When you sing along with Morrissey®,

[Weiß. Am I the only defender of Maladjusted?]

(and you know you do), is it more "correct" to sing the words he wrote, or the words he sings on the recording you're listening to?

For example,
The copyrighted lyrics of SMIYTYHTOB off of Strangeways:

"...so I drank one
or was it four"

When we all know he sings:

"...so I drank one
it became four"

Or, perhaps more subtly, in the case of What Difference Does it Make, where the lyrics are written:
"...I think I can rely on you"

When he clearly sings

"...I can surely rely on you" (Hatful version)

I know you clever swine can think of other examples.

Is the essence of the song the written word, so important to Morrissey, or is it the words he sings on but one performance, though that performance be recorded for all time?

[Chill]

I sing along with whichever recording I'm listening to. This is especially fun with bootlegs where he goes a bit nuts on the lyrics. All of the changes he makes to "Hairdresser On Fire" come to mind, as does the classic line change in "The Queen Is Dead" from "Thank Your Lucky Stars":

"Life is very long when you're a bouncer."

[Trouble Loves Me]

As you very well know, Mr. Lillywhite, he is known for changing up the lyrics as he pleases. Do as he does. If you feel like singing the written verse do that. If you favor singing the words he croons, by all means do so. If you feel like making up your own words (as I so often creatively do), don't hold back.

Thanks. I appreciate the work you did on Vauxhall & Southpaw. But now I'm glad Mr. Finn is on board (though I would have preferred Trevor Horn). Mala was not HIS finest hour as tracks: 5, 9, 10 & 11, were not album worthy (no matter what you or anyone else says) while Heir Apparent & I Can Have Both were.

[suzanne]

i sing the words as written and try and shout him down as he sings otherwise. i point a disapproving finger at my stereo and consider writing his record label a letter explaining that their artist should be held to higher standards than to erronously include lyrics that he has changed his mind about.

[Jo]

My favourite example is "You're Gonna Need Someone On Your Side" from Beethoven was Deaf.

Instead of "Someone kindly told me that you'd wasted eight of nine lives" he sings "Someone kindly told me that you collected very sharp bread knives".

That always makes me laugh, every time I hear it.

[Speed]

I have a live version of Difference where Moz sings "You make me feel so ashamed because I've only got two heads". He says it twice.

[Jo]

> I have a live version of Difference where Moz sings "You make me feel
> so ashamed because I've only got two heads". He says it twice.

I've got that performance on DVD (Rockpalast)! At that same show he sings "Will nature make a MESS of me yet?" and "This man said it's gruesome that someone so UGLY should care" in This Charming Man (among other alterations).

I also love the live version of "Our Frank" from his '91 show at Hammersmith where he sings "But look, I'm PRACTICALLY human"