Fan Interview With Marianne

Just who exactly is a Morrissey fan?

A Fan interview with Marianne, 39, Canada

Why are you a loyal fan of Morrissey?

I found Morrissey later in life than a lot of other fans, I was 33 years old. Up until then, I had never come across anyone, anywhere, who had spoken to me in the way he has: it was as if someone finally made sense to the deepest parts of my mind and heart- and – after all these years, I was finally less alone. How can I not feel loyal to someone who has done so much for me? Morrissey’s art goes beyond anything I’ve ever known, and I also believe he has a very special relationship with his fans: he truly appreciates us.

What is it that resonates between you and him?

I think Morrissey is a truly authentic individual – he speaks of both the outer and inner world as he sees and feels them. There is a lot of forced positivity crammed down our throats in life, and I find THAT depressing, so to me, it is strange when people consider Morrissey’s music to be “a downer” or whatever nonsense people who don’t get him say. One of the things I love most about Morrissey is that he isn’t afraid to say things like “life is a pigsty,” “the world is full of crashing bores,” or “Earth is the loneliest planet.” To me, that is extremely liberating… and with that honesty, he has moments of hope and humour woven through his lyrics and writing. His views on life resonate with me, and I think he captures so brilliantly the complexity of human emotion in a world that can be very abrasive to the sensitive spirit.

How has he inspired you?

Morrissey has inspired me to stand up for my own heart and mind in a world that seems to demand just the opposite. I find he is a very brave person.

What is it about his songs that inspire you? Strengthen you? Entertain you?

A lot of Morrissey’s songs speak to me about my own mental health struggles. His lyrics have helped me feel much less alone, and even accepted, and brave. So, Someone letting me know I’m not alone in how I feel makes me feel stronger, and emboldens me.

Life Is A Pigsty is my all-time favourite Morrissey song, I mean, who else has ever said THAT? That song has made me cry, comforted me, even made me laugh at times – it just encaptures the absurd state of life so well. I feel incredibly fortunate to have him sing it live. I also really love Home Is A Question Mark, as I’m always searching for a sense of home and what that means.

What cause has he inspired you to pursue?

Morrissey has really brought a lot of inspiration and changes to my life. He inspired me to take up writing again, the pleasure of which I had lost to academia after years of writing essays in University. He reunited me with a love for words, and creative writing.

Thanks to his message about animal rights, I have also since gone vegetarian, and now vegan. As a lifelong animal lover, I finally accepted the hypocrisy of saying you love animals, yet still continuing to eat them… it just doesn’t make sense … and we can see the horrific effect eating animals is having on the world now. He also helped me overcome a lifelong fear of spiders, and now I even keep a few in my house and name them – one, Moogly, has lived here almost 3 years on the windowsill. Let’s be honest – spiders just want to live their lives just like we do!

I could probably keep going, but one more thing I will add is that Morrissey has inspired me to travel all over the world, and I’ve made many new friends thanks to him and following the tour. In the last few years I’ve been everywhere from Saskatoon, to Berlin, to Buenos Aires, and who knows if I would have ever visited these places if it wasn’t for him?

Do you have a story about when you met him?

I really hope I do meet him one day, but I haven’t yet. I have been very lucky, though, to have been front row at many shows, and he has extended great kindness towards me from the stage, shaking my hand, and giving me smiles. He has also worn some presents I have given him, which means the absolute world to me. These have been some of the most beautiful moments of my life, and I cherish them.

Do you have a story about how you discovered him?

A casual Smiths fan I know had his music playing one summer evening, and I was so immediately enamoured, I bought a number of his records the very next day. In late 2014 I read Autobiography and that had a massive impact on me too, so when he came near me on his summer tour in 2015, I went to see him in concert for the first time. Since then, I’ve tried to go to as many gigs as I could, and even started writing about him on my own blog.

Have you got any tattoos that are inspired by him?

I don’t have any Morrissey related tattoos yet, but would love to get his signature tattooed on me one day, and some lyrics too.

Anything else you would like to add?

Morrissey singing at the Hollywood Bowl in 2019

Vancouver in 2019

Please feel free to check out my Morrissey blog! https://mozzermatters.blogspot.com/

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Just Who Exactly Is a Morrissey Fan?