markinmanc
New Member
http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/music/2007/05/how_scooch_is_now_morrissey_fl.html
A year ago, after the British Eurovision entry Daz Sampson's Teenage Life floundered at an ignoble fifth from last, Morrissey said; "I was horrified but not surprised to see the UK fail again in the Eurovision Song Contest, and there is one question I keep on asking: 'Why didn't they ask me?'"
Some thought Moz must be joking - despite the video for his single You Have Killed Me being an affectionate homage to the contest, and his much professed love for Sandie Shaw, winner of Eurovision in 1967.
But this January - to the astonishment of many - the BBC said they had been in talks. It didn't work out. A few weeks later, the Beeb announced; "Unfortunately, we were unable to go ahead with him being involved and we can now confirm that he definitely will not be taking part in this year's competition." Oh well...
On Saturday night, Scooch will be representing Britain at Eurovision with Flying the Flag. The song's been much maligned. Charlotte Church spoke for many when she dismissed it as "absolute shit." I rather like it - especially as I suspect that Morrissey may have written this year's Eurovision entry after all.
Consider the evidence. It's a rotten record, but Morrissey has a strong connection to bad music. Think of the Smiths' covers of songs by Twinkle and Cilla Black, or try and endure another listen to his solo albums Kill Uncle or Maladjusted.
There's the thematic nod to Puppet on a String's "One day I'm feeling down on the ground/Then I'm up in the air..." And some Morrissey-esque homo innuendo; "Would you like something to suck on for landing, sir?"
Would Morrissey have written a glib song about cheap air travel? No. But he would write a song about one of the worst times of his life - his fall from critical grace in August 1992, when the NME ran a long cover story asking; "Is he actually a racist?" The piece contained a list of quotes they called "the case for his prosecution". Morrissey's last words? "I find travelling very hard. I miss England." And: "I don't want to be European. I want England to remain an island. I think part of the greatness of the past has been the fact that England has been an island."
How else can Flying the Flag be understood but as Mozza's retraction of those two statements, and his emphatic embrace of the European ideal? "All the way from Paris to Tallinn, Helsinki on to Prague..."
Still not convinced? The front cover of that career-killing edition of NME showed Morrissey at Finsbury Park waving a Union Jack. In huge letters were the words: "Morrissey: Flying the flag or flirting with disaster?"
I rest my case. On Saturday, I'll be rooting for Scooch, for Britain, for Europe - and for Morrissey.
A year ago, after the British Eurovision entry Daz Sampson's Teenage Life floundered at an ignoble fifth from last, Morrissey said; "I was horrified but not surprised to see the UK fail again in the Eurovision Song Contest, and there is one question I keep on asking: 'Why didn't they ask me?'"
Some thought Moz must be joking - despite the video for his single You Have Killed Me being an affectionate homage to the contest, and his much professed love for Sandie Shaw, winner of Eurovision in 1967.
But this January - to the astonishment of many - the BBC said they had been in talks. It didn't work out. A few weeks later, the Beeb announced; "Unfortunately, we were unable to go ahead with him being involved and we can now confirm that he definitely will not be taking part in this year's competition." Oh well...
On Saturday night, Scooch will be representing Britain at Eurovision with Flying the Flag. The song's been much maligned. Charlotte Church spoke for many when she dismissed it as "absolute shit." I rather like it - especially as I suspect that Morrissey may have written this year's Eurovision entry after all.
Consider the evidence. It's a rotten record, but Morrissey has a strong connection to bad music. Think of the Smiths' covers of songs by Twinkle and Cilla Black, or try and endure another listen to his solo albums Kill Uncle or Maladjusted.
There's the thematic nod to Puppet on a String's "One day I'm feeling down on the ground/Then I'm up in the air..." And some Morrissey-esque homo innuendo; "Would you like something to suck on for landing, sir?"
Would Morrissey have written a glib song about cheap air travel? No. But he would write a song about one of the worst times of his life - his fall from critical grace in August 1992, when the NME ran a long cover story asking; "Is he actually a racist?" The piece contained a list of quotes they called "the case for his prosecution". Morrissey's last words? "I find travelling very hard. I miss England." And: "I don't want to be European. I want England to remain an island. I think part of the greatness of the past has been the fact that England has been an island."
How else can Flying the Flag be understood but as Mozza's retraction of those two statements, and his emphatic embrace of the European ideal? "All the way from Paris to Tallinn, Helsinki on to Prague..."
Still not convinced? The front cover of that career-killing edition of NME showed Morrissey at Finsbury Park waving a Union Jack. In huge letters were the words: "Morrissey: Flying the flag or flirting with disaster?"
I rest my case. On Saturday, I'll be rooting for Scooch, for Britain, for Europe - and for Morrissey.
