Reader Meets Author

[goinghome]

A friend was reading old NME's Nick Kent's recent book Apathy For The Devil and said that Kent claimed that Morrissey's song Reader Meets Author is about him not answering Morrissey's letters to him in the '70s.

Pardon me if everyone knows this already, or for any other trespass unknowingly committed herewith...

 

[vaca peluda]

I didn't know this, goinghome. Now the song makes a lot of sense because I always thought it was written about either: A) Morrissey not responding to fans letters, or B) Morrissey's letters not being answered by a member of the New York Dolls.

Thanks!

 

[goinghome]

I didn't know this, goinghome. Now the song makes a lot of sense because I always thought it was written about either: A) Morrissey not responding to fans letters, or B) Morrissey's letters not being answered by a member of the New York Dolls.

Thanks!

Your appreciation is much appreciated, vaca peluda. It's also interesting to learn about the other theories you mention.

Best to you!

 

[dailyalice]

I hadn't ever though of it as referring to a particular person. I always assumed it was Moz complaining about the author of novels or news pieces presenting themselves on experts on people's live while their own lives in no way reflected what their subjects experienced. Moz reads enough that I imagine he could have seen it as a recurring theme.

 

[King Leer]

I tend not to get too obscure when looking at the meaning behind Morrissey songs. To paraphrase what Spencer once said (one of the few times a member of his solo band commented on song meanings), it's all right under your nose. Occam's razor and all.

It wouldn't surprise me if Reader was about an actual encounter (like William..., Found Found Found, etc.). I had taken it to be about the relationship between Morrissey and his fans with a slight change in vocation. The only line that doesn't strike me as something Moz would say about himself is running away from a fight.

It could also be weaving in the relationship of Morrissey and his critics, from both sides.

Definitely one of Morrissey's stronger album tracks from the 90s.

 

[JD93]

Deleted

 

[sistasheila]

i do recall him saying in an interview sth along the line that its about middleclass journallists who pretend to be working class

 

[Qvist]

I tend not to get too obscure when looking at the meaning behind Morrissey songs. To paraphrase what Spencer once said (one of the few times a member of his solo band commented on song meanings), it's all right under your nose. Occam's razor and all.

It wouldn't surprise me if Reader was about an actual encounter (like William..., Found Found Found, etc.). I had taken it to be about the relationship between Morrissey and his fans with a slight change in vocation. The only line that doesn't strike me as something Moz would say about himself is running away from a fight.

If so that is ironic, because he has been known, when playing this song live, to change the lyrics to "I'd be the first away/because I'm that type".

To the thread in general - as usual I'm averse to hunting "what it's about", because I think it's pointless to treat a pop lyric as if it was a recording of a straightforward event expressed in inconveniently obfuscating code.

As far as I can understand, the lyric expresses the sentiment that it is fundamentally fraudulent to write with apparent identification about people you know nothing about and whose lives you wouldn't dare to share. Whether this extends to self-critique or questioning of his own writing is a very interesting possibility. Whether it refers wholly or partly to some specific other person, or experiences with fan letters, or to specific events Morrissey may have personally experienced, totally isn't.

cheers

 

[Worm]

A friend was reading old NME's Nick Kent's recent book Apathy For The Devil and said that Kent claimed that Morrissey's song Reader Meets Author is about him not answering Morrissey's letters to him in the '70s.

Pardon me if everyone knows this already, or for any other trespass unknowingly committed herewith...

I don't think the song is about Nick Kent, and furthermore if Kent said this he was probably joking.

 

[King Leer]

Good point about the lyric change. My observation was just based on what type of person Morrissey is (or what I think he is) -- not backing down.

Speaking of which, a list of live lyric changes would be good. Obviously there are one-offs and piss-takes but some are quite consistent like the one you mentioned and Walkman->iPod etc.

If so that is ironic, because he has been known, when playing this song live, to change the lyrics to "I'd be the first away/because I'm that type".

To the thread in general - as usual I'm averse to hunting "what it's about", because I think it's pointless to treat a pop lyric as if it was a recording of a straightforward event expressed in inconveniently obfuscating code.

As far as I can understand, the lyric expresses the sentiment that it is fundamentally fraudulent to write with apparent identification about people you know nothing about and whose lives you wouldn't dare to share. Whether this extends to self-critique or questioning of his own writing is a very interesting possibility. Whether it refers wholly or partly to some specific other person, or experiences with fan letters, or to specific events Morrissey may have personally experienced, totally isn't.

cheers

 

[jackson]

Its about Johnny Rogan.

 

[A Lonely Soul]

Its about Johnny Rogan.

That's what I thought. One of my favourites nevertheless. Had a ritual of listening to this song before every exam I did and was the first song I heard Morrissey sing live during a soundcheck.

 

[Qvist]

It's about Johnny Rogan, right. Well, that's all sorted out then, next song please. Good thing too, I won't have to waste energy actually trying to experience anything when I listen to the lyrics, I can just think "Oh, it's about Johnny Rogan. What a wanker he must be."

Come on - even apart from the inherent hopelessness of interpreting lyrics as banal paraphrases, that doesn't even make any sense from a literal point of view. Does The Smiths fit the description of the sort of people the lyric's writer is writing about? The sort of people who live hopeless and violent lives in a place where Rogan wouldn't dare to drive?

cheers

 

[Electrophone]

For some reason I thought this was about Richard Allen, who wrote those skinhead books.

 

[death below the stairs]

A friend was reading old NME's Nick Kent's recent book Apathy For The Devil and said that Kent claimed that Morrissey's song Reader Meets Author is about him not answering Morrissey's letters to him in the '70s.

Pardon me if everyone knows this already, or for any other trespass unknowingly committed herewith...

Yeah, I flicked through Mr Kents book and saw this. I don't think the song is about him though, I think Mr Kent (the egotist he is) is just trying to steal glory.
I do like that song, I always wish he would have wrote it sooner. As it stands Pulps common people was a much better attack on class tourism and Jarvis got in there first.
That said common people is hard on the ears- Jarv isn't the best singer in the world.