Morrissey

""Irish blood, English heart

This I'm made of

There is no one on Earth I'm afraid of

And no regime can buy or sell me""

Morrissey is a British singer and lyricist who first became known when he emerged in the early 80s as the lead singer of The Smiths. He went solo shortly after the breakup of the group in 1987 and has been going strong ever since.

His controversial opinions about subjects ranging from immigration to vegetarianism, as well as his contrary and somewhat arrogant nature, mean that he is very much the type you either love or hate. Although misanthropic, he is charming and genuinely affectionate towards devotees and the few people who have gained his trust.

Many are of the opinion that his music has a lot of subtext, though Moz himself has said that he believes that sexual orientation doesn't matter. Indeed, his lyrics tend to be gender- (and thus orientation-) neutral. Despite - or perhaps due to - his desire for privacy, debate still rages on as to his sexual orientation. Is he gay? Bisexual? Asexual? The best answer is perhaps simply that he's Morrissey.

His fans tend to be very loyal, much to the annoyance of the music press and some non-fans.

Discography:

 * Viva Hate (1988)
 * Kill Uncle (1991)
 * Your Arsenal (1992)
 * Vauxhall and I (1994)
 * Southpaw Grammar (1995)
 * Maladjusted (1997)
 * You Are The Quarry (2004)
 * Ringleader of the Tormentors (2006)
 * Years of Refusal (2009)

His non-album singles and b-sides are collected on:
 * Bona Drag (1990)
 * World of Morrissey (1995)
 * My Early Burglary Years (1998)
 * Swords (2009)

The man and his work feature examples of:
"Me without clothes?/Well a nation turns its back and gags"
 * Adorkable
 * All Love Is Unrequited: "I Don't Mind If You Forget Me"
 * Ambiguously Gay
 * Asexuality: Possibly. Tends to be rather negative towards engaging in sexual activity. In an early letter to a penpal, he remarked "I hate sex".
 * Author Appeal: Ruffians and serial killers
 * Celibate Hero: In the 80s. Recently, he tends to just sidestep the issue of his sexuality.
 * Covert Pervert
 * Deadpan Snarker
 * Even the Guys Want Him: Straight men seem to be the most likely to jump onstage at concerts to hug or kiss him.
 * Gayngst
 * Gender Is No Object
 * Last Note Nightmare: "Margaret On The Guillotine" - nice calm music and then, at the end... the title event.
 * Long Title: Many, often full sentences - prompting Elvis Costello to remark that he writes good titles, but forgets to write the songs.
 * Lyrical Dissonance
 * Metaphor Is My Middle Name: "Action Is my Middle Name"
 * Refuge in Audacity: Who else would release a song called "I Have Forgiven Jesus"?
 * Nerd Glasses: Wears them sometimes.
 * Only One Name: Goes by his surname.
 * Self Deprecation: "Late Night, Maudlin Street" (among others)


 * Shirtless Scene: At pretty much every concert.
 * Take That: Often. Better-known targets include Robert Smith, the British royal family, and Jamie Oliver.
 * Three Minutes of Writhing: The video for November Spawned a Monster.