I Don't Mind If You Forget Me

I think this song really showcases Morrissey's irony, humor and understanding of human nature in relationships. The song opens with the narrator offhandedly not minding if someone else forgets them. The language Morrissey uses is the language one would use in the closings of letters- it is a clever device to show the subtle changing nature of a relationship- where someone is gradually turning away from another- no longer are they signing off their letters with 'love' but rather with the impersonal and formal 'regard' and 'best wishes'. I can totally relate to this because I had a long distance relationship where I had girlfriend who did this to me- she stopped using 'love' and didn't use any closing just her name. He uses similar impersonal language such as 'sincerely' and 'bye bye'.

The conflicted feelings that the narrator feels about the end of the relationship is very human- in one instance, he really does understand the need for the relationship to end and felt the strange need and pressure for this to happen within himself "I really do understand". But the next moment, it appears that this understanding nature takes an act of will to sustain and that he really doesn't understand.

The humor comes into play with the language that Morrissey uses about himself- he's learned his 'lesson' about trying to get someone to love him and is so unloveable and unmemorable by others that he 'never left an impression on anyone.' That's hyperbole alright! And what someone who has been recently rejected sometimes feels.

But the end is the topper. The all caps is like someone would use in a letter to really let someone have it. The narrator, who may have been a milquetoast who let the other person just walk over them finally loses it and stops trying to be polite and understanding and just repeatedly calls the other person a fool. Again, a very human reaction to being dumped.

Sadly, I think I remember Morrissey saying that this was one of his least favorite solo songs. I don't think he has ever performed this in concert. The music is certainly nothing special. But I think he captures the sentiments of one being dumped very well.