I wanted to write this comment before, but then by the same token i think to myself, “what is the point in engaging with people that don’t know how to ever think for themselves?” A lot of you have spent decades arguing (rightly) that not all Smiths or Morrissey songs are necessarily wholly autobiographical to the letter, even when sung in the first person. So that’s like, you can pick out nuance sometimes? But not all of the time? Oh, only when it suits, i always forget. And so many of you are so quick to jump to take excerpts of lyrics the very moment that you think there’s something you can cling on to and possibly jump down his throat or beat him over the head with.
I don’t personally hear *any* words whatsoever in this song that are anti-Muslim or anti-Islam. And that’s separate and despite the fact that there are plenty of Islamic tenets that any free Western person would rightfully object to based on the constructs of our own Western societal norms - and laws.
What I do hear in this song is the repetition of “Before any investigation, they said this is not terrorism”.
If anything, this song could be said to be critiquing the media’s rabid desire to push a certain narrative, at the expense of any and all truth.
Large media groups and conglomerates that dominate the mainstream outlets that have deep rooted political biases based on whichever contingents are funding them never care what the truth is on any subject, as long as the angle and the spin supports the desired chosen narrative of the moment, of the given contingent that is behind the funding. There is always a story that someone wants to tell. And then separately, somewhere, usually the truth can also be found. Sound familiar yet? Have any of you seen this happen anywhere else? Or to anyone else? Is there anybody here who is even capable of one single, independent, coherent string of interconnected thoughts?
Regardless of how you think the fire at Notre Dame started, I don’t see any words in these lyrics that state what a lot of you are saying the lyrics state. As the media has done on many prior occasions and as many of you have done and continue to do, you really do cherry pick his statements as well as his lyrics that some of you personally want to weaponize. It’s gross, and yes I do think Morrissey is super brave for having to deal with the inanity of the many accusations that get endlessly lobbed his way.
Lastly - on the subject of the other main debate that a lot of you are having, which is “quality” of the lyrics themselves: not all songs are built the same, and not all songs need to be the same. Not all songs will be overflowing with creative puns, double entendres, acrobatic semantics and lyrical soliloquies, and nor do they need to be.
This is a somber song, about a shocking and deeply sombre, horrific event of mammoth historical and cultural depth of significance. I think the mood imbued by the rather austere and forceful lyrics and by the beautiful music in both instances mirrors the disturbingly dark element that was the prevailing common thread and collective mood as many people watched this awe-rending destruction and associated images unfold.
Not every single song from Morrissey’s astounding back catalogue has the same meaning or personal significance to me. This is called being a human being. The question is, if this is a song that some of you like less, or dislike, why can’t those of you be accepting of the fact that that’s fine?
Morrissey has nothing to prove to anyone. If you’re one of the people who thinks that the lyrics in this song don’t speak you, who cares.
As someone else said somewhere here recently, “why should i go see Morrissey if i can go see X band for the third time in a month and know for sure I’ll come out of it in a good mood?”” I’m paraphrasing, because I was only skimming when i saw it and wasn’t really paying attention.
But actually, that’s exactly what a lot of you should be doing. And you’ll be happier for it.
I like this song and my sincere opinion is that a lot of the people on this site are genuinely low IQ. That has nothing to do with anything anyone thinks of this particular song. That has do with the embarrassingly poor showing of intelligent thought, interaction, contribution, and discourse. It’s really stupid, all of the time. But yeah, I do think it’s funny if a bunch of you are going to run out to buy tickets to the concerts. And it will be even funnier if those that don’t, just continue to come here to complain how much they don’t like everything that they don’t like. What a life to lead. Lol!
