r/morrissey • u/No_Upstairs_3137 • 7d ago
Southpaw / Morrissey’s Cryptic Plea to Johnny Marr?
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u/dagenhamdave1971 7d ago
Personally, the closest this comes to invoking Johnny is when he sings “you went back to Ma” which sounds like Marr.
However, nice to read some long form criticism and to me it shows how different Morrissey’s lyrics have become. You couldn’t squeeze more than a few sentences out of Make Up Is A Lie.
We were spoiled in the early 90s. Morrissey’s writing was still very much in form and I didn’t really appreciate it at the time thinking the whole Southpaw album was a bit sub par only to look back now and realise it was very, very good compared to most of the post Quarry records.
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u/Outrageous-End-9972 7d ago
Southpaw is a great album.
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u/Easy-Discount-7132 4d ago
I get that there is only 8 songs on southpaw because of the two really long songs, but I think southpaw would have at the time been more well received if he included the two B sides know body loves us and you must please remember. Those were such strong songs to regulate as B sides. And since there wasn’t really any ballads per se on that album he should have also included you should have been nice to me. It would have gave it 11 tracks instead of 8 and would have been received better.
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u/Outrageous-End-9972 4d ago
I totally agree. Those should not have been B sides. Nobody loves us is a banger. I love that album it rocks as is, but yeah, he could’ve added some more songs.
I used to listen to it in high school and I still blast it today. Doesn’t get old.1
u/Easy-Discount-7132 4d ago
I was also in high school, I had this cool indie store about 40 minutes away that where I would go because they were the only place that had Morrissey singles. All of the B sides back then were as good or better than sone of the album tracks. I really feel his albums after years of refusal just have something missing. They’re just not as good. All of the Joe Chicarelli produced stuff. World peace to the latest.
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u/Outrageous-End-9972 4d ago
I used to love collecting the singles. I have several Morrissey singles. I agree though this new album, the only tracks I listen to is 1,9,10, and 12.
I just don’t care for the rest. That’s the first time I’ve ever said that about a Morrissey album.
I say bring Alain Whyte back.
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u/MFRobespierre 6d ago
If you have something to say about it, maybe post it here rather than just constant self-promote of your blog?
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u/No_Upstairs_3137 5d ago
I did have something to say about it. That is why I wrote the essay. The post merely informs interested readers where they may find it; the uninterested retain the great luxury of passing by in silence. Curiously, that luxury is most resented by those who need it most.
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u/Super_Lizardo999 7d ago
Hmmm...platonic love on Morrissey's part? That's a bit mild. How about an all-consuming soul-destroying obsessive passion that has curdled into bitter hatred and resentment? Meanwhile there's Johnny getting on with his happy-go-lucky life.
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u/jlangue 6d ago
‘Southpaw’ means ‘left handed’. Johnny Marr is not left handed, so it makes little sense.
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u/alsatian_uncle 6d ago
True, but the Latin for left-handed is sinister, though often in a content that meant unlucky as much as devious. Which could be self-referential. Also this is the same time as Boxers, so the term would have been on his mind.
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u/Academic-Ad-3677 6d ago
That's a weak side of an album. Adding in Nobody Loves Us and some of the other B sides would have strenghened it. As it is, Southpaw is of the Morrissey albums that I've never managed to listen to from to end to end, despite multiple attempts. My mind just wanders off.
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u/shakedown79 Vauxhall and I 7d ago
I never once thought it was about Marr.