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Morrissey - Interesting Drug

If you haven't been following nostalgic alternative rock news, Morrissey (Bigmouth Strikes Again) is currently embroiled in a public relations debacle resulting from last month's interview with Zer Spiegel wherein he made some uncomfortable and half-baked statements about sexual assault. If you're interested in catching up on the situation, it's here.

 I've always enjoyed Morrissey's defiance of the status quo with his music. Throughout his work with the Smiths and as a solo artist, he's expressed brash opinions about animal rights, war, celibacy, sexual identity, royalty and even toyed with English pride and Britishness (which, for many fans, went too far). Morrissey is a pop singer and has continually employed sarcasm and irony in his music. He also toys with ambiguity. I like Morrissey when he uses lyrics and music to provoke our thinking. He tends to completely bungle interviews, coming off as a both a narcissist and hypocrite. That's not to say that he hasn't given some of the most entertaining interviews in the history of pop music.

With tonight's song choice I'd like to steer away from analyzing Morrissey 2017 and delve into his music from the late 80s. Interesting Drug, is a funky little pop song with a bitter bite. Released as a single, post-Viva Hate, the tune is a scathing criticism of conservative politics. I felt it might be a nice listen for anyone coping with feelings of bewilderment in the wake of our current GOP tax reform.

 "There are some bad people on the rise 
There are some bad people on the rise 
They're saving their own skins by 
Ruining other people's lives 
Bad, bad people on the rise"

Here's a recent cover by Chicago, power-pop act, OK Go. On January 18, they uploaded the tune to their YouTube page with the following message:

 "We recorded a cover of Morrissey's 'Interesting Drug' — it seems like the right soundtrack for this moment. No matter how anxious or angry you are, try to turn your passion into something good for the world. We're in this together."

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