Irish Times / Lauren Murphy: "Stephin Merritt: ‘Being a gay person who writes lyrics is enough to invite Morrissey comparisons’" (August 31, 2022)

Stephin Merritt: ‘Being a gay person who writes lyrics is enough to invite Morrissey comparisons’

Excerpt:
“Well, the similarities between me and Morrissey are basically demographic,” he says, smiling. “I think just being a gay person who writes lyrics is enough to invite Morrissey comparisons. I’ve weirdly never been compared to Marc Almond, who I probably feel is closer, because I’m famous for my dirty jokes — as is Marc Almond.” He pauses. “I’ve always enjoyed Morrissey as a lyricist. I hope he can get his public image together again; he seems to have fallen down recently, in that regard. He needs to be nice to some children and dogs on national television, before he actually turns into WC Fields.”

Stephin Merritt: ‘Being a gay person who writes lyrics is enough to invite Morrissey comparisons’

The once-prolific Magnetic Fields frontman on his grumpy reputation and Covid-related writer’s block

www.irishtimes.com

Regards,
FWD.

 

[Gregor Samsa]

No I get you mate. Its just hard hearing someone talk about childish lyrics from a Morrissey fan page .
As the years have gone on you must have noticed you have to turn off judgment more and more with M?
In fact being a semi well balanced 56 year old male makes listening to m solo an act of reality suspension.
He's still super brilliant though .

Morrissey’s (latter day) lyrics are completely different from Merritt’s. You can call them childish, sure, but it’s not the type of childishness I was referring to.

 

[marred]

I think you’re taking it too literally…

I don't think you don't get what I mean.

 

[Redacted]

I have never understood the obsession with M's sexuality or the need to make up stories about it.

 

[sea salt]

why do people like M and marc almond never go on about their sexuality whereas george michael started every sentence with,as a gay man.marc almonds manager has been with him for over 30 years and has never seen him with a man,hes camp as christmas but that doesnt mean hes gay.
M was going to have a child with tina,doesnt sound like a solely gay man to me,the gay community has been trying to reel M in for decades.

Absolutely. Marc Almond is a total pussy hound.

 

[Hannah Alexander]

I have never understood the obsession with M's sexuality or the need to make up stories about it.

If you were a gay teenager in the 1980s, he was a beacon.

 

[Deleted member 30524]

why do people like M and marc almond never go on about their sexuality whereas george michael started every sentence with,as a gay man.marc almonds manager has been with him for over 30 years and has never seen him with a man,hes camp as christmas but that doesnt mean hes gay.
M was going to have a child with tina,doesnt sound like a solely gay man to me,the gay community has been trying to reel M in for decades.

Morrissey and Tina having a child together was something I never took seriously when reading Autobiography.
My view on the matter was that they were discussing the subject over a glass of wine and were probably just giggling about the thought of it. He probably only ever put this in his book for balance.

 

[gordyboy9]

Morrissey and Tina having a child together was something I never took seriously when reading Autobiography.
My view on the matter was that they were discussing the subject over a glass of wine and were probably just giggling about the thought of it. He probably only ever put this in his book for balance.

we will never know baz.

 

[gordyboy9]

Absolutely. Marc Almond is a total pussy hound.

im sure marcy boy will take it if its going,probably put his back out with him being a pensioner now.

 

[fastpulseboy]

You're right. Morrissey should try having intelligent, well expressed opinions now...the other way isn't working so well for him.

Hahaha, well, he was right with everything.... in the end he is always right and you know it..

 

[fastpulseboy]

Its called a Joke ,

Hahaha, not funny

 

[marred]

you perfectly embody the raging stupidity of the contemporary morrissey fan

Good to know

btw what's it like being thick?

 

[marred]

Morrissey and Tina having a child together was something I never took seriously when reading Autobiography.
My view on the matter was that they were discussing the subject over a glass of wine and were probably just giggling about the thought of it. He probably only ever put this in his book for balance.

So you're just guessing then?

 

[Deleted member 30524]

So you're just guessing then?

Of course I am. Mozzer being a father? I’ve more chance of being
The pope.

 

[SqueezingMySkull]

The Magnetic Fields make music for children. Or so one would think when listening to anyone of their albums.

