F. Dodwell / Music-News: "New Morrissey track Bonfire of Teenagers: It's okay to be angry about injustice" (July 6, 2022)

New Morrissey track Bonfire of Teenagers: It's okay to be angry about injustice.

Excerpt:
While the Mancunian Oasis anthem 'Don't Look Back In Anger' (which is mentioned in the song lyrics) can perhaps be soothing to many at such a time, Morrissey instead takes his listeners aside and assures them that yes, it is absolutely okay to be angry about this; yes, sometimes anger is a very normal, human response to hurt, pain, death and tragedy.

New Morrissey track Bonfire of Teenagers: It's okay to be angry about injustice

The new track from upcoming Morrissey album, Bonfire of Teenagers, has everybody talking and shows fans the artist

www.music-news.com

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FWD.

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See also the NME story, link posted by several:

Morrissey debuts new song 'Bonfire Of Teenagers', about Manchester Arena bombing

Morrissey has debuted new song 'Bonfire Of Teenagers' – a track he says is about "England's 9/11", the Manchester Arena bombing.

www.nme.com

 

[Stephen Hofmann]

I don't recall Morrissey writing any songs about the London Underground bombings. He's just desperate to get his name in the papers in lieu of record sales.

Rubbish.

 

[TheSmiths_1985]

I don't recall Morrissey writing any songs about the London Underground bombings. He's just desperate to get his name in the papers in lieu of record sales.

Surely that is the UK’s “9/11” - maybe he’s saving that for a b-side.

 

[🐈🐈🐈]

You're saying Mancunians are terrorist supporters? Are you dense?

Firstly, I’m Manc myself so wind your neck in. Secondly, I’m saying in indirect terms that IN MY OPINION AND MY OPINION ONLY it would be reckless to sing a song calling us Mancs morons and etc.

 

[🐈🐈🐈]

Firstly, I’m Manc myself so wind your neck in. Secondly, I’m saying in indirect terms that IN MY OPINION AND MY OPINION ONLY it would be reckless to sing a song calling us Mancs morons and etc.

Edit…. I meant the reference to being bottled off stage at Finsbury Park/Madstock btw

 

[Stephen Hofmann]

Edit…. I meant the reference to being bottled off stage at Finsbury Park/Madstock btw

That was a pretty small amount of dedicated NF skins/mods. I know. I was there.

 

[🐈🐈🐈]

That was a pretty small amount of dedicated NF skins/mods. I know. I was there.

I was there too

 

[Gregor Samsa]

Well take your blankie and go weep on your pillow for him. Your whining here in the last week is completely insufferable.

Sounds as if YOU’RE doing a bit of whining, yourself.

 

[Gregor Samsa]

How's that any different? It's still denigrating the people of Manchester peacefully coming together to try and heal. What does Morrissey want - an angry mob setting fire to things? Maybe beating up people who look similar to the murderers? More anger isn't going to solve anything.

Sure, but it’s easier to get where he’s coming from if this spectacle was the source of it all.

 

[Anonymous]

Less mass immigration would be good. Recognizing, Islam probably isn't a great religion to import into the west.

In the USA there are more Muslims than Episcopalians. It's too late for your blatantly bigoted "send them back to Africa" philosophy to work!

 

[marred]

Beautiful song though.

Yeah if you're a child with no idea what the world actually is.

 

[ZOOM FROM GLOOM]

Yeah if you're a child with no idea what the world actually is.

you may say, I’m a child, but I’m not the only one ….


Really though, it’s because you know what the world is actually like that makes you write a song like that.

 

[snoddywilko]

I don't recall Morrissey writing any songs about the London Underground bombings. He's just desperate to get his name in the papers in lieu of record sales.

So he’s obligated to write about every single tragic event? And if he doesn’t then that’s proof that he’s just desperately seeking attention by singing about this specific one?

Good theory.

The Manchester bombing happened in his home town & on his birthday. Of course that’s going to resonate with him on a more personal level.

Perhaps you’re the one whose desperate to attack Morrissey by any means necessary.

 

[snoddywilko]

Yeah if you're a child with no idea what the world actually is.

Sure, you can say that Lennons message in Imagine is naive - as there’s no way that everybody everywhere is going to get along all the time & everything will be perfectly harmonious - but it doesn’t stop it be a great song with a beautiful, hopeful message.

 

[Amy]

He obviously shouldn’t play it: a state of affairs that will be like red rag to a bull.

Then surely you have to ask - if he can't play this song to his home audience, why did he even write it? Taking on that subject matter and then choosing not to play it at home would look like he's just stirred up controversy for the sake of it and ran away, like he's not really bothered.

From what I've seen, the reaction online has been polarised - people love it or hate it. I think he'll get an even mix of applause and jeering and it might surprise him - who knows, it might prompt him to give those clumsy lyrics a re-write.

 

[Stephen Hofmann]

In the USA there are more Muslims than Episcopalians. It's too late for your blatantly bigoted "send them back to Africa" philosophy to work!

Enjoy the diversity.

 

[Dirk Blaggard]

When the tickets for the UK were announced, yes that is accurate (on a daily count). I wouldn't have stated it otherwise.
You can see the 'angst' playing out in the ridiculous amount of 'pre-sale code' posts (which pervaded through FB too). Having a flurry of members doesn't necessarily relate at all to frequency, amount of posts nor any perceived busyness though.
Regards,
FWD.

