Morrissey A-Z: "I'm Not a Man"

Is it? You do know this is almost a word for word rip off of an American Beat poem?
Bit of a stretch, don’t you think? @Nerak posted the poem in question and, to put it mildly, you’re exaggerating.
 
I'm going to trust all the people that love this one that maybe I missed something but I don't care for it.
 
I'm going to trust all the people that love this one that maybe I missed something but I don't care for it.
You've got to forgive all the shaking and quaking. And the blush rose if we ever say hello.
 
Harold Norse was a poet & gay rights activist who died in 2009 - his poem is:

I am not a man. I can’t earn a living, buy new things for my family.
I have acne and a small peter.

I am not a man. I don’t like football, boxing and cars.
I like to express my feelings.
I even like to put my arm around my friend’s shoulder.

I am not a man. I won’t play the role assigned to me –
the role created by Madison Avenue, Playboy, Hollywood and Oliver Cromwell.
Television does not dictate my behaviour.

I am not a man. Once when I shot a squirrel I swore that I would never kill again.
I gave up meat. The sight of blood makes me sick. I like flowers.

I am not a man. I went to prison for resisting the draft.
I do not fight when real men beat me up and call me queer. I dislike violence.

I am not a man. I have never raped a woman.
I don’t hate blacks. I don’t get emotional when the flag is waved.
I do not think I should love America or leave it. I think I should laugh at it.

I am not a man. I have never had the clap.

I am not a man. Playboy is not my favourite magazine.

I am not a man. I cry when I am unhappy.

I am not a man. I do not feel superior to women.

I am not a man. I don’t wear a jockstrap.

I am not a man. I write poetry.

I am not a man. I meditate on peace and love.

I am not a man. I don’t want to destroy you.


Morrissey's lyrics:

Don Juan
Picaresque
Wife beater vest
Cold hand
Ice man
Warring cave man
Well if this is what it takes to describe
I'm not a man
Wheeler, dealer
Mover, shaker
Casanova
Beefaroni
A-ho but lonely
Well if this is what it takes to describe
I'm not a man
I'm not a man
I'm something much bigger and better than
A man
Wise ass
Smart ass
Workaholic
Thick-skinned
Two-fisted hombre, olé
Well if these are terms you'd use to describe
Oh, I'm shaking
Look at me I'm quaking
True grit
True blue
Kill crazy
So very manly of you
You are the soldier
Who won't get much older
You are the slow Joe
Who signed up to go
Wolf down
Wolf down
T-bone steak
Wolf down
Cancer of the prostate
Ways to sit
And of course
Ways to stand
I'm not a man
I'm not a man
No big fat locker room
Hockey jock
Laughing
I'm not a man
I'd never kill or eat an animal, animal, an
And I never would destroy this planet I'm on
Well, what do you think I am?
A man?


Morrissey works from source material that matters to him - it's a technique that gets taught in theatre studies.

I had no idea, so thank you for the heads-up!

Thanks to Nerak for posting above poem and lyric.

Obviously not a ‘word for word rip-off’ (as the anon put it), or a rip-off of any kind.
 
Anyway, I thought Jobriath did it better with ....




“You know I could love you
But if I should love you
Then I would love you
The way a man loves a woman
And live my life like been livin' it
My body claims my mind and soul so let me be

What I am

An elegant man

Yes I maman
So I'm a graceful man

I'm a man
Pierrots and spaceous clothes

Are what I am”


:cool:
 
I love the message but don’t care much for the song itself. As Ket noted above, it’s been done better.
 
Love love love this song. Yes that ambient intro isn't needed, but it's an absolute highlight of an otherwise mediocre '10s.

Also, that outro is over before it begins. Tragic.
 
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