Friday, September 21, 2018

Morrissey: November Spawned a Monster (1990)

Untitled
Poor twisted child
So ugly, so ugly
Poor twisted child

There is a Canadian connection to the title track: Mary Margaret O'Hara sings backing vocals, and is responsible for all of that baby wailing in the background. Once again, a b-side -- He Knows I'd Love to See Him -- appears on Bona Drag. The other b-side is Girl Least Likely To.

From Wikipedia:
"The song tackles the plight of the disabled, an unusual subject matter for a pop single. As ever with Morrissey the tone and sentiments are riddled with ambiguity. His use of words such as 'monster' and 'twisted' creates a strange mix of revulsion, sympathy and black comedy, all used to enlighten, and disturb, the audience. By forcing the ambivalent persona of tormentor and saviour, Morrissey forces the listener to confront their own prejudices head on." [source]
I honestly didn't get that until I read that segment on Wikipedia. I assumed that this song was some sort of bizarre sequel to This Night Has Opened My Eyes. I always thought that a normal baby was synonymous with monster. To some people, I suppose that's the truth. The video is perplexing and has absolutely no bearing on the theme of the song. I do not like this video.

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