"I Want to Wrap My Arms Around Paris"

Harsh reality time: when he says "nobody wants my love" what he means is "nobody that I want wants me".

yeah, of course that means that, but then he should not try to make people feel BAD for him just because he is picky!!!! :)
 
I'm wondering if he wrote these lyrics when the band was in Paris on the European leg of the tour. Morrissey mentioned wandering around Paris and how it was the only city that made him regret being a non-smoker (which is, of course, very charming, and very true).

I'm loving the lilt to this one, and the notion of embracing cold stone instead of flesh. It's "You Have Killed Me," but for a different European capital. This is his life - alienated and romantic, as seems appropriate.

Someone here mentioned Piaf, and I agree - I think he entered Piaf territory a few years ago, and I for one am very glad that he did. It may be a difficult life for Morrissey as a man, but it's a powerful thing for Morrissey as an icon.
 
The lyrics of this are thin and unsubtle. It’s interesting that David compared it to “At last I am born” because I think that song has witty and aware lyrics, while this is self-indulgent twaddle. It must be if even Pandora is disappointed.

Perhaps he IS in a happy relationship, but wishes to write in the familiar vein; it doesn’t ring true because it isn’t, could be the answer. Or maybe not.

Reference the TTY Q & A

“When you're writing a song, do you write it in one go, or do you take notes along the days, and when several can fit together, you just gather them?”
Sandrine, Perpignan, France

I'm less inclined towards notes these days, and have just finished two new songs which flooded out without any consultation to any scribbled ideas. This happens more and more, notably 'That's How People Grow Up', for instance, just fell out. I'm not sure if they're actually even songs, or simply outbursts or showers of panic.

These new songs have promise, but sound like works in progress rather than the finished article. Scribbling down the first thing that comes into your head, or clutching the pen for more than ten minutes before committing it to posterity? Hmmmmmm
 
I know the "lisp" is caused by the sound quality but it really sounds like Moz doing a Sean Connery impression:

And in the abshence of loved onesh
I have decided I'm throwing my armsh around,
around Parish because
only schtone and schteel accept my love
In the abshence of your shmiling face
 
Nice song. It does seem a bit of a throwback (in a good way) -- vocal melody is more like Smiths/early solo than recent albums. Music, yeah I see a bit of Maladjusted, but also a little Vauxhall.

Christian Dior (why hasn't he ever played it live, or has he?) is cut from a similar cloth, but is a stronger track than this song.

Can't wait to hear studio versions of all the new stuff!
 
No, it wasn't "All You Need..." that I first posted it was the other new one, "That's How..." Glad I can provide a first again. My new camera has great digital quality (not evident because I was farther back during this song) but poor sound quality. I'm trying to improve the sound before posting the rest from Orlando and Jax. I knew the discussions would have fervor. Cheers!

I am so looking forward to that.:) Thank you!!
 
hector_z.jpg

Hector by Gordon Dean
A couple of years ago, Twinkle wrote about Hector, from Mythology while we were discussing First of the Gang to Die.
Hector (HEK-tor). Trojan prince. Hector was more noble than the prideful Achilles, the champion of the Greeks besieging Troy in the Trojan War. But Achilles was the better fighter, and he easily defeated the Trojan in single combat. Achilles dragged Hector's body behind his chariot around the walls of Troy. Hector was avenged by his brother Paris with the help of Apollo.

It seemed sort of a stretch, since Hector is a common name and First of the Gang to Die seems to work taken at face value.

But now Morrissey has this new song with Paris, which is also the name of Hector's brother.

parisjudgement1125.JPG


The Judgement of Paris: Nike crowns Aphrodite as she receives the apple from Paris. To the right Hera stands and Athena sits; behind them is Hermes

Interesting coincidence for all of us conspiracy theorists and readers of deeper meanings.
 
I am really looking forward to this new album! I hope it's his best album ever!

Did anyone else notice every time he said "S" he sang sssssshtone and ssssshteeel? :D
 
Brilliant! Could this be a new Mozz Classic? I only listened to it the once and now it's stuck in my head!
 
