Just "wishes," Andrea?

That'll teach me to take French instead of Italian!

Could anyone translate this please & i'll teach you how to say 'Shit' in French? I can also teach you how to say "My womb hurts in the kitchen" in Welsh, you never know when that baby can come in handy.

It's in fucking Italian!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

LOL

Though if anyone could provide a translated copy then that would be ace.

Morrissey
By Gianni Santoro

I Want to live in Rome and my favorite italian singer is Gigliola Cinquetti.

Tormentor number one. The new Cd, ROTT out at the end of March. It represents me: "I'm the leader of a gang"

It was a revelation for the ex-singer of The Smiths: he is currently house-seeking in Rome, after he decided to record there his new album, in which he quotes Pasolini and Visconti and says: "I know everything about italian music, I am a Rita Pavone's fan.

Around ten years ago a now-dead english music magazine, while reviewing a reissue of a handful of classics recorded in the brief existence of The Smiths (1982-1987) wrote this: “It must be very funny to be U2. Think about it: you are the biggest band on the planet, the media worship you, concerts are sold out everywhere, you pick up your phone and talk with the most important politicians on earth, millions of people buy your records. But..., deep inside your heart you know that you can't even touch The Smiths. Same thing we could say for Guns N' Roses, Nirvana, Bruce Springsteen and all the rock giants: nothing compares to The Smiths. The Smiths? A very popular name you can probably find on many door bells around the UK, with that name they wanted to be four "Mr. nobody".
Their detractors still hates them for their 'out-of-time' rock and those gloomy lyrics who almost stopped the growing process of many adolescents. With true working' class angst in 1986 Morrissey, the singer, declared: The Queen Is Dead (and in the song he said: "Dear Charles, don't you ever crave/to appear on the front of the Daily mail/dressed in your mother's bridal veil?").
Their last public performance was in Sanremo in 1987, months before the bitter split, when the non-italian performers used to play in a big tent.
Patsy Kensit had a problem with her dress and a tit came out, nobody cared about Morrissey, music magazines apart.
At the end of March his eight solo album, ROTT, is coming out. The Smiths are far away, the icon is still here. And it is getting 'tricolore' (Green, White, Red: the italian flag's color. note). After London, Manchester and Los Angeles, Moz, as the fans call him, has chosen Rome.

INTERVIEW

On the musical blogs everybody was talking about it.
For Months he was staying in an hotel near Piazza del Popolo, where we meet him.
"Sorry, I don't know if I will be funny today". He Starts.

Why Rome?
Have you seen the sensual beauty of the city? It embraces you and it upsets you. I've been here many times, but I was not much sentimental. For me the world was the U.K. Of course I was wrong.

Are you living here, now?

I am not living in any places. I've sold my house in L.A. and all my stuff are in a cellar. I am house-seeking, but in Rome nobody sells theirs.

Is the life here in Rome as you expected it?

Yes! I Might be wrong but people seems to be happy here. In U.S. is full of obese people. In U.K. everyone is depressed. Here, everybody, not only young people, wear the best clothes they can afford. Shame about all those furs.

Meat is murder is one of yours slogans? have you got any problems with food here in Rome?

The most interesting thing is that I haven't seen many butcher's shop. And pasta and pizza saves me.

Do You drive?

Everywhere in the world, but not in Rome. It's the Chaos here. It surprises me not to found corpses in every crossroads.

The album, ROTT, is good.

Are you sure? You can say it if you don't like it...

In the single 'You Have Killed Me' you quote Pasolini.
Did you know him before coming here in Rome?

Yes. He is famous everywhere. Maybe outside Italy they are more interested in his art. Here in Italy he is considered one among many others, not a genius.

You quote 'Accattone' Is that you favorite among his movies?

No, my favorite is Mamma Roma, a masterpiece. It's still so modern. I don't think he has reached those levels again. He was a genuine talent with many skills: Films, novels, essays. In interviews he was wonderful, never unprepared, nervous. An heroical person.

You also quote Visconti. Is it Tony, the Bowie producer that you wanted for the cd...

(Laughs) I love him, he's half italian, but my quote is about Luchino:
Rocco e i suoi fratelli is a fantastic movie.

How have you involved Ennio Morricone in your new album?

We knew that Ennio used a lot the studio, the Forum, and we offered him the song Dear God Please Help Me. We were hopeless because we knew that he is very shy and tends to keep people away from him, but he accepted. We were shocked. He came in the studio with a 37 piece orchestra and he enriched the song in an incredible way. He didn't talk that much. He is a legend, and he doesn't care about human beings. He does his job and then go home.

You used to be like that...
I am ...

Do you know italian music?

Of course. When I was six I bought 'Heart' (Cuore) by Rita Pavone. I still own it. And then...Gigliola Cinquetti, do you know the song 'Yes'? It represented Italy at the eurofestival. Second place. In my new video there are references to the festival

Do you know 'Non ho l' età'? Something like 'I am not old enough?', 'I am too young too fall in love'?

(Laughs) I prefer 'I am not old enough' as an expression. I am going to use it as a title.

Why ROTT?

That' s my position today. I am the leader of a gang. North Rome.

Who can join the gang?

Not many persons. It's very elitist.

How do your friends call you, Steven?

No, with dreadful names. They think Morrissey is too imperious. They call me Moz, Mozito, Mozarella, Mozalini.

Fortunatamente c'è qualche altro italiano che legge, vive, si nutre di queste News sul Moz!
grazie
Ciao a tutti

-della & the banshees-

Why doesn't Morrissey mention Rocco Sifredi in "You Have Killed Me"? He is truly a great artist!

In 'Dear God Please Help Me' you say: "Then he motions to me/ with his hand on my knee...", fans are already talking about it as the 'coming out' song. It has been marked that way...

Oh my God. Coming out. From where? To Where? I am myself. End of the story.

In the song 'On The Streets I Run' you talk about death. Do you often think about it?

Yes, it's going to happen: that particular second, on a thursday like many others, and I will not be here anymore and It's gonna be the same for you.

You have repudiated the drummer Mike Joyce after the now famous court case. Is it possible a Smiths reunion without him?

I can't see how, since we are not friends. There is no point in sharing a stage with people who don't like me.

When did you last talk with Johnny Marr?

A couple of years ago we just faxed each other. Financial issues.

The 'Queen is Dead' is always there in album polls. Do you agree with it?

No, the best one is 'Strangeways Here We Come'. In any case 'The Queen Is Dead had something special, that album really belonged to its time.

You have had many famous friends in your life. Are you still in touch with Michael Stipe?

He is a nice person but he is nice to everybody... I can be nice to one person at a time. Or two.

Is it true that your old song 'Found Found Found' is dedicated to him?

No, we were never that close, physically...

David Bowie?

He is a mistery to me. He has the mentality of a vampire, he is always searching for fresh blood to suck. I don't know if he did the same thing with me. I don't think he is now the same person he was 30 years ago.
That David Bowie doesn't exist anymore.

Are you still in touch with Patti Smith?

We are e-mail friends, last years we exchanged e-mails for two months. She is very kind. Her first four albums changed everything. They changed me.

You used to say: I've chosen chastity. So did you make up all the intimacy of your songs?

I talked about chastity years ago and for some reasons people think it 's still the same, but it's not the same anymore, No, I am not alone. Not always. In any case people don't need to know more than that.

You used to sing: "I am the end of the line...", have you ever wanted to have kids?

I know I am the end of the family line..., the desire to have kids did not last very long. It's a very big responsibility and new-born infants stink. Am I right?

Are you happier now than when you were a teen-ager?
Yes, back then I was never happy.

You ruin people's life with your songs or you save them?

I think I saved many persons. But I can understand who says: "I wish I had never listened to those songs", maybe they think that Morrissey is too much for them.

Your fans would die to be your friends. Did anyone succeed in that?

Don't be silly. It's impossible. I can only be friendly with a person that doesn't know me.

Have you got many friends?

Five.

(Note: The question about 'chastity' in the original interview is right before the question about 'Dear God Please Help Me' in my previous post. Sorry for my mistake).

Love,
El Manzo