I was brought up completely sheltered, for much of my childhood secular things were forbidden. However, with my father moving a few hours north, I was now able to explore the world, as my mother gave me the freedom.
At a slumber party when I was 16, a friend had brought some of her sisters records and played them in the background of the darkened room while we all put the world to rights.
Morrissey sang How Soon Is Now and my universe tunnel-visioned. For the first time in my life a mysterious singer bore into the depths of my soul, as though he knew me intimately. There were tears I quietly cried so not to embarrass myself.
I went out and bought a cassette of Rank, it was the only one I could afford, took it home and played it on a loop on my walkman, sleeping all night with it playing over and over. I felt he was revealing the secrets of how I could save myself.
Now in middle age, Morrissey’s lyrics still recalibrate my mind, heart, and soul. When life sends unbearable pressure, when I feel like a stranded jellyfish on the sand, Morrissey’s voice and words swirl around me like a warm ocean, buoy me, remind me that I have always known how to swim.
This devotion is for a lifetime.
– Rebecca White
Letters to Morrissey 