Thats a good tune. Now thats more like it Moz. Some more like that one please. Yeay. We are back in business!​
 
The lyrics of this are thin and unsubtle. It’s interesting that David compared it to “At last I am born” because I think that song has witty and aware lyrics, while this is self-indulgent twaddle. It must be if even Pandora is disappointed.

Reference the TTY Q & A

“When you're writing a song, do you write it in one go, or do you take notes along the days, and when several can fit together, you just gather them?”
Sandrine, Perpignan, France

I'm less inclined towards notes these days, and have just finished two new songs which flooded out without any consultation to any scribbled ideas. This happens more and more, notably 'That's How People Grow Up', for instance, just fell out. I'm not sure if they're actually even songs, or simply outbursts or showers of panic.

These new songs have promise, but sound like works in progress rather than the finished article. Scribbling down the first thing that comes into your head, or clutching the pen for more than ten minutes before committing it to posterity? Hmmmmmm

Yes, that quote about just penning the first thing that comes to mind did come to mind.

There was a discussion here recently about how Morrissey seems to be trying too hard these days lyrically, and here he is saying that he's not trying at all.

Your assesment is harsh, and mine is maybe too forgiving but, reading the "Is Morrissey your favorite lyricist" thread reveals a general disappointment with his current work. I must admit, I'm a little at a loss to understand why the man has, by his own admission, ceased to labor. I don't think age has anything to do with it - plenty of great writing happens in mid-life.

I think it has more to do with a lack of new experiences and sources of inspiration. These things cannot be faked, or forced. What can the man do? He is in a bit of a bind. His life these days consists of endless touring, which may seem exciting to us, but is just more of the same for him. It's the classic trap of success and fame - one becomes solipsistic. He has aknowledged this.

I'll always give him the benefit of the doubt, and hear the romance (as opposed to your "self-indulgent twaddle"). That's just me being a bit love-addled. Your always clear-eyed assesments may be closer to the mark.
 
hector_z.jpg

Hector by Gordon Dean
A couple of years ago, Twinkle wrote about Hector, from Mythology while we were discussing First of the Gang to Die.
Hector (HEK-tor). Trojan prince. Hector was more noble than the prideful Achilles, the champion of the Greeks besieging Troy in the Trojan War. But Achilles was the better fighter, and he easily defeated the Trojan in single combat. Achilles dragged Hector's body behind his chariot around the walls of Troy. Hector was avenged by his brother Paris with the help of Apollo.

It seemed sort of a stretch, since Hector is a common name and First of the Gang to Die seems to work taken at face value.

But now Morrissey has this new song with Paris, which is also the name of Hector's brother.

parisjudgement1125.JPG


The Judgement of Paris: Nike crowns Aphrodite as she receives the apple from Paris. To the right Hera stands and Athena sits; behind them is Hermes

Interesting coincidence for all of us conspiracy theorists and readers of deeper meanings.

Nice one, Dave--I was wondering when someone would post this possible link. I don't know if I personally went so far to consider the relationship between Paris and Hector, but, when I read the song title, for some reason the first thing I thought of was Paris the mythological figure, not the city. Of course, as Morrissey is wont to do, this may be fully intentional from a tongue-in-cheek perspective.

Cheers,
Jamie
 
Yes, that quote about just penning the first thing that comes to mind did come to mind.

There was a discussion here recently about how Morrissey seems to be trying too hard these days lyrically, and here he is saying that he's not trying at all.

Your assesment is harsh, and mine is maybe too forgiving but, reading the "Is Morrissey your favorite lyricist" thread reveals a general disappointment with his current work. I must admit, I'm a little at a loss to understand why the man has, by his own admission, ceased to labor. I don't think age has anything to do with it - plenty of great writing happens in mid-life.

I think it has more to do with a lack of new experiences and sources of inspiration. These things cannot be faked, or forced. What can the man do? He is in a bit of a bind. His life these days consists of endless touring, which may seem exciting to us, but is just more of the same for him. It's the classic trap of success and fame - one becomes solipsistic. He has aknowledged this.

I'll always give him the benefit of the doubt, and hear the romance (as opposed to your "self-indulgent twaddle"). That's just me being a bit love-addled. Your always clear-eyed assesments may be closer to the mark.

