Steven Patrick Morrissey – Fighting Irish

By Irish Brian Kelly

{There’s no secret March is the greatest month in the Roman calendar. Leprechauns, green beer, rioting, snow is melting, green beer again and green dreams for one and all. And more green beer. I’ve decided to celebrate March Madness by kicking it off with a new, abbreviated, music series focusing on the great Irishmen of rock n’ roll; ‘The Fighting Irish.’ There will be partial exceptions made to the rules, after all, St. Patrick wasn’t irish at all.}

Continuing where I last left March off at, is there no better Fighting Irish to follow Liam Gallagher than Steven Patrick Morrissey? He like Liam, creates much distance between those who love him, and those who loathe the hard truthed, miserably well-quipped bard of the Manchester scene.

If Manchester has a king, someone who kicked down the door to a scene strung out from the Industrial Revolution fallout, it is not Liam, Noel, or Ian Brown for that matter- it is Morrissey. Noted, Ian Curtis (Joy Division) and Factory Records give Mr. Morrissey a run for the Manchester title, as do pete Shelley & The Buzzcocks, but Morrissey, along with Johnny Marr and The Smiths, introduced Manchester to the rest of the world- not just The UK.

In the same way The Beach Boys defined California to the world, The Smith’s defined Manchester’s sound to everywhere else.  It took an irishman to accidentally lead them there. Like the beach Boys’ 5 -part, barber shop, choral harmonies, Marr’s guitar jangle & Morrissey’s pompous, lounge crooning vocal-together- is near inimitable.

What’s helped Morrissey sail further apart from The Smiths’ indelible legend, and many other witty songwriters, is his ability to write the nastiest, androgynous lines- nastier than anything Bob Dylan or Elvis Costello may have addressed to their hetero ex-lovers, or enemies.  Where Dylan and Costello could be cold and cruel without forgiveness, Morrissey is still both- and beyond funny.  I’d argue to say that Morrissey has never lost his edge the way many songwriters have. With age he’s become even more miserable and cunning with his words, wittier, and at times more political and rather transparent. One of Rock n’ Roll’s most typically loathed and overlooked heavyweights is one bad ass, Fighting Irish;  Steven Patrick Morrissey, he with the Irish blood and an English heart.

Below, a few of my favorite Morrissey one liners; he can be crushing, evil, funny, biting and then romantic, all in one breath.  This is a difficult task as every day rewards a new favorite Morrissey line to quote from songs, both solo or from The Smiths.  To the office peasants and neighborly minions I’ve surrounded my doldrums with, I thank Mr. Morrissey for inspiring many literate, Fighting Irish comebacks.

“From the ice-age to the dole-age, There is but one concern I have just discovered: Some girls are bigger than others… Some girl’s mothers are bigger than Other girl’s mothers

- “Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others”

“if a double-decker bus, Crashes into us,
To die by your side Is such a heavenly way to die
And if a ten-ton truck Kills the both of us
To die by your side, Well, the pleasure – the privilege is mine”

- “There Is a Light That Never Goes Out”

“I was looking for a job, and then I found a job, And heaven knows I’m miserable now… “

- “Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now”

Copyright Illustration By Danny Roberts

“Lamenting policewomen policemen silly women taxmen Uniformed whores, Educated criminals, Work within the law, This world is full, Oh oh, So full of crashing bores. And I must be one… This world, I am afraid, Is designed for crashing bores…”

- “The World is Full of Crashing Bores”

“A world war Was announced Days ago, But they didn’t know-
The lazy sunbathers
Nothing Appears To be
Between the ears of
The lazy sunbathers
Too jaded To question stagnation
The sun burns through To the planet’s core
And it isn’t enough, They want more”

- “The Lazy Sunbathers”

“America your head’s too big, Because America, Your belly’s too big, And I love you, I just wish you’d stay where you is…”

- “America is Not The World”

Go go go Bono, go!
BK