What! Do you not remember 1982-87!? Do you not remember that awkward and quiffed lyrical genius without whom you’d be nothing? Fair enough, your guitar-magic could probably be accredited to 45% of The Smiths success, but the remaining 55% was all Morrissey’s lyrics and vocals (sorry Andy and Mike!). To be honest, I doubt you’d have been signed without Morrissey; and you’ve even said yourself that his words were the reason for The Smiths’ strong following.Don’t get me wrong, I like Modest Mouse well enough, but:
You are so hot
(Lounge (Closing Time), Modest Mouse)
Could never hold a candle to:
Fifteen minutes with you
I wouldn’t say no
People see no worth in you
Oh but I do
I dreamt about you last night
And I fell out of bed twice
You can pin and mount me
Like a butterfly
But take me to the haven of your bed
Was something you never said
Two lumps, please
You’re the bee’s knees
But so am I
(Reel Around the Fountain, The Smiths)
You said Isaac’s lyrics were surreal, and that they are, but anyone with enough drugs in their system could come up with (that might not be true..probably isn’t true.):
I just got a message that said
(Tiny Cities Made Of Ashes, Modest Mouse)
If food needed pleasing
Well, discard whom you please
(March into the Sea, Modest Mouse)
I can’t think of one living person who can even come close to touching the beauty and earnestness of Morrissey’s lyrics. Have you seen his following (of course you have!)? I have. And I’ve seen him make a big brute with a Denver Broncos tattoo tear up. I’ve seen grown men and women claw at a steel barricade because of the pure and utter emotional state his voice singing his words (and with such honesty and agony!) put them in.
A tough kid who sometimes swallows nails
Raised on Prisoner’s Aid
He killed a policeman when he was
Thirteen
And somehow that really impressed
Me
It’s written all over my face
(I Want the One I Can’t Have, The Smiths)
The devil will find work for idle hands to do
I stole and I lied, and why? Because you asked me to
But now you make me feel so ashamed
Because I’ve only got two hands
Well, I’m still fond of you
So what difference does it make?
So what difference does it make?
It makes none, but you have gone
And your prejudice won’t keep you warm tonight
(What Difference Does It Make?, The Smiths)
And although I ended up with sore lips
It just wasn’t like
The old days anymore
(Still Ill, The Smiths)
I will admit that Isaac Brock is a far better lyricist than I’ll ever be, and Cowboy Dan is an amazing song, but no one on earth can match Morrissey.
(You kicked and cried like a bullied child
A grown man of twenty-five
He said he’d cure your ills
But he didn’t and he never will
So, save your life
Because you’ve only got one
The dream has gone
But the baby is real
Oh you did a good thing
She could have been a poet
Or, she could have been a fool
Oh you did a bad thing
And I’m not happy
And I’m not sad )
That’s all I’m saying. You’ve worked with Morrissey.
But…now that I’ve really thought about it, you probably didn’t even mean it. You were probably just being Northern. And for that I love you. I’d love you even if you did mean it, though. (The sad thing is, is I’m one of the tamer Smiths/Morrissey fans.)
** It might be a good idea to add that I’m not nearly as familiar with Modest Mouse as I am with The Smiths/Morrissey; and that I unfortunately have this very ignorant belief (for lack of a better word at the moment) that most Modest Mouse fans are up-themselves annoying twats and am therefore slightly annoyed by Modest Mouse (and very annoyed by Johnny Marr (Johnny freaking Marr!) now being an official member of the group).
1 comment:
i was shocked, i laughed, i cried. thanks for the insight. i am not a modest mouse fan and would agree they cant compare to the smiths. morrissey was the smiths. he left the impression because of his lyrcis as you pointed out. on a more english note your contrast on lyrics really proved your point!
Post a Comment