Moz just needs a bit more time to come up with really good stuff. There were some great lyrics in the quarry sessions (i.e. including b-sides) and he had years to think a lot of that stuff up. For ROTT he only had a few months. Couldn't really come up with much inspirational material so we got all these forced and dreary tales about people turning into killers, fathers needing to be killed, Moz having been killed etc.
I'd defo say the 3 new songs are lyrically better than a lot of the ROTT stuff. Only really listened to 'That's How People Grow Up' which has a really catchy tune (although the car crash lyric isn't great). Exciting times really...
 
Good lord, Dave, that may rank as my favorite alleged literary allusion in all of the commentary on Morrissey's work. Paris and Hector, of course! Can it be long before the usual "Morrissey is a poet like Wilde and Shakespeare!" stretches to include Homer? (Homer also being a blind woman and one of the very first feminists, natch.)

Anaesthesine, I think your assessment of his lyrics is plausible, but I respectfully disagree with it. The reason his lyrics have seemed to weaken over the years is that his conception of writing and singing songs has changed. I could be wrong but I think he sees his own presence in the music as being at least as important, and maybe even more important than the song itself. On ROTT I feel he presented himself totally unadorned, stepping forward to say "This is who I am" in a way that wasn't clever or elusive. Morrissey would probably say it was a stylistic choice to be less wordy and more nakedly emotional.

The singing has a lot to do with the change too. As his voice has gotten stronger, it has assumed more and more of the burden of communicating his emotions to the listener rather than relying on streams of words. The voice, and his own past, too: when I listen to the new songs I hear the aura and spirit of everything he's ever done.

It may seem like a weird comparison, but it's like Clint Eastwood or Marlon Brando in their later years. You don't need to write dialogue for legends like that. One hard stare from Clint Eastwood is worth a paragraph of dialogue written for another actor. In film and music both, the great ones reach a status where less is more.
 
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Good lord, Dave, that may rank as my favorite alleged literary allusion in all of the commentary on Morrissey's work. Paris and Hector, of course! Can it be long before the usual "Morrissey is a poet like Wilde and Shakespeare!" stretches to include Homer? (Homer also being a blind woman and one of the very first feminists, natch.)

The Paris/Hector connection is entirely coincidental. The song is about the city, which was not named after the Homeric character. Next you'll be telling me that there's a connection between Morrissey and Princess Diana. :)

(Homer also being a blind woman and one of the very first feminists, natch.)

wtf-cat.jpg
 
References to mythology are always apposite since we are telling the same stories now as then. And because Morrissey likes to offer the opportunity for multiple interpretations.

Perhaps I was a little harsh, in my disappointment. I think there is something in Worm’s argument in that less can sometimes be more. Morrissey's voice has improved greatly in strength and expressiveness over the years. Yet alongside the more complex lyrics he has also penned powerful songs of great simplicity, such as "Please, Please, Please, let me get what I want” or "last night I dreamed that somebody loved me”.

I don't believe he has lost his ability to write great songs. I want to continue to believe that he is trying his hardest. Perhaps the songs need more time to mature. It may be nobody is prepared to say “I don't think it's ready yet”. Or he could be trying out new stuff in the way that REM recently did in Dublin, to test the reaction and then go back to work some more. This would not be his normal way of doing things, but then this is not his usual writing style.
I wonder what would result if he put himself in the way of more challenging experiences, or chose to express himself artistically by other means?

And thanks, Anaesthesine, for reminding me that romance is not yet dead.
 
just heard this song for the first time. I'm impressed!
it has a simple but strong melody, nice guitar work... on one listen alone I'd say it's better than 90% of ROTT.
would be intrigued to hear who wrote the music. my guess is Alain or Boz.
we are lucky to be living in these exciting times when Moz has the confidence to play brand new songs despire being label-less. Go Moz!
 
Couldn't really come up with much inspirational material so we got all these forced and dreary tales about people turning into killers, fathers needing to be killed, Moz having been killed etc.

Well pretty much every song on Strangeways has death in there as well, so are you saying that's not inspirational marerial either?
 
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