Johnny Marr interview in Dutch newspaper De Volkskrant; mentions Smiths split

‘Bij alles wat ik deed stonden fans en journalisten te luisteren of het wel genoeg op The Smiths leek’ - De Volkskrant

Some interesting comments by Marr on The Smiths split. Please note: these are (amateurish) translations from a (journalists) translation in Dutch.

"The best decision I ever made was running away from The Smiths. I never regretted it, it really was done. Always when somebody calls again: gee, what a shame, I think: dude, you should know. The chemistry between Morrissey and me had worked out. We weren't friends, the only thing that tied us were shared musical preferences. When we could no longer find each other in music, it was done."

"I initially laughed at Morrisseys sarcasm and was touched by his strong anti-macho texts. But after five years of references to Oscar Wilde and sixties films, I was slightly done with it. I myself read J.G. Ballard and William S. Burroughs. I loved dystopian literature. Morrissey was actually more romantic."

"Morrissey and I were different in almost anything. Always. OK, thanks to his lyrics to Meat Is Murder, I stopped eating meat, but otherwise I've never attached much value to his opinions. All I can say is that The Smiths stood up for the rightless and the oppressed, the marginalized ones in our society because of their sexual orientation, race or descent. That is what The Smiths stood for. And we called ourselves leftwing. Morrissey engaging himself with disseminators of hatred is horrible, but I have felt so far away from him for so long that I can't really worry about it. What he does, says or sings, doesn't interest me. And please note: even he can not rewrite our history. I do not recognize anything in him what we once stood for as a band. "

 

[Charlie Cheswick]

He was hardly ever gentle and kind though. Wasn’t he always the bigmouth. I don’t think much of what he said in the smiths is different from how he feels now. Now he’s just talking about different topics

There is that, from being on the side of the underdog to bashing the underdog although I think there's more to it than that. Jewish people and Muslims tend to have a bit of a hate for each other. I think Morrissey just picked a side in that.

He was quite happy for morrissey to protect their interests in court against Joyce, and to let him do the talking as usual if he wasn't that interested in morrissey s opinion!
If he wants to distance himself from morrissey then he should talk about something else.
He strikes me as being a tad disingenuous in writing off their history together. I had more respect for him in the interviews where he doesn't diss morrissey or even reference him at all.
He's not protecting The Smiths legacy,, it will always stand in its own right no matter what's said by anyone 30 year's later. The Smiths will always belong to the fans.and the truth and beauty if the lyrics will always resonate.
Like that Haslam man, he's promoting his bit of a career.
O well enough said.

Marr said he didn't really agree with either side in the court case.

 

[Charlie Cheswick]

That was so “leftwing” of Marr yes, trying to deny the other half of the smiths their due pay.

He isn't the one who ran off never to come back because he lost. Unlike Scroogemoz who ran off to be an immigrant despite being anti-immigration so he wouldn't have to pay up.

 

[Anonymous]

That was so “leftwing” of Marr yes, trying to deny the other half of the smiths their due pay.

What are you talking about? Marr paid up, Morrissey was the one who didn't.

 

[MiserableLie95]

I wouldn't want to align myself with Morrissey either these days, but Johnny really makes me lose respect for him by garnering more attention to himself/his new album by talking shit on his former bandmate... Just say "no comment", man.

 

[Lustman]

Surface all my respect ! Are we the only ones who noticed the nazi scum of Urbanus the SS?
I think it's high time someone blocks wiews like these on that forum.
In France , I'll take Urbanus the SS to court with his comments.

I don't like urbanus comments but i sure that France becomes the Most fascist country in western Europe for the freedom of speech

 

[Lustman]

So sad but perhaps it's just another Fake news from a german journalist. I Hope so, in my dream they were a gang until the
queen is dead
After that the story was already ended.

 

[Amy]

"When he met me, he knew we were different in the way we expressed ourselves, but the most important thing to him spiritually was the most important thing to me spiritually. You can’t be that close with someone for that length of time and go through what we went through on a minute-by-minute basis without having the ultimate connection.

"I know it sounds very poetic, but that’s what kept us together. Only he and I know that something like a fight or a difference in lifestyles or court cases or who said what in the press about who, or what fans might say, is pretty small change compared to the connection we have. It’s very deep. In short, there’s a very big part of him that I understand. And he knows it"
-Johnny Marr, Magnet Magazine, 2002.

