NME: Morrissey's 10 best lyrics

Moz might not be pop’s most charming man, but ever since the Smiths doodled their signature onto the nation’s pencil cases, the quiffed singer has pumping out lyrics that are remarkably easy to get along with – down-hearted yet upbeat, literate yet lively, never less than loveable. Whether they’ve induce tears of laughter, misery, or both at once, these 10 lyrics see Manc’s beloved pop-poet on his fiercest form.

The list on nme.com:
http://www.nme.com/list/morrisseys-10-best-lyrics/378170

They are clearly obsessed with him. It's annoying.
 
No no no, as much as i Love the man kiss me alot and WPINOB in general really really sucked. Lacking wit, blatant obvious lyrics, no true emotional connection and over all being just a shell of the mans great work. IT sounds like morrissey was purposely trying to make a Morrissey sounding album.

I saw that album to be morrisseys "a fat cat after a big meal, trying to bat a ball of yarn but just giving up insted" moment

Hope it never happens again. Plus i don't belive Morrissey ever got sick of the emphasis, places on his lyrics, lyrics means everything to Morrissey

Great for you. I bet you told him that he sucks right in his face when you fawned all over him the last time you met him.
 
What a bunch of bitches on here not being able to handle other peoples opinions, why does it irk you's so much. World peace was shit in my opinion too, have at me
 
What a bunch of bitches on here not being able to handle other peoples opinions, why does it irk you's so much. World peace was shit in my opinion too, have at me

tell me about it. you people don`t get it, i love the man but honest to god World Peace sucked. also i meet him before World Peace and i would never waste a meeting with him, talking about the album.
 
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What a bunch of bitches on here not being able to handle other peoples opinions, why does it irk you's so much. World peace was shit in my opinion too, have at me

Have to agree but would add it was shitter than shit on the shit-clap-ometer.

Thanks

Benny-the-British-Butcher
 
What a bunch of bitches on here not being able to handle other peoples opinions, why does it irk you's so much. World peace was shit in my opinion too, have at me

Completely agree...I don't think writing interesting lyrics and good music are exclusive to 23 year olds. For me I haven't liked much since You have Killed Me. This ground has been trodden so many times a path has been worn, but the fact that there is more disagreement as to the quality of the newer stuff vs. the older does say something...I think
 
When I first got into Morrissey I was quite naive when it came to why I liked his songs, and the release of World Peace... has really made it clear that, despite being filled with good lyrical snippets, his voice really can make up for a lot.

I'd list some lyrics I like of his but there really are thousands. I think where his voice does a lot of the work is most interesting, with the desperation of 'I'm falling in love again' on Pigsty, the freedom of 'the heart feels free' in Dear God, Please Help Me, the intonated sadness of 'then I remember that I am alone' in Come Back to Camden, and the falling sound as his sings 'three-wayssssssss' in Staircase. He even uses onomatopoeia in Christian Dior, one of my favourite comeback b-sides, for the 'a-wooosh- of the woven material.

I love his lyrics, and that's what does it for me, but the way he can use his voice really shouldn't be underestimated.
 
Ding ding! We have morrissey inspiration for KMAL here!

But f***ing hell i hate steve coogan

I'm not a fan of Coogan either, but his audiobook reading of "I, Patridge" is magnificent.
 
Yes, hasty after not recording an album for 5 years.

My god some people are slow. I meant that he did not have a record deal for years, then he got one. I feel he was pressured into writing a whole album. He could not say give me time or else he would have lost the deal. He should have written constantly during the time he was without a record deal so that we would not have been left with WPINOB.

Too many patti smith concerts
 
My god some people are slow. I meant that he did not have a record deal for years, then he got one. I feel he was pressured into writing a whole album. He could not say give me time or else he would have lost the deal. He should have written constantly during the time he was without a record deal so that we would not have been left with WPINOB.

Too many patti smith concerts


He had the songs written far in advance. Jesse stated this in an interview.
 
When I first got into Morrissey I was quite naive when it came to why I liked his songs, and the release of World Peace... has really made it clear that, despite being filled with good lyrical snippets, his voice really can make up for a lot.

I'd list some lyrics I like of his but there really are thousands. I think where his voice does a lot of the work is most interesting, with the desperation of 'I'm falling in love again' on Pigsty, the freedom of 'the heart feels free' in Dear God, Please Help Me, the intonated sadness of 'then I remember that I am alone' in Come Back to Camden, and the falling sound as his sings 'three-wayssssssss' in Staircase. He even uses onomatopoeia in Christian Dior, one of my favourite comeback b-sides, for the 'a-wooosh- of the woven material.

