm with the original poster.

When I was younger (25 years ago) I thought Morrissey was singing about my life. Later I learned it was all a clever and careful persona. For the past decade the persona has been neither all that clever, nor all that carefully constructed. He has built some wonderfully sincere sounding songs over the years but seems to have lost most of the ability to feign either sincerity or being emotionally invested. I'm not even sure that - being so emotionally stunted - the persona could have grown up. In any case it is less subtle, less poetic, less emotionally intelligent and less universal.

Kudos to the apologists who faithfully defend what they must surely be refusing to acknowledge. He was never perfect nor is he incapable of creating interesting verse still, but the quality is not longer there lyrically and it certainly is not musically.

 

[Girl-with-the-Thorn]

Kudos to the apologists who faithfully defend what they must surely be refusing to acknowledge. He was never perfect nor is he incapable of creating interesting verse still, but the quality is not longer there lyrically and it certainly is not musically.

I disagreed with pretty much all your points- does that make me, or anyone else, an apologist? No. I don't think anyone is at all in denial or simply 'faithfully defending Morrissey'. It's called a different opinion, and that is not tantamount to being wrong or refusing to acknowledge anything. Appreciation of Morrissey's persona and lyrics (or that of any artist) is always going to be subjective- how on earth could it be anything else?

 

[marred]

I'm with the original poster.

When I was younger (25 years ago) I thought Morrissey was singing about my life. Later I learned it was all a clever and careful persona. For the past decade the persona has been neither all that clever, nor all that carefully constructed. He has built some wonderfully sincere sounding songs over the years but seems to have lost most of the ability to feign either sincerity or being emotionally invested. I'm not even sure that - being so emotionally stunted - the persona could have grown up. In any case it is less subtle, less poetic, less emotionally intelligent and less universal.

Kudos to the apologists who faithfully defend what they must surely be refusing to acknowledge. He was never perfect nor is he incapable of creating interesting verse still, but the quality is not longer there lyrically and it certainly is not musically.

Well you must be still be posting here for some reason. To those that are feeling left by the wayside which ironically is Morrissey's appeal I think it may be time to realize Morrissey is no longer a bedsit ridden, fey ,gladioli waving protagonist he once was, thank god. Not that I didn't like that guise of his but you can't stay the same forever.

btw I 'm not defending him. He doesn't need anybody to do that. Just an explanation is all this is. I repeat he is not mine or anybody else's role model. That was your first mistake and your second is assuming he was going to live in the same shell for his entire life. Do you think he wants his fans living like he does?

Yes it's a judgment call but it also happens to be true which gives it that extra oomph.

 

[Kewpie]

Maybe some of you share the same sentiment with bored

 

[not_me_not_I]

As much as I love him, I've never considered him to be a role model. Friend, yes, really cool older brother....I might take what he says seriously but I have no desire to be him or be just like him. It's his job to be him.

 

[DAVIE]

I don't think any lyrics Morrissey wrote post 2004 are greatly special...obviously The Smiths lyrics are the best. I guess in The Smiths he was more of a role model than he is now.

 

[Emotional Guide Dog]

Um, I get your point, but just to be argumentative:

How much time do you spend on the Dinah Shore or Mick Hucknall forums?? ;~}

Good point.

Actually, you were catching the back end of an 'in joke'

Of course he's more than a singer but I've never read a great deal into his lyrics. I like them because of their clarity as much as anything. oddly enough, just like Mike Hucknall. Too many singers now just mumble.

 

[Emotional Guide Dog]

What a prat you are. Who in their right mind would be a short guitar player?

I AM a short guitar player. I'd rather be Andy Rourke though. The bass is a cool instrument, doesn't take a great deal of effort to play & I could make a fortune from trading off my name, plugging an iPod into a sound desk & calling myself a DJ.

 

[SweetFA]

What a prat you are. Who in their right mind would be a short guitar player?

5'8" is average not short though i'm 6'3".

I'd rather have Johnny's lifestyle than Mozzer's.

 

[Mmmmmm]

I disagreed with pretty much all your points- does that make me, or anyone else, an apologist? No. I don't think anyone is at all in denial or simply 'faithfully defending Morrissey'. It's called a different opinion, and that is not tantamount to being wrong or refusing to acknowledge anything. Appreciation of Morrissey's persona and lyrics (or that of any artist) is always going to be subjective- how on earth could it be anything else?

So are Shakespeare and South Park equals in quality? You may like the latter more that the former, however, even the most ardent post-structuralist won't agree in the affirmative. For the reasons I've cited, the quality of most of his more recent work isn't as good as much of his earlier (pre-2000) work. I think I've acknowledged that it couldn't remain the same. Every artist must continually reinvent him or herself, however, critical appreciation of the quality of the artists continuing work isn't founded simply in subjective opinion.

As a graduate in literary critical theory, a teacher of music and a former professional musician I can safely state that there are objective measurements of artistic work. As a fan of Morrissey's work I admit like Tony the Pony even though I find in it less artistic merit that many other songs that I like less. That is, of course purely subjective.

 

[ironbmike]

I'm with the original poster.

When I was younger (25 years ago) I thought Morrissey was singing about my life. Later I learned it was all a clever and careful persona. For the past decade the persona has been neither all that clever, nor all that carefully constructed. He has built some wonderfully sincere sounding songs over the years but seems to have lost most of the ability to feign either sincerity or being emotionally invested. I'm not even sure that - being so emotionally stunted - the persona could have grown up. In any case it is less subtle, less poetic, less emotionally intelligent and less universal.

Kudos to the apologists who faithfully defend what they must surely be refusing to acknowledge. He was never perfect nor is he incapable of creating interesting verse still, but the quality is not longer there lyrically and it certainly is not musically.

How was he just portraying a clever and careful persona in the early days?

 

[CrystalGeezer]

To me Morrissey will always be the poet who has put to paper the thought impossible to communicate. And he can sing, a magical bonus. All the pre Smiths/ Post Smiths/ constructing a characiture/ blah, blah, blah kind of means nothing. I mean I can see where these arguments are going and get it, but none of it compares to what he;s captured in words from a complicated ether from The Hand That Rocked the Cradle to I'm OK By Myself.

 

[Soil Falling Over]

Actually, you were catching the back end of an 'in joke'

Even when I think I have a point, it's just something's gone over my head. But still it had been too long since someone mentioned Dinah Shore 'round here. Had to be done...

 

[joe frady]

Even when I think I have a point, it's just something's gone over my head. But still it had been too long since someone mentioned Dinah Shore 'round here. Had to be done...

always dug Dinah!