Like I said, bullshit.

 

[Sidnettle]

But did Morrissey continually reference Oscar Wilde for 5 years? Really?

...or even longer

 

[vegan.cro spirit #999]

That was so “leftwing” of Marr yes, trying to deny the other half of the smiths their due pay.

The left wing is responsible for whatever few cds Drama J sells. All the glowing reviews in the left wing
rags, while peeps had figured out by listening to the first couple of drecky tracks that it was another
sucko Drama J release.
Mediocrity=

He should just retire. No need for more sucky cds.

 

[URBANUS]

Urbanus , you already talked bullshit before but now you prove you are a revisionist wanker and a nazi scum. A disgrace on that forum. Where are the moderators by the way?

Get lost . f*** off

It never happend and the evidence is overwhelming to say the least. Please explain why the only camp that did not have any jews but instead only gypsies still has not memorial sign and was turned into a pig farm.
If there is one thing I know it is that the holocaust as it has been presented did not happen that way and I have met survivors including dads colleague at the steel factory warehouse who showed me his number on his arm.

Those who claim it happened never ever studied the facts for themselves and we owe it to people to examine the evidence and yes I am a revisionist. It matters if 3 died instead of 5 in a car crash.

 

[URBANUS]

Urbanus and Jean Marie le Pen are in fact the same person !

She turned down my proposal.

 

[URBANUS]

Some people just make me puke
Urbanus on the guillotine
When will you die

Soon I hope!

Suicice by cop.

 

[URBANUS]

You absolute c***!

Wish I had one, would be playing with it all day and night.

 

[Thewlis]

"When he met me, he knew we were different in the way we expressed ourselves, but the most important thing to him spiritually was the most important thing to me spiritually. You can’t be that close with someone for that length of time and go through what we went through on a minute-by-minute basis without having the ultimate connection.

"I know it sounds very poetic, but that’s what kept us together. Only he and I know that something like a fight or a difference in lifestyles or court cases or who said what in the press about who, or what fans might say, is pretty small change compared to the connection we have. It’s very deep. In short, there’s a very big part of him that I understand. And he knows it"
-Johnny Marr, Magnet Magazine, 2002.

Thanks, great quote. Poetic ánd romantic!

 

[URBANUS]

Surface all my respect ! Are we the only ones who noticed the nazi scum of Urbanus the SS?
I think it's high time someone blocks wiews like these on that forum.
In France , I'll take Urbanus the SS to court with his comments.

You fear the truth cause you know you all guarded a lie.

 

[URBANUS]

No one denies the camps existed but many of us question the way it has been portrayed. The Red Cross list clearly state the death toll in each camp and it's just over 270.000.

 

[URBANUS]

But ok then 6 million jews died and everyone is happy with that number. Doesn't that mean the nazis won though?

Hmmmm

 

[Anonymous]

"When he met me, he knew we were different in the way we expressed ourselves, but the most important thing to him spiritually was the most important thing to me spiritually. You can’t be that close with someone for that length of time and go through what we went through on a minute-by-minute basis without having the ultimate connection.

"I know it sounds very poetic, but that’s what kept us together. Only he and I know that something like a fight or a difference in lifestyles or court cases or who said what in the press about who, or what fans might say, is pretty small change compared to the connection we have. It’s very deep. In short, there’s a very big part of him that I understand. And he knows it"
-Johnny Marr, Magnet Magazine, 2002.

Like I said, bullshit.

This article, as the poster mentions, could just be translated badly. Johnny is usually very carefully diplomatic with his choice of words.

 

[URBANUS]

Johnny Marr head on the bar never got a license so he cannot even drive a car.

Fooking tosser. How gay was he onstage with those hip moves?

 

[Peppermint]

"When he met me, he knew we were different in the way we expressed ourselves, but the most important thing to him spiritually was the most important thing to me spiritually. You can’t be that close with someone for that length of time and go through what we went through on a minute-by-minute basis without having the ultimate connection.

"I know it sounds very poetic, but that’s what kept us together. Only he and I know that something like a fight or a difference in lifestyles or court cases or who said what in the press about who, or what fans might say, is pretty small change compared to the connection we have. It’s very deep. In short, there’s a very big part of him that I understand. And he knows it"
-Johnny Marr, Magnet Magazine, 2002.

Like I said, bullshit.

That's pretty conclusive. And long enough after the event to be a rational, reasoned comment.