I love his lyrics, and that's what does it for me, but the way he can use his voice really shouldn't be underestimated.
Totally agree regarding his intonation and you observe it well.
When I went to Smiths gigs, his falsetto really made an impact on me, but found some of it quite monotone. Of his solo material, I would add the claustrophobic tension of Seasick.... or Lifeguard Sleeping. Wide to Receive segues from vocal loneliness into a haunting wind instrument...I won't go on and on! There are so many songs which I think: if anyone else sang that line, it wouldn't sound right.
The subjective debate about lyric quality (often without factoring in 30 years of aging and change) doesn't really interest me. The way he phrases and emotes his choice of words does. As you quite rightly observe, this skill of his can often lift a song and enhance it no end.
Kind regards,
FWD
 
God i'm so jealous at every MSolo member here who saw the Smiths live in their prime
 
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Reel around the fondue
Spread cheese on the patio
I'll eat it now

Fifteen mini cheeses with you
Well I wouldn't say no
Some vegans said I had a CrankFraud head
And they were so right

Benny-the-British-Butcher


That joke isn't funny anymore , Benny
 
He had the songs written far in advance. Jesse stated this in an interview.

God then why did they suck. He should have written as much as he could, even if he had enough songs. Seem like he settled. I sure the next album will be much better, he was just a bit rusty. My baby will be back!
 
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God then why did they suck. He should have written as much as he could, even if the had enough songs. Seem like he settled. I sure the next album will be much better, he was just a bit rusty. My baby will be back!

To you they suck because you were expecting a Smiths album.
 
What those in power do to you
Reminds us at a glance
How humans hate each others guts
And show it given a chance

I think he is spot on here. You can see it on this site. You can see it around you. You can see it everywhere, in fact. And I don't think he excludes himself. And I certainly don't exclude me. It's human.

We never say aloud the things
That we say in our prayers
Cause no one cares

Reminds me of my grandmother who prayed regularly and usually said to me afterwards "People don't care, son! Always remember that. People don't care."

Staircase At The University always gets to my heart because it's basically the story of a dear friend of mine who had been pressured by her family to become a lawyer. But it wasn't her world at all and she struggled throughout her studies and she became desperately unhappy. Long story short, she eventually had a nervous breakdown and tried to kill herself but fortunately failed. But she could have been the person in the song.

Earth Is The Loneliest Planet Of All describes the dilemma of loneliness perfectly because it hasn't necessarily anything to do with a lack of social contacts but rather a form of alienation which is inside you, even if you are surrounded by people. It also speaks about the fact that people often postpone things to "tomorrow" and "the day after tomorrow" and so on but soon there is no tomorrow at all. So it evokes the feeling of missed chances and failed developments. And on a grander scale it expresses the absolute disappointment in the human race and a sense of helplessness to not being able to change anything about it and in the end surrender.

I like the part in art-hounds which goes "And below the belt is shriveled and small" because it isn't a very cocky thing to say, isn't it? It suggests that "it" is dangling around down there for quite some time. I love him for that.
 
Totally agree regarding his intonation and you observe it well.
When I went to Smiths gigs, his falsetto really made an impact on me, but found some of it quite monotone. Of his solo material, I would add the claustrophobic tension of Seasick.... or Lifeguard Sleeping. Wide to Receive segues from vocal loneliness into a haunting wind instrument...I won't go on and on! There are so many songs which I think: if anyone else sang that line, it wouldn't sound right.
The subjective debate about lyric quality (often without factoring in 30 years of aging and change) doesn't really interest me. The way he phrases and emotes his choice of words does. As you quite rightly observe, this skill of his can often lift a song and enhance it no end.
Kind regards,
FWD

I agree completely. The most important thing for me is his ability to convey emotions through his songs and his ability to connect with people. He can actually convey very much with little words. For example, as much as I like Bob Dylan (and I really love him), he doesn't reach me on an emotional level at all. Never has and never will. I love his words (on the paper) and I love his artistry but he begins to sing and there is ... nothing. He has songs who are three pages long and who are very intellectual and I'm sure there are emotions in them, somewhere, but they don't reach me.
 

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