Hear Morrissey’s Recluse Fight Song, ‘I Wish You Lonely’
Morrissey‘s lyric video for “I Wish You Lonely” begins with the image of young boy sitting in a shopping cart with a sign that says “My parents are a handful.” It’s a satirical juxtaposition to the former Smiths vocalist’s new song, which looks at selfishness as a mode of self-preservation.
“Tombs are full of fools who gave their lives upon command of monarchs, oligarchs, heads of state, and potentate,” Morrissey sings in the first verse. He repeats and alters it successively to include other society menaces like “romance gone wrong,” heroin and whale hunting.
The song, from his new album, Low in High School, is arranged with the pop and vigor of a fight song for people on the varsity recluse team. It’s rife with rousing synths propelled by a steady backbeat.
Morrissey spoke to Rolling Stone last month about how the new album would have, as “Lonely” does, “endless hooks” paired with “a rage in the blood.” His rage, as always, is directed at world leaders. “The political elite has stopped breathing,” said Morrissey. “The people and politicians everywhere are openly in a state of mutual contempt. Translate all of this into great music and life becomes hopeful.”
Morrissey begins a brief North American tour promoting Low in High School that begins on Halloween in Portland, Oregon and wraps up December 7th in Boston.