To get Morrissey to agree to an interview is no small feat and for him to actually show up (at a celebrity cemetery no less) is even more rare. Do yourselves a favor and read Cameron Bird’s interview with Morrissey for Filter posted on Monday. It’s one of the best talks with the cryptic crooner that I’ve come across in the past couple years.
Morrissey seems to be deeply, and understandably, changed by the tragic sudden death of producer Jerry Finn before the release of the record they made together, Years of Refusal. He even seems more despondent and cynical than usual, musing on topics about death, the state of art, and this interesting bit about poet Anne Sexton:
“…the outside of her body had no relation to what was inside. So, for me, she’s steeped in mystery and interest. And, of course, she ended her life, which is greatly dignified.”
“You think so?” Bird asks.
“Well, it’s dignified in the sense that there’s only one thing we actually control in our lives and it’s whatever’s inside this envelope. It’s all we control. We’re taught to believe that power is outside of us and that other people know better, and they’re all authority figures. And the police know something that we don’t. It’s absolute rubbish—it isn’t true. We control this, absolutely and entirely. If we decide it’s time not to be here, that’s a decision of great dignity.”
Seriously, if you’re a fan of The Smiths, Morrissey, or classic interviews, just click here.