Morrissey Central "Witness To The World" (December 10, 2022)

WITNESS TO THE WORLD - MESSAGES FROM MORRISSEY - MORRISSEY CENTRAL - WITNESS TO THE WORLD

MESSAGES FROM MORRISSEY on MORRISSEY CENTRAL

www.morrisseycentral.com

 

[Lawrence]

His lyrics have become so trite

Forgettable, meaningless and trite. For long periods of his solo career, the music struggled to match the lyrics. It’s now reached the point where the music begs for decent lyrics. He can do so much better than this. Sad, when you think of what once went before.

 

[gashonthenail]

Forgettable, meaningless and trite. For long periods of his solo career, the music struggled to match the lyrics. It’s now reached the point where the music begs for decent lyrics. He can do so much better than this. Sad, when you think of what once went before.

Moz's lyrics have always veered from the literate and poetic - why pamper life's complexities - to the everyday prose of pop - I don't mind if you forget me. Both can be found on Dog on a Chain. Both can be found on BOT. For me there is as much poetry in 'Once I Saw The River Clean' as there is in anything he wrote for The Smiths. But ultimately it's all subjective. When you boil it all down - Moz is a pop lyricist. He writes pop songs. And he is still bloody good at it.

 

[Bonaparte Shandy]

So, having forgiven Jesus some time ago he's now tapping him up for a spot of redemption. 'Give it a rest' (?) If only. We deep listened IANADOAC again yesterday and concluded that it may well be the last coherent release we get to experience.

 

[Les Tameside]

I really believe that content like this is Morrisseys way of saying to the music industry…this is your doing, this is your fault, look what the modern commercially minded, artless music industry has done to one of the worlds most iconic artists. He’s shining a light on it and sacrificing himself at the same time. It will pay-off in the long run.

Some would call it biting off your nose to spite your face, and remind that it’s something that generally undoes people in the long run—whilst providing for some short term gratification.

Nevertheless, if you perceive Morrissey’s chief creative project to be the pursuit of martyrdom, an awful lot of strange decisions begin to make an awful lot of sense.

Most artists fight tooth and nail to distance themselves from degraded releases/versions of their studio work (The Stone Roses, for instance, were famously furious about the Garage Flower LP).

However, Morrissey, having apparently (and personally) green lighted the sale of Bonfire to a record company who seem indifferent to its fate, is now revelling in the negative consequences. And his fans are left to complete the magic that transforms the self-defeat into something more noble.

Personally, I’d rather he’d just make good use of his own Etienne label, which we were formerly invited to celebrate (seemingly as some means of negotiating of the very problems he’s now searched out and dived straight into).

 

[Phranc & Open]

This is what Alain has to say about "Home is..." on Twitter and it doesn't make the desire for a real rarities compilation any smaller. Demos, outtakes, unreleased masters...there are not many of them but still some.

 

[That's Enough For Me]

Morrissey has always been too aware of suffering to consign another poor soul into existence. Being the end of the family line is where he and Robert Smith agree.

Or too selfish, depending on your point of view.

Where would we be if the parents of the world's greatest problem solvers and innovators had thought similarly.

 

[Les Tameside]

Or too selfish, depending on your point of view.

Where would we be if the parents of the world's greatest problem solvers and innovators had thought similarly.

We’d be spared Richard Littlejohn articles on Central, for a start.

 

[gashonthenail]

Some would call it biting off your nose to spite your face, and remind that it’s something that generally undoes people in the long run—whilst providing for some short term gratification.

Nevertheless, if you perceive Morrissey’s chief creative project to be the pursuit of martyrdom, an awful lot of strange decisions begin to make an awful lot of sense.

Most artists fight tooth and nail to distance themselves from degraded releases/versions of their studio work (The Stone Roses, for instance, were famously furious about the Garage Flower LP).

However, Morrissey, having apparently (and personally) green lighted the sale of Bonfire to a record company who seem indifferent to its fate, is now revelling in the negative consequences. And his fans are left to complete the magic that transforms the self-defeat into something more noble.

Personally, I’d rather he’d just make good use of his own Etienne label, which we were formerly invited to celebrate (seemingly as some means of negotiating of the very problems he’s now searched out and dived straight into).

There is definitely a touch of the martyr in Morrissey - a giving yourself up to destruction rather than avoiding it - as indeed there was with his hero, Oscar Wilde.

 

[gordyboy9]

find your punctuation.

stick yer grammar up your arse.
need to go as im doing a bit of acting with the local amateur gramatic society.
you have a fantastic day johnboy and put that fag out or you will end up with stage four cancer.

 

[Moz Fan]

when comparing to their early work, it’s difficult to think of many great writers that have maintained their original form, a loss of vigor sets in, their fans complain.

Obviously there’s going to be changes in a writers evolution, so come the expected complaints from those that prefer a certain style, or more importantly, complaints from those that have identified with an earlier image of what they believe that artist is and what they believe that artist should only write about and how they should write. So with that identification in place, it’s difficult to accept an artist’s later art.
I prefer the earlier work of many artists, and I don’t really listen to their later work, with the two exceptions being Bowie and Scott Walker. But for me, with Morrissey, it’s really about his voice. The other day I was really enjoying Rebels Without Applause, and realized how perfect it was, perfect for me, in that moment, at this time in my life.

Of course there’s the repetition and a change in, shall we say, poetic direction, so subjectivity, taste plays a role in our judgments. But if one can put aside those preferences, they will find that in actuality, all his later work is great, when not comparing it to his earlier work. It’s strange how we automatically compare, rather than appreciating and enjoying what’s new before us, maybe it’s easier to live in a past that’s familiar to us. Though I’m not denying that taste and mood plays a huge part in deciding what we are going to listen to.

today, for me ….

Perfect.

To enjoy what's new before us is the secret to being open to creativity and to being creative.

 

[ZOOM FROM GLOOM]

Or too selfish, depending on your point of view.

Where would we be if the parents of the world's greatest problem solvers and innovators had thought similarly.

I agree. Where would we be if the parents of the world's greatest problem solvers, innovators and artist known as Morrissey had thought similarly.

 

[Moz Fan]

I agree. Where would we be if the parents of the world's greatest problem solvers, innovators and artist known as Morrissey had thought similarly.

True.

However, not having children can be a choice as difficult and valid as having them.

 

[ZOOM FROM GLOOM]

True.

However, not having children can be a choice as difficult and valid as having them.

Agree.

‘SELF SELF SELF’ as a positive affirmation written on a tambourine back in the day.

 

[Riordan]

His lyrics have become so trite

A song in which he's begging Jesus to let him die is 'trite'?

 

[BrokenFrame]

I agree. Where would we be if the parents of the world's greatest problem solvers, innovators and artist known as Morrissey had thought similarly.

I wish Morrissey was never born to save him all the pain that existence has caused him. Sure, his music made my life better....but it's not all about what I want.

 

[ZOOM FROM GLOOM]

I wish Morrissey was never born to save him all the pain that existence has caused him. Sure, his music made my life better....but it's not all about what I want.

Morrissey thanks you. But so does Uncleskinny.

 

[BrokenFrame]

Morrissey thanks you. But so does Uncleskinny.

Skinny would probably wish him a long life. He's spiteful like that.

 

[Moz Fan]

If you take it literally then yeah Jim Jim Falls could be about suicide but to me he's just using suicide as a metaphor. To me the song is about conviction and determination and the age old practice of seeing something through.

He also sings - "If you're gonna sing then sing just don't talk about it. If you're gonna live then live, don't talk about it..."

In other words if you're going to do something shut the f*** up about it and do it. It's a song about life and death, not just death. Yes there are Morrissey and Smiths songs that can be taken literally at face value but there are a lot like this one that have a lot more going on beneath the surface.

For example to me Girlfriend in a Coma is not a song about one's girlfriend in a coma because that's incredibly boring. To me it's about a relationship where the girl has become lost in her own world and the boyfriend cannot get back to her.

The lyrics to Jim Jim Falls aren't despicable at all. Suicide is a perfectly legitimate subject to sing about. It's not a sacred cow and should be given as much light as an artist wants to give it.

Whenever I listen to Jim Jim Falls I can't help but think Morrissey is criticising people who expose everything about their lives in social media: what they are feeling, have done or intend to do in the future. Not necessarily about something specifc.

I could be wrong, though.

 

[gashonthenail]

I wish Morrissey was never born to save him all the pain that existence has caused him. Sure, his music made my life better....but it's not all about what I want.

Existence is misery, said the Buddha. Moz has turned that suffering into art. Why do you wish he had never been born? His art has given joy to millions. And what else are we here for - but to feel some passing joy in the face of misery? It's our only consolation. And to feel joy in the face of misery takes courage.

 

[BrokenFrame]

Existence is misery, said the Buddha. Moz has turned that suffering into art. Why do you wish he had never been born? His art has given joy to millions. And what else are we here for - but to feel some passing joy in the face of misery? It's our only consolation. And to feel joy in the face of misery takes courage.

Maybe it's guilt, I feel like I'm profiting from his misfortune. Maybe I love him so much that I cant see the bigger picture.