I Have Forgiven Jesus

Huh. I thought this song was one of the most straightforward of all Morrissey's songs, and people still manage to interpret it in different ways. I really want to know where did you see homosexuality in this song? If he says he's unhappy, this must mean he's unhappy because he's gay?! How smart. If he's gay, why does't her just find a guy to have a relationship with? Morrissey never had any prejudeices against homosexuality, he also had no problems admitting that he has been attracted to men as well as women and had sexual encounters with both women and men in his early youth. He has no prejudices against bisexuality, either. Though he hates all those classifications and believes that people are simply sexual and have all th same sexual needs. But he does have problems with intimacy/'relationships that are far deeper. Just read what he said on the subject in his interviews over the years.

And I know that "I" in Morrissey's songs doesn't alway refer to himself.. but I think it does in this song. Nevertheless, I identified with the character in this song since I've first heard it (and guess what, I'm a heterosexual female). It describes what you feel when you feel so much love and desire inside you, when you have so many dreams and you wish to unlock that love and give it to someone, but you just can't find anyone to love. It's frustrating and painful beyond words. Maybe because you expect too much and you're not able to just have loveless sex or some half-arsed relationship that so many people have. Sometimes if you can only be conttent with finding real love, if you want all or nothing, you end up with nothing.

"And if 'desire' means anal sex to you, you are a sad sad individual. " That's well said. Morrissey doesn't seem asexual to me at all - since asexual means someone who has no sexual feelings and thought - but I think that he feels 'asexual' in the sense that he's never been interested in sex for its own sake, only in sex as an expression of love. I've always felt Morrissey's songs were full of desire, but not any specific homosexual or heterosexual desire, but DESIRE as a need to be close to another person, to feel a fulfilled love and intimacy. But instead, there is this constant painful frustration, an inablitiy to ever fulfill that desire, which I think is something that a great number of people can identify with, regardless of their sex, sexual orientation, age, etc. That is why I feel that Morrissey is in a way super-sexual, because he can express the experiences, feelings and desires of all kinds of different people!

I love this site but the Morrissey interpretations are being ruined by two kinds of people... initially it is the people who relate everything in his songs to some kind of repressed homosexuality. This problem is then compounded by the second group of people who seem so blatantly terrified by the notion that Morrissey may actually be gay. Their homophobia is blatant and ridiculous at times.

As a heterosexual male I have no problem accepting the possibility that Morrissey may indeed be gay. I have never spent much time debating Morrissey's sexuality as within the context of most of his songs his (or the narrator's) sexual orientation really makes no difference to the overall sentiment and meaning of the song.

In my opinion 'nightandday' has really hit the nail on the head and hers is as close to a definitive interpretation as you will get. "I have forgiven Jesus" makes no reference to any sexual orientation at all. To me the song is about a character that is an innately sexual or loving being but cannot vent their love or sexual frustration because they have problems with relationships and intimacy. This is a universal theme that will appeal to all varieties of people and their sexual orientations.

It is important not to take the song literally but at the same time it is very easy to see this character as Morrissey himself and the song as a testimony to his struggles with his own sexuality. Morrissey has always been fairly honest about his celibacy and never being comfortable defining himself as hetero, homo or bisexual. It is obvious Morrissey has some form of deep sexual tendencies (most of his songs have strong sexual connotations) but that he is both confused and repulsed by the idea of whatever these tendencies are. You could say the reason for him not being able to “offload this desire” is his own hang ups about his body and appearance. Is it simply a case of Morrissey being a cold unloving person who cannot form deep relationships? You don’t know and more importantly it doesn’t matter. The sentiment is what counts.

Anyhow let’s get back solely to the character. We do not know the exact reason why the character cannot vent their love or sexual tendencies. It is this very reason that is open to interpretation and what causes a lot of people to look at Morrissey rather than come up with their own reasons. The character has long blamed Jesus for making them the way they are but they are now at peace with themselves and have forgiven Jesus for creating them with this in-built dilemma.

You can interpret it that way to. As you will notice in a lot of the Morrissey & Smiths discussions here his sexuality is under heavy debate. He has stated in several interviews that he is neither straight or gay. I personally think he can't stand sex because he has issues with his own body, "Why did you stick me in self-deprecating bones and skin, do you hate me? do you hate me?". In the context of what his songs are about, his sexuality is irrelevant because he always writes songs that can be interpreted from any end of the sexual spectrum.

to me this song is about a religious person who lost faith. the narrator has always tried to be good so that jesus will forgive him - and he realizes that he gets none of those things he prayed for in return at all. the world is loveless, he can't find love, and he gets old and his body falls apart. and he has to ask himself why jesus is making him suffer like that (do you hate me?). so he's angry and frustrated but forgives jesus for not coming thru. to me it's a quite good account on the stange religious belief that 'god is good' and if you are nice and pray then everything will be wonderful in the end - which I don't understand how anyone with open eyes can even seriously believe. jim morrisson said "you cannot petition the lord with prayer" and mozzer has forgiven jesus ;-)

i think its about any gay or bisexual person. it is stated that if you are gay or bi that you will go to hell in the bible... thats one ov the reasons im not christian, i dont think thats right

Want a good tip to keep in mind when attempting to deconstruct a Morrissey song, other then the general tip that it’s almost impossible?

When Morrissey uses the pronoun 'I' in songs he has written it doesn’t necessarily mean Morrissey himself.

And if 'desire' means anal sex to you, you are a sad sad individual.

I think this one has something to do with a guy experience at school and that's where the schoolday's enumeration comes from (mon-fri) ;)

What I think he is trying to convey in this song is that he feels deserted by Jesus, because he feels he has no control over his sexual desires, since there is "nothing [he] can do with [his] desires." He feels alienated by the world that he was placed in. He could have been fashioned just like the masses--heterosexual- but he wasn't. He wonders if Jesus hates him because he was placed on the road less traveled. Almost like a guinea pig used for experimentation by God. Makes a valid argument to those who say that homosexuality is a choice and that you're not born that way. Morrissey doesn't seem to agree with that. He feels his desires aren't something he chose. Who chooses to live a lifestyle that most people ridicule? I think some people may experiment with homosexuality, but for him, I think he's trying to say that he has no control over it...his desires were inherently placed within him. It would be easier if he didn't have those desires..why him? Why was he made this way. He has no control over it....it's just part of who he is.

I think you just need to deal with one of the artists that you likes just might be a homosexual. Get over yourself.

Morrissey has not "found God," like I have said in other explanations, he was raised Catholic and says in interviews that it will always be a part of him. Because of this, it can be interpreted as that he may feel his leanings are "wrong" (I'm not passing judgement personally) or that he shouldn't act on them - hence being celibate for so long. He is trying to come to terms with his sexuality, and has forgiven Jesus, because despite the teachings of the Church that homosexuality (or even casual sex) is wrong, he has accepted his own feelings and "forgives" Jesus for people misinterpreting his teachings (Christ himself never taught anything relating to homosexuality). Jesus caused him pain, but he has passed through it and forgives him for making himself feel bad.