"I wouldn't say it otherwise",
Oooh, look at her.
My point was when you were talking about " record-breaking" I was asking if you were talking about lately OR did you mean ALL TIME OR were you being playful? It wasn't about doubting you.
Which are fair questions, I think, given he seemed WAY more loved around Quarry and seemed to sell out way more venues, I think up to 2014 (at least I think he did)


As you say
"You can see the 'angst' playing out in the ridiculous amount of 'pre-sale code' posts (which pervaded through FB too). Having a flurry of members doesn't necessarily relate at all to frequency, amount of posts nor any perceived busyness though."
This is true
However, by the same token all this real or imagined "angst" on social media and or here, doesn't seem to make its way into "real life" or he would actually sell these venues out completely and his social standing would be somewhat better. I think
I personally, don't observe Morrissey's standing, on social media. In reality, apart from going to the odd gig , buying records and popping on here from time to time (usually when I'm at work) I don't follow him at all so I was curious how much traffic he still got on here.

Im happy to learn people still take a keen interest, even if it's more on the "down-low"
(its like when you get people not pressing like on IG, you would think nobody goes on or takes an interest but if you own the account you can tell you still get a hard core of people look on the stor section )

Thanks for the information

 

[snoddywilko]

Then surely you have to ask - if he can't play this song to his home audience, why did he even write it? Taking on that subject matter and then choosing not to play it at home would look like he's just stirred up controversy for the sake of it and ran away, like he's not really bothered.

From what I've seen, the reaction online has been polarised - people love it or hate it. I think he'll get an even mix of applause and jeering and it might surprise him - who knows, it might prompt him to give those clumsy lyrics a re-write.

Do you really think Morrissey would go back & rewrite his lyrics? Re-record his vocals on the studio recording? Change his opinion?

If so, then you clearly haven’t been paying attention for the past 40 years.

Should he take a poll to check what is the right opinion he should have? Should he ask permission to speak his mind?

Sure, he could pander to herd mentality & try to figure out what’s the ‘correct’ thing to say and be like every other bland public ‘personality’ out there with nothing to say, but that’s not who he is.

The main point he’s making in this lyric is that he’s angry about the senseless mass killing of children in his hometown on his birthday. He’s stating that he doesn’t agree with the sentiment of not looking back in anger. Can you really blame him? Shouldn’t he, or anybody else, be allowed to feel such anger? I’d assume that would be a very natural response.

Yes, he calls people ‘silly’ & refers to them as ‘morons’. So? He clearly views their response as idiotic, and he’s saying it. And now people are saying how they feel, too. It’s how the concept of free speech works.

He has expressed how he feels. The rest of the world can react to that however they like but it won’t change anything. He has his point of view & he’s made it known. People can criticise it for being clumsy, unfair, spiteful, mean-spirited, whatever… but it’s not the first time he’s inspired such reactions & I’m confident it won’t be the last.

This is Morrissey; take him or leave him.

 

[Gregor Samsa]

Yeah if you're a child with no idea what the world actually is.

You are always such an edgy badass.

 

[Amy]

Do you really think Morrissey would go back & rewrite his lyrics? Re-record his vocals on the studio recording? Change his opinion?

If so, then you clearly haven’t been paying attention for the past 40 years.

Should he take a poll to check what is the right opinion he should have? Should he ask permission to speak his mind?

Sure, he could pander to herd mentality & try to figure out what’s the ‘correct’ thing to say and be like every other bland public ‘personality’ out there with nothing to say, but that’s not who he is.

The main point he’s making in this lyric is that he’s angry about the senseless mass killing of children in his hometown on his birthday. He’s stating that he doesn’t agree with the sentiment of not looking back in anger. Can you really blame him? Shouldn’t he, or anybody else, be allowed to feel such anger? I’d assume that would be a very natural response.

Yes, he calls people ‘silly’ & refers to them as ‘morons’. So? He clearly views their response as idiotic, and he’s saying it. And now people are saying how they feel, too. It’s how the concept of free speech works.

He has expressed how he feels. The rest of the world can react to that however they like but it won’t change anything. He has his point of view & he’s made it known. People can criticise it for being clumsy, unfair, spiteful, mean-spirited, whatever… but it’s not the first time he’s inspired such reactions & I’m confident it won’t be the last.

This is Morrissey; take him or leave him.

I didn't say Morrissey should ask permission or that he had no right to be angry, of course he does. I didn't say he should change his opinion either - but he hasn't expressed it well with those lyrics and he risks a backlash, that's just the truth.

I've been paying enough attention to realise that Morrissey's opinions have driven his career off a cliff and that more "controversy" right now won't help him get a deal, it will just alienate him more. Maybe he's past caring, maybe he never cared in the first place, who knows?

People are so attached to this romantic idea of Moz as an outsider figure, someone "true to himself' at all costs - and he absolutely is that but being thought of as a bitter, stubborn, loudmouth contrarian is no badge of honour. You can be 'true' to who you are in a way that still respects others' feelings and he just seems incapable of doing that.

 

[Gregor Samsa]

People are so attached to this romantic idea of Moz as an outsider figure, someone "true to himself' at all costs - and he absolutely is that but being thought of as a bitter, stubborn, loudmouth contrarian is no badge of honour. You can be 'true' to who you are in a way that still respects others' feelings and he just seems incapable of doing that.

Voice of reason. Thank you.