F. Dodwell / Music-News: "New Morrissey track Bonfire of Teenagers: It's okay to be angry about injustice" (July 6, 2022)

New Morrissey track Bonfire of Teenagers: It's okay to be angry about injustice.

Excerpt:
While the Mancunian Oasis anthem 'Don't Look Back In Anger' (which is mentioned in the song lyrics) can perhaps be soothing to many at such a time, Morrissey instead takes his listeners aside and assures them that yes, it is absolutely okay to be angry about this; yes, sometimes anger is a very normal, human response to hurt, pain, death and tragedy.

New Morrissey track Bonfire of Teenagers: It's okay to be angry about injustice

The new track from upcoming Morrissey album, Bonfire of Teenagers, has everybody talking and shows fans the artist

www.music-news.com

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FWD.

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See also the NME story, link posted by several:

Morrissey debuts new song 'Bonfire Of Teenagers', about Manchester Arena bombing

Morrissey has debuted new song 'Bonfire Of Teenagers' – a track he says is about "England's 9/11", the Manchester Arena bombing.

www.nme.com

 

[ZOOM FROM GLOOM]

Again, not a fan of the vest look, it did work for the Thin White Duke, hard to pull off.


btw Fiona’s correct. But that’s not to say that anger is the answer.

 

[Bonaparte Shandy]

Perhaps - but such a complex issue, framed within such a tragic set of circumstances, that leaves a 4 minute 'pop' song a less than ideal place in which to explore.

 

[Gregor Samsa]

Anger is very much okay. It’s more than okay, it is expected and very healthy. But not when it’s directed at the grieving.

 

[saintjimmy456]

The singing at the vigil was spontaneous and to me showed Mancunians pulling together at a time of tragedy with a Mancunian song. I don't think they were saying "we aren't angry" about what happened by joining in with the singing and I don't think they deserve to be labelled "silly" and "morons" as per the song lyrics.

 

[Uncleskinny]

He hasn't learned a thing, and neither has she. The usual from someone who was once told she could write, attempting to justify a ham-fisted mess of a song. And as for injustice, is 'go easy on the killer' what she's referring to here?

 

[ZOOM FROM GLOOM]

Anger is very much okay. It’s more than okay, it is expected and very healthy. But not when it’s directed at the grieving.

It’s not surprising and not hard to imagine that a parent that has just lost their child would be angry if someone told them through song to not be angry to just move on.

 

[Gregor Samsa]

It’s not surprising and not hard to imagine that a parent that has just lost their child would be angry if someone told them through song to not be angry to just move on.

But that’s not what those in the vigils meant. You can’t possibly believe that?

 

[🐈🐈🐈]

The singing at the vigil was spontaneous and to me showed Mancunians pulling together at a time of tragedy with a Mancunian song. I don't think they were saying "we aren't angry" about what happened by joining in with the singing and I don't think they deserve to be labelled "silly" and "morons" as per the song lyrics.

Upon reflection, I agree with you completely about this song and I’ve been thinking about it. While I agree with the core sentiment of the song being injustice, ‘silly and morons’ is snobbish and obtuse wording from a man who claims he too is a fellow Northerner.

 

[ZOOM FROM GLOOM]

But that’s not what those in the vigils meant. You can’t possibly believe that?

Yes, we know that they were singing about Manchester moving on. But a parent that is grieving that just lost their child may see it a different way, they may see it as directed towards them, especially in that state of mind. Which I believe is the point of view from which the song BoT is being expressed.

 

[🐈🐈🐈]

Can’t wait to see how Bonfire of Teenagers goes down at Manc Apollo…. We could be witness to another Finsbury Park

 

[Mozzer1980]

I think we focused too much on the terrorist attacks in Manchester. The song is about it of course, but I think the message is more universal. It is not only Don't look back in anger, it is also Lennon's Imagine, drawing with chalk on the sidewalks after many other terrorist attacks. These are nice gestures, but they won't fix the world .

 

[Hovi$ Le$ley]

Can’t wait to see how Bonfire of Teenagers goes down at Manc Apollo…. We could be witness to another Finsbury Park

He obviously shouldn’t play it: a state of affairs that will be like red rag to a bull.

 

[ZOOM FROM GLOOM]

He obviously shouldn’t play it: a state of affairs that will be like red rag to a bull.

And what kind of message would he be sending if he didn’t play it?

Seems to be a case of .. damned if he does, damned if doesn’t.

 

[Hovi$ Le$ley]

Can’t wait to see how Bonfire of Teenagers goes down at Manc Apollo…. We could be witness to another Finsbury Park

More likely that he’s simply condemned to more years without a record deal. You could be forgiven for thinking that limbo is a state which he actively chases.

 

[Hovi$ Le$ley]

And what kind of message would he be sending if he didn’t play it?

Seems to be a case of .. damned if he does, damned if doesn’t.

It would be an absolute gift for the media: I could write the headlines now. He sets his own ‘elephant traps’.

 

[ZOOM FROM GLOOM]

Perhaps - but such a complex issue, framed within such a tragic set of circumstances, that leaves a 4 minute 'pop' song a less than ideal place in which to explore.

agree. Then again there are plenty of subjects that Morrissey has touched on that are not really ‘appropriate’ for a ‘pop’ song.

I remember there being an issue from an interviewer about Morrissey using the subject matter in November Spawned in a song.

 

[ZOOM FROM GLOOM]

It would be an absolute gift for the media: I could write the headlines now. He sets his own ‘elephant traps’.

He’s been setting traps since suggesting to Marr that they do a cover of ‘I want a Boy for my Birthday’ and so on.

He’s a big boy now, and he’s an artist that knows that there may be consequences in the way that he needs to express himself.

 

[Surface]

NME piece on the song.

Morrissey debuts new song 'Bonfire Of Teenagers', about Manchester Arena bombing

Morrissey has debuted new song 'Bonfire Of Teenagers' – a track he says is about "England's 9/11", the Manchester Arena bombing.

www.nme.com

 

[ZOOM FROM GLOOM]

NME piece on the song.

Morrissey debuts new song 'Bonfire Of Teenagers', about Manchester Arena bombing

Morrissey has debuted new song 'Bonfire Of Teenagers' – a track he says is about "England's 9/11", the Manchester Arena bombing.

www.nme.com

If this is the same article that’s been posted already in another thread, then I’ll give credit to the NME for at least providing videos of the live songs.
For the lyrics alone do not fully express the intention of the song.