Personal feelings for Morrissey aside, he has released a