Know me more than you do

With the excitement of Morrissey’s return to the UK in March having been swiftly followed by lockdown, and the subsequent postponement of any further dates, Morrissey fans have been biding their time amusing themselves online in various ways. One weekly highlight is the Sunday quiz, organised by long-time fan Kristin Collins, based on an idea she borrowed with permission from Julie Hamill’s Mozarmy.

The quiz is always fun, and I’ve had the pleasure of hosting it on several occasions, allowing me to spend even more time filling my head with Morrissey related facts, useful or useless. Thinking of ten questions isn’t too hard, and I’ve even managed to give them a theme on a couple of occasions. So I thought I’d turn ten questions that I haven’t used into a blog post. You might be able to spot the theme.

Q1: Who is featured on the homepage of Morrissey’s website, Morrissey Central?
A: Writer and civil rights activist, James Baldwin. Morrissey has long been an admirer of Baldwin, and as well as featuring him on his website, has also shown clips of him during his pre-show videos, and images of him on the backdrop during the show. In Autobiography, Morrissey describes seeing Baldwin at a hotel in Barcelona in 1986, but being too much in awe of him to approach. He writes of Baldwin,
“His public speeches were intoxicating, his motivational palette of words so full of fireworks that you smile as you listen – not because of humor, but because he was so good at voicing the general truth, with which most struggled.”

Q2: To whom did Morrissey dedicate his 2017 album, Low in High School?
A: Another writer and civil rights activist, Dick Gregory. When Gregory died in 2017, Morrissey wrote this,
“Dick Gregory, America’s last hope, dies, aged 84. He knew how all aspects of the human condition connect to politics. He was a man of thought and a man of action, when most of us cannot manage to be just one of either. He worked breathlessly – work, words, deeds. He demanded for all what was snatched by the few. He disturbed the White House, and he was too quick for the American print media. They will be pleased that he now ceases to be amongst us … as we are left with earth-threatening Trump, who will race into war in search of peace.”

Q3: With whom did Morrissey have a relationship when he was in his forties?
A: Tina Dehghani. Morrissey describes their relationship in Autobiography and writes,
“Tina’s family were forced to Los Angeles when she was two years old, and had lived in Woodland Hills ever since. Her father had been a key figure in the overthrown Iranian government, and if a move to the US had not been made the family would all have been executed.”

Q4: What slogan appeared on Morrissey’s band members’ t-shirts on more than one occasion during his Low in High School tour of 2017-18?
A: The band all appeared in t-shirts bearing the slogan ‘Return of the Black Panthers’, presumably a nod to the American organisation of that name founded in the sixties, known as standing for anti-racism and black nationalism.

Q5: With whom did Morrissey record a duet for one of the songs on his new album, I Am Not A Dog On A Chain?
A: Thelma Houston. “He could not have been more kind, thankful and fun to record with” wrote the American singer about the experience. She also provided live entertainment at Morrissey’s official after-show party at the Hollywood Bowl last year, and was photographed chatting with him during the event, later commenting on social media, “He always welcomes me and my talents with open arms!” She subsequently released a statement to the press declaring, “I don’t believe Morrissey is racist”.

Q6: What Bob Dylan song does Morrissey cover on his 2019 covers album California Son?
A: Only a Pawn in Their Game. In a similar vein to the pre-show videos, California Son is a collection of cover songs believed to have particular importance and significance to Morrissey and to have provided him with inspiration. Dylan’s song is about the murder of civil rights activist Medgar Evers, and possibly also provides the inspiration for the title of Morrisey’s latest album, as the lyrics refer at one point to the poor white man, manipulated to hate his black countrymen by the white politicians, as ‘a dog on a chain’.

Q7: Who recently organised an art exhibition dedicated to and inspired by Morrissey’s work?
A: Elham Art Gallery in the city of Ras Al Khaimah in United Arab Emirates. The exhibition, “To Morrissey, With Love”, took place in December 2019 and involved a collaboration of 17 photographers and 34 models, selected from over 100 entries, who created artworks inspired by Morrissey.
“Our photographers & models were spontaneously experimenting on different concepts based on his albums, such as fashion & anti-fashion, critical thinking, sexism, racism, and the common role-model clichés, loneliness, & mental health issues.”
The event organiser, Hakim Ali Elhaj, Founder and Art Director at Elham Art Gallery, issued the following statement,
“We have been following with concern and shock the unjustified hate campaigns from media towards Morrissey, for being honest and outspoken, accusing him of racism, fascism and hate, and other non-sense. For us at the gallery, as majority of us are Muslims, we believe it is not true what they say about Morrissey, and from my side personally I recall an interview with NME magazine, quote, ‘I would do anything for my Muslim friends, and I know they would do anything for me. As a response from us at the gallery, we decided to stand by Morrissey, as his Muslim friends, to acknowledge we are aware of him as a true and passionate friend, and to tell the world we know he’s not our enemy or hater, and dedicate a group exhibition to him as a thanks for being brave in this cruel world.”

Q8: How did Morrissey change the lyrics of the song Shoplifters of the World Unite when singing the song live during his 2017 tour?
A: He changed the words to ‘Trump-shifters of the world unite’ and ‘4 years is a long time’. He has also been known to wear a ‘Fuck Trump’ badge, and his band members have worn t-shirts bearing the same words.

Q9: What Morrissey song contains the lyrics, “They say ‘To protect and to serve’, but what they really mean to say is ‘Get back to the ghetto.’”?
A: Ganglord. The song was released as a B-side in 2006, and tackles the theme of police brutality and corruption. When Morrissey sings the song live he does so in front of a backdrop of video clips showing police violence, as he has also done with his more recent 2017 song, Who Will Protect Us From The Police?

Q10: How many of Morrissey’s long-time colleagues, associates or friends have said that they think he is racist?
A: None.

Since most of the above is not generally mentioned by the press I’m hoping this quiz isn’t too easy and provides some new and interesting facts to know about Morrissey.
Or perhaps Morrissey fans who already knew all this would like to share it with their friends.
Thanks for taking part!