I’m Throwing My Arms Around Paris

Ahh, but does he mean the city or the socialite? WE MAY NEVER KNOW. After all, there are an awful lot of purse-sized dogs in this video.

I was recently discussing the career trajectories of Morrissey & Johnny Marr with Keath & Ceci. Keath thought Marr made the more risky and interesting creative choices, while Morrissey played it safe. I, on the other hand, felt that even though Marr had made some daring choices, there’s never been any real payoff for those choices, so they aren’t as admirable as they are regrettable. Valid points were made for both views, but one thing I will admit is that Morrissey does have a distinctive pattern he sticks to. This new song could just as easily be a Morrissey track from 15 years ago to someone who didn’t follow him that closely. He found his comfort zone long ago.

Of course, then I realize – he’s Morrissey. There’s a certain latitude I’ll grant the man just to hear his glorious croon. It doesn’t matter quite so much that the song itself isn’t earth-shattering or that the lyrics are a bit clumsy (though always heartfelt). I think it’s comparable to a subject Marcy was recently mulling over on her blog – TV/film continuity errors. If you’re watching a bad movie – MST3K style – you tend to notice every goof the producers have made. Every botched line, every fruit cup that mysteriously turns into a fruit plate and then back again, every boom mike that accidentally makes it into a finished shot. But if you’re really enjoying something, if you’re fully immersed in the world the film maker has created, you either don’t notice those same errors or you find yourself far more forgiving of them.

I’m pretty sure that covers my feelings on Morrissey. He may stumble here and there, but I’m sold on the big picture.

Morrissey – I’m Not Sorry
From You Are The Quarry

Tags: morrissey