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Underground > Radio & Music >

Stupid Morrissey Questions

12:37 / 26.05.06

In 'Irish Blood, English Heart', why does Morrissey sing that he's dreaming of the day when England will

spit upon the name Oliver Cromwell and denounce this royal line that still salutes him and will salute him forever (or similar)?

I thought Oliver Cromwell was anti-royalist (and Wikipedia agrees with me).

13:02 / 26.05.06

True, but Cromwell also fucked the Irish over pretty badly—persecuting Catholics, seizing land from the natives and turning it over to Protestants imported from Scotland. The Royalists had sort of a laissez-faire attitude towards Ireland and were largely content to let the Irish manage their own affairs as long as it was clear who was really in charge (that's why Charles II had many supporters in Ireland).

Cromwell, though, put Ireland fully under British control—quite brutally. His reconquest drove the final nails into the coffin of the native Irish landowning class, turning Ireland into the colonialist nightmare that it remained until the foundation of the modern Irish Republic.

13:09 / 26.05.06

Oh, sorry—misunderstood your question. Perhaps the royals salute Cromwell because he, more than anybody, did his part to suppress Catholicism—this inadvertently doing the monarchy a favor by solidifying the power of the C of E, of which the monarch is the titular head? That'd be my guess. Cromwell hated the monarchy, but Catholics hated the monarchy worse, and the enemy of my enemy...

foolish fat finger

11:35 / 29.05.06

Does anyone know how many times Morrissey mentions feeling a bit peaky or under the weather in his Smiths or solo work? Obviously the bullseye is on ‘what difference does it make?’ where he claims ‘I’m too tired’, which he then qualifies as ‘I’m so very tired’, and then finally follows through with the magnificent denouement ‘and I’m feeling very sick and ill today’ (two in one! A masterstroke!)

Obviously there is also ‘still ill’ and… I wonder if generally unpleasant physical states should be included? ‘I crashed down on the crossbar… and the pain was enough to make a shy, bald Buddhist reflect’… yeah, I think that makes it onto the list…

13:10 / 30.05.06

Many. It's one of his recurring themes. Are you wanting to know an actual number?

15:10 / 30.05.06

Ooh, thanks for the information re Cromwell and the Irish, Jack - that explains what he's doing in the song in the first place (and your theory goes some way to clearing up the mystifying royal salute).

15:12 / 30.05.06

This is an honest-to-goodness question, with no intended snark.

Is he serious?

Now, I loved me some Smiths songs in my yoof. Adulthood has left me wondering, tho...was Morrissey genuine in his saddness or was it all a clever ruse to sell albums? Any evidence one way or the other?

I hear the ring of knives unsheathing...

17:42 / 30.05.06

That's kind of on a par with the OMG HE SOOO HAS A G*M*PL*N!1!! discussions of Big Brother. Every year. Somehow, we have a problem believing that other people - famous people - might be as 'real' as us. Now, I suppose it's possible that Morrissey has, over the last couple of decades, masterminded a fiendishly clever campaign of synthesised alienation while laughing all the way to Chinawhite, a groupie or five hanging off each arm - or perhaps he's been married with children all these years - but do you honestly think it's likely?

19:35 / 30.05.06

Possible...but not likely.

That was a pretty stupid question, wasn't it?

20:45 / 30.05.06

Well... yes. On-topic, though.

foolish fat finger

00:33 / 02.06.06

interviewer (circa 1988)
-are you gay?
morrissey
*walks out of interview*

what's that about?!
it's alway puzzled me. surely, 'yes', 'no' or 'mind yr own business' would have sufficed...

myself, I consider myself a fan, and I don't give a damn who he **** ***** ******.

he's a bit precious really, isn't he?

(by the way, he is gay. I have it on good authority from a gay friend... but then, who cares?!)

06:50 / 02.06.06

Link
I haven't seen another source. Really?

07:17 / 02.06.06

it was a typically arch morrissey aside from the sage at the palladium the week before last, a joke that seems to have been taken seriously, maybe seriously enough for it to come true

12:54 / 02.06.06

Wouldn't surprise me if Morrissey did in fact participate in the Eurovision song contest: just recently he performed on the Swedish TV show "Bingolotto," which is a really boring bingo show that only old people watch. During his concert in Stockholm, he also said he liked Tommy Körberg, who is a really boring singer that only old people like. He even played a song by him, pre-concert.

Morrissey seems to have developed this wonderfully horrible taste lately.

13:08 / 02.06.06

What's that about?!

Well I dare say he considers it to be the stupidest Morrissey question of all, one he must have been asked literally hundreds of times over the years, and one he's made pretty clear he's not going to answer in public EVAH! My guess is that he's had relationships of a sort witn both men and women, but he mainly really does spend a lot of time on his own. And I do kind of wish journalists would stop asking him about his sexuality, because he's now so defensive in his interviews, largely as a result of this, that they're really no fun to read any more.

16:28 / 02.06.06

]Well I dare say he considers it to be the stupidest Morrissey question of all, one he must have been asked literally hundreds of times over the years, and one he's made pretty clear he's not going to answer in public EVAH!

Didn't he go on record for one of the ]Ringleader interviews?

foolish fat finger

23:31 / 29.06.06

I seem to have an inordinate interest in stupid Mozzer questions... but...

why does Mozzer seem to have a fetish about leather car seats? ("and on cold leather seats, well it suddenly struck me" (that joke isn't funny anymore)
"why pamper lifes complexities when the leather runs smooth on the passenger seat?" (this charming man)

surely leather is murder too?!

ok, that's pretty stupid.

I once went to Morrissey's house, in Hale, Manchester, with a couple of mates. we walked there. he wasn't in. I am not proud to admit it, and I wouldn't do it now, but we stole his trash. turns out he was on holiday. and what was in his trash, you ask? well, yeast pills (from which one of my mates tried to ferment wine- Mozzer wine!), brown hairdye, some old photos, yoghurt...

also, in his front room, he's got a big pile of magazines with himself on the cover... ok, I'm sorry; like I say, it was many years ago, I got more respect for an artist's privacy now... if you're listening, sorry Moz...

11:42 / 09.01.07

Looks like he was serious after all.

Morrissey in Eurovision song contest talks.

Worst idea evah, or tha best?

10:44 / 10.01.07

Best. I think.

He'd certainly take it seriously...

10:56 / 10.01.07

Death or glory, I suppose.

He's going to have to get his act together.

What's he going to sing about?

STOATIE LIEKS CHOCOLATE MILK

12:12 / 10.01.07

That was the best news in ALL today's papers.

14:21 / 10.01.07

He could do a duet with Lordi, my ears are ringing in anticipation.

16:25 / 10.01.07

'Candle In The Wind' with Richard Desmond on tablas, Dennis Nilsen on keyboards, and Kates Moss, Middleton and Price, plus boyfriends, on backing vocals?

Isn't it about time that this country put it's best foot forward, Eurovision-wise?