I think if the song is directed to a particular real-life person, it's most likely to be Tony Wilson. Not just because the Tony/Phoney pun is familiar but - think of how the lyric could apply to their strained relationship ("you pretend that you like me", which he did, in documentaries etc - and is it just me or does the song infer that these people have known each other for quite a while).
For the other theory - Morrissey had not yet met (and fallen out with) Bowie when this song was written in 1989. And "I Know Its Gonna Happen Someday" was two or three years in the future - he hadn't even started writing with Mark Nevin yet.
I second Tony Wilson. Look for the strained Meat Is Murder interview Wilson made with The Smiths (search for »Tony Wilson Interviews The Smiths« on youtube). Wilson interviews Andy and Mike, then Johnny, and finally, he scrutinizes – not Morrissey – but »Steven«. But, only Morrissey knows.
I second Tony Wilson. Look for the strained Meat Is Murder interview Wilson made with The Smiths (search for »Tony Wilson Interviews The Smiths« on youtube). Wilson interviews Andy and Mike, then Johnny, and finally, he scrutinizes – not Morrissey – but »Steven«. But, only Morrissey knows.
I think if the song is directed to a particular real-life person, it's most likely to be Tony Wilson. Not just because the Tony/Phoney pun is familiar but - think of how the lyric could apply to their strained relationship ("you pretend that you like me", which he did, in documentaries etc - and is it just me or does the song infer that these people have known each other for quite a while).
For the other theory - Morrissey had not yet met (and fallen out with) Bowie when this song was written in 1989. And "I Know Its Gonna Happen Someday" was two or three years in the future - he hadn't even started writing with Mark Nevin yet.
I second Tony Wilson. Look for the strained Meat Is Murder interview Wilson made with The Smiths (search for »Tony Wilson Interviews The Smiths« on youtube). Wilson interviews Andy and Mike, then Johnny, and finally, he scrutinizes – not Morrissey – but »Steven«. But, only Morrissey knows.
I second Tony Wilson. Look for the strained Meat Is Murder interview Wilson made with The Smiths (search for »Tony Wilson Interviews The Smiths« on youtube). Wilson interviews Andy and Mike, then Johnny, and finally, he scrutinizes – not Morrissey – but »Steven«. But, only Morrissey knows.