| Morrissey – People Are The Same Everywhere Lyrics | 14 years ago |
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This song is a response to accusations of racism that were made against Morrissey in September 2010. Typically, Morrissey completely submits to the idea of his opponents - declaring anti-racists totally correct in their refusal to acknowledge racial difference, accepting that everyone's the same. But he then spins this ironically to emphasise how mundane that prospect might be if true, likening the undifferentiated homogeneity of global uniformity to a herd of cattle where America, the ultimate expression of individuality, the home of the free and land of the brave, can no longer exist. Of course, Morrissey doesn't see himself as part of this mass. As in so many other songs, he portrays himself as a freakish outcast, "the biggest mistake of all". The song is a clever way of pouring ironic scorn on those who sift Morrissey's interviews for evidence with which to label him a racist because it takes their view of the world literally. But rather than fighting back at their grotesque accusations, Morrissey outdoes them by representing himself as an even more sorry prospect than they suggest. "If you try to break my spirit, it won't work. Because there's nothing left to break." |
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| The Smiths – Shakespeare's Sister Lyrics | 15 years ago |
| No, the sleeve photo does not show a character from The Glass Menagerie, it shows British actress Pat Phoenix, best-known for her long-running role in the UK TV series Coronation Street | |
| Morrissey – Speedway Lyrics | 15 years ago |
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This song is about a set of rumours that have dogged Morrissey throughout his career. He's admitting the rumours are true. I think this is Morrissey addressing gay campaigners who have attacked him for not declaring himself gay. It's a poignant song because it appeals to people who have sought to destroy Morrissey, arguing that he's always been their friend. Although speculation over Morrissey's sexuality has persisted he's never denied anything, never said the speculation was completely unfounded. Although his appeal is general he's always been true to gay people in particular. In a very characteristic way Morrissey suggests that if he had applied a label to himself rather than helping the gay cause it would have harmed it - guilt by implication. "In my own strange way" seems to refer to the last Smiths studio album "Strangeways Here We Come". The last lines promise that despite the cruelty of campaigners in seeking to enforce a sterile label on Morrissey he won't turn his back on the gay people. Or any other class of outcasts, I guess. |
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