Was/Is Morrissey Racist?

To say his music (solo and The Smiths) meant a lot to me for so many years, I haven't really had much of a problem cutting him out my life. It's been quite easy to just stop listening to him and sell off a bunch of his records. Every time I take another one out my collection, I wonder if I'll regret it and so far I haven't.

I haven't been paying attention to his latest album campaign, but I was surprised to see a single with Billie Joe Armstrong pop up on the new release schedule. Considering how outspoken Billie has been about politics, is he really just that unaware of Morrissey's views?

I do still like and sometimes listen to the Smiths' music, and even some solo Morrissey.

yeah i'm not going to dump his catalog up through Vauxhall which i still find very worthwhile. I will not give him any money now though.

A whole of bunch of American artists are on his new album, I believe. Far be it for me to bring up the subject of American insularity but...

Moreover, one of those artists is a first-generation child of Indian immigrants.

xps to jamiesummerz and Mark G re We’ll Let You Know. Agree re ambiguity of quotes - I didn’t notice them either - but the song ends with that half-whispered

know
We are the last truly British people you will ever know
You'll never never want to know

Moreover, one of those artists is a first-generation child of Indian immigrants.

Like Morrissey, except Indian.

Yeah, Morrissey's family were immigrants!

More like “You’re The One For Me, Fashy”

Let The White One In

A Rush and a Putsch and the Land Is Ours.

... could do this all night, should warn you.

irish skull, english calipers

Like Morrissey, except Indian.

― Ned Caligari (Tom D.), Wednesday, May 15, 2019 6:00 PM (thirty-six minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Yeah, Morrissey's family were immigrants!

― Le Baton Rose (Turrican), Wednesday, May 15, 2019 6:02 PM (thirty-four minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

I did not know this and it makes his whole deal like 10 times more stupid.

there are lots of racist british nationalists who are from irish immigrant backgrounds. stephen yaxley-lennon aka tommy robinson's parents are irish, the leader of the fash group morrissey supports, for britain, is from ... dublin

it's pretty clear that "has immigrant family" does not inoculate one against racist/xenophobe brainworms

I guess it’s that whole idea of pulling up the ladder - I’m sure it wasn’t exactly great to be second gen Irish in Britain all the time, but I doubt he had it as bad as any of the Asians he despises.

I suspect that Union Jack waving Proud-To-Be-British West Brit thing seems especially bizarre to me because I'm from Scotland.

lol I just checked and his parents immigrated to Manchester a year before he was born - which makes shite like his hankerings for an England that no longer exists - and it is always England - even funnier.

He would be a worthy winner of the worst diaspora poll.

agree
but the competition is extremely fierce!

i don't think 'irish' immigrants count as immigrants in these people's minds these days, because white.

Polish and Eastern European immigrants are white and they count as immigrants to these people.

Maybe now but this was definitely *not* the case in 70s and 80s UK - a lot of Irish people in this country were regularly assumed to be IRA sympathisers for one thing.

(White Eastern Europeans are among the most vocally reviled of immigrant groups in modern day Britain as well).

Not to mention British attitudes to the Irish going back centuries.

And still flourishing even today!

The Return of the Irish Question - this week's excellent cover essay
is by @JohnBew pic.twitter.com/WEcKg3pNpZ

— Jason Cowley (@JasonCowleyNS) May 15, 2019

ahh always good to have a nice old-fashioned "(ethnic group) question" rumination

meet the new statesman, same as the old statesman

fucking imperialist arrogance of that...cunts!

It's ok you can't buy the NS in Ireland

Just read mark s's piece and it is very good!

I gave a listen to his new covers album, and lord does it suck. His trying to compete with Marilyn McCoo is offensive in and of itself. I guess his current fanbase likes pointless nostalgia.

Does anyone want to start a project re-writing The Smiths Lyrics and melodies to remove Morrissey?

The Smiths Without Morrissey - THE LP

I'm serious!

SongMeanings comment on "Asian Rut" (which btw reminded me of stuff from the old alt.music.smiths group - I'm actually surprised by the comments upthread that it was inconceivable that Morrissey could have inspired a Paki-bashing yob):

Slightly controversial point here (which will no doubt attract a lot of negative comments) but this is yet another Morrissey song which prompted certain people (including Paul Heaton from the once good The Beautiful South and The Housemartins) to believe he was racist. The point some people fail to see is that patriotism isn't racism AT ALL. Sure that racists are very patriotic, but some people are patriotic without being racist. This applies to this song and another of his songs, Bengali In Platforms in particular. Without talking too much about the meanings of both songs (which are quite obvious really), it seems to me that Morrissey has similar views to myself on issues of race/equality. The fact is that there's almost TOO MUCH political correctness these days, where British or white people in general can be the butt of racist jokes, etc. and the culprits seem to get away with it. But there is plenty of what could be interpreted as racism towards white people from, for example, black gangster rappers. Why should they get away with these racist (and often sexist amongst other things) comments, when white people get condemned? It's silly. It should be deemed unacceptable for people of all races to be racist. Then there are people who disagree with Asylum seekers and illegal immigrants, who come over and gain housing and work from those who are more in need of them. And yet some (for example) British Muslims seem to think these comments are an attack on Muslims in general, which is very paranoid. Wherever you're from, whatever country you're from, if you move to another country you should always respect the laws and the culture of that country. Anyway this song has a pretty good tune, and has thought-provoking, interesting lyrics (although from possibly his weakest album though, even though it is OK).
All Is Dreamon January 04, 2007

So many thoughts being provoked inside that controversial mind, how does he hold them all together?

Guar Gum

That comment succeeds at being worse than the song itself

The Siths - Who Put The M In Misanthropy?

snowflake triggered

Might be tricky to review the new Morrissey album. Been refused a copy because we wrote this piece about him. "Afraid management are not keen to provide advance music to the Guardian for this release". 🎻https://t.co/Dd9IGepUbU

— Guardian music (@guardianmusic) May 17, 2019

Hitler and Morrissey - the vegetarian white nationalists

lol @ morrissey of course but I'd also prefer it if the Guardian didn't review his album anyway, save the space for something more relevant

I know I said I was curious how "It's Over" would sound (which I think was this thread but maybe not) so I eventually remembered to listen to it.

It's fairly competent, I suppose, until he spectacularly bottles the last note.

morrissey is a sorry ass animal rights activist. he whined that he couldn't find eggs in the grocery store anymore. even though he doesn't eat them. he just sees it as another sign of the decline of britain or whatever. what is his fucking trip?

White power trip

Incredible that this has been largely forgotten

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2017/mar/20/bigmouth-strikes-again-row-morrissey-james-baldwin-t-shirt-the-smiths

I just saw how it is exactly 15 years ago that he went straight into the top three with Irish Blood English Heart. It's crazy to think how much has changed in those 15 years. The amount of goodwill he had for that whole era was ridiculous. It really was a perfectly executed comeback and people were so happy to have him back. It's almost impressive to see how much he's managed to piss that all away.

At this point, the Mexican-American community has put up with his outlandish comments the way one might a drunk uncle who won’t shut up at the dinner table. You love him, but he just won’t stop saying terrible things.

https://pitchfork.com/thepitch/does-the-mexican-american-community-still-love-morrissey-despite-everything

Yeah I’ve seen it and this is pretty much OTM. His music has a heavy fanbase in mexico and they brush off his insane views as one would with a drunk uncle.

https://www.walesonline.co.uk/whats-on/music-nightlife-news/morrissey-smiths-record-shop-banned-16313914

"Spillers Records bans Morrissey music over his support for the far right"

The amount of goodwill he had for that whole era was ridiculous. It really was a perfectly executed comeback and people were so happy to have him back. It's almost impressive to see how much he's managed to piss that all away.

This is true and he could've had a nice retirement off the back of it - a 6Music Sunday show (syndicated across America maybe), the occasional festival...instead he'll be doing Butlins weekend packages and flogging his CDs from a table in the foyer.

"I don't think the word ‘racist’ has any meaning any more"

Is this cunt for fucking real?

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2019/may/24/morrissey-posters-banned-by-liverpools-merseyrail-transport-network