Did Morrissey write a song about this woman?

[Saul]

Did Morrissey actually write a song about this woman or is it just a rumor that he was going to write a song about her? Has he ever used her for a back drop or something?

According to her co-workers working the day of her suicide she took the unusual step of excusing herself to write her script for the newscast. She normally opened her show with an interview and conducted an informal half hour; she never once opened her show with a newscast. She also placed under her desk a bag of puppets that she had occasionally used during a broadcast. Hidden in the bag was the revolver. Before her newscast she told the producer that she wanted them to get ready a film of a shooting that happened the weekend before and then she took her seat. After three pieces of news, she led into the shooting piece but without the film because it wouldn't run correctly. It was here that she delivered her last words:

"In keeping with Channel 40's policy of bringing you the latest in blood and guts in living color, we bring you another first, an attempted suicide."

She then shot herself.

The "script" she had written was actually the story of her own suicide attempt, detailing how she'd be taken to the hospital and declared to be in critical condition. She was the first person to ever broadcast her own suicide on live television.

Here is an article on the story:
http://www.manship2.lsu.edu/perkins/Handouts/chubbucknew.pdf

 

[dazzak]

That sounds like an urban myth. Surely the woman's name would be known or somebody would have heard about it in the news.

 

[Saul]

> That sounds like an urban myth. Surely the woman's name would be known or
> somebody would have heard about it in the news.

I thought it sounded like an urban legend as well but then I saw the 1974 Washington Post article about the story and after a search on the internet found several other write ups and photos of her.

I just couldn't confirm whether she was the inspiration for an existing Morrissey song or someone had heard that he was working on a song about her. It would be interesting to know what angle he would take... her point of view? A friends point of view? The medias point of view? I guess thats one of the cool things about Morrissey's lyrics are he takes various perspectives...like Jack The Ripper...writing from Jack's perspective and almost making it sound like a love song.

 

[dazzak]

I see Jack The Ripper more as an actual love song just using the metaphor that one of the people in (or out of) love is Jack the Ripper and the other the victim. That's why I love that song so much. It connects emotionally, with the genius lyrics and affecting vocal melody, and it also connects intellectually quite brilliantly. To compare a relationship to that of Jack the Ripper and his victim is just magnificent. It encompasses the complexity of a relationship excellently.

Where did you hear that Morrissey was writing a song about this lady?