This is an insane thing to say. You are wrong. I didn't even know it was possible for a Morrissey fan to dislike Stephen Merritt's music.

 

[Eldritch]

Merritt had a great run in the nineties: Get Lost, Charm of the Highway Strip, Future Bible Heroes and of course 69 Love Songs. Since then his songwriting has got too formulaic and samey, even though everything he does is always worth a listen. Even the last one Quickies, which was quite annoying.

 

[Johnnie Ray]

Lol and you don't ?
You are on here nearly EVERYDAY trying to make people believe YOUR version of M.
Trying to make out he is lonely and isolated in LA, when really he has a nice network of friends and can often be found laughing and smiling in the pub- really you are just protecting your own shitty mentally ill little life- are you still trying to hit up KY for juice (as if she ever knew stuff )?

I was simply telling the truth that he has always been open about men .

And I was only sharing true nfo that has already been said on here
I rarely repeat any "secrets" about M .That haven't already been said on here .and I only mention stuff that I have heard or seen a few times myself .

I dom think I ever attack M or am nasty about him, not really i defend him 99% of the tine
I wasnt attacking him hete .
Saying M can be a bit slutty is hardly tabloid news info - you know he was active pre amd post Smiths
Amd dont come at me with make belive quotes from fake biography or one of M's myth buildimg interviews .

Sorry if M having a sex life conflicts with your own boring little life

Its true I can ramble the f*** on (Yestetday was a stressy day with my Son in the police statiom , not f***ing fun. Sorry readers )
You know that's the second BS little attack from you. You twisted my words to try and make out i was a racist . Hardly

Edit
When I said "men and boys " I didn't mean "under age " its a phrase
Like in the song by Raymond
"men and boys you bring them home "

I'm just curious, why hasn't anyone EVER come forward and talked or written about their time with Morrissey? Certainly a shit ton of money could be made for a tell all book? Doesn't anyone want to make money? I have to conclude that these people don't exist.

 

[ZOOM FROM GLOOM]

I'm just curious, why hasn't anyone EVER come forward and talked or written about their time with Morrissey? Certainly a shit ton of money could be made for a tell all book? Doesn't anyone want to make money? I have to conclude that these people don't exist.

Yep. It’s because they don’t exist neither did Morrissey’s secret but ‘legend’ harem of Richards in Camden.

Just more gossip invented by those that think they have the ‘inside scoop’ and ‘know’ Morrissey better than others. Pathetic.

 

[SqueezingMySkull]

Merritt had a great run in the nineties: Get Lost, Charm of the Highway Strip, Future Bible Heroes and of course 69 Love Songs. Since then his songwriting has got too formulaic and samey, even though everything he does is always worth a listen. Even the last one Quickies, which was quite annoying.

Did you miss 50-Song Memoir? It's brilliant and incredibly touching. Not every track, but a lot of it. There's at the very least one incredibly good album in there, but as a whole work, it's kind of astonishing.

I also really disliked Quickies. Oh well.

 

[Eldritch]

Did you miss 50-Song Memoir? It's brilliant and incredibly touching. Not every track, but a lot of it. There's at the very least one incredibly good album in there, but as a whole work, it's kind of astonishing.

I also really disliked Quickies. Oh well.

The 50 Song Memoir is indeed by far the best thing he has done since the millennium. After a long stretch of disappointing albums it was a great surprise. Merritt seems to be at his best in these huge projects, because when he records only 12--14 songs, the result is always somehow lacking.

 

[SqueezingMySkull]

The 50 Song Memoir is indeed by far the best thing he has done since the millennium. After a long stretch of disappointing albums it was a great surprise. Merritt seems to be at his best in these huge projects, because when he records only 12--14 songs, the result is always somehow lacking.

I think we have almost identical opinions on his music. Actually, I is a fantastic album (I also just think it's brave to follow up 69 Love Songs with...ANYTHING, but it's actually REALLY good), and Distortion is like half incredible (I'll Dream Alone may be my favorite song of his), but after that...oh my goodness. Realism has maybe two or three good songs, and the album they put out after just horrified me. The descent into cutesy/jokey/New Yorker-y lyrics overwhelmed everything. What I love about his earlier work, and also 50-Song Memoir, is the laughing through the tears. Same with what Morrissey does. But when he puts out just pure joke songs, I can't stand it.