Sunday, 8 July 2007

MORRISSEY – SUEDEHEAD (EMI)


MORRISSEY – SUEDEHEAD (EMI)

It feels so weird and joyous to consider that this was ever such a popular, mainstream tugging single. This was probably one of the songs that made me dislike Morrissey so much when I first heard him but with hindsight I was, with the rest of his oeuvre, taking him and it for too much face value.

With a title taken from one of the most masculine and confused pieces of literature, there are words here to match those sentiments, to echo the message and convey the unabsorbed pain that is being expressed as nuisance.

This is an apologetic anthem that transcends sexuality, genre and gender. The celebration here is in loneliness and the failure that has resulted in this complaint and condition. Outside today it is a sunny day but still cold and chilled with it, which isn’t a bad metaphor for this song.

Soon the sorry turns into sickness though and implied stalking becomes part of the agenda and obsession prevails. This really isn’t a healthy song to be buying into and thus came/comes the utter appeal of wearing your emotions on your sleeve, even joyfully indulging in them when they are at their worst as the natural human condition is to bring a person down, down to your level.

This is his James Dean song, that essential first solo single that needed to present him as composed and powerful. Mission accomplished.

Thesaurus moment: stalker.

Morrissey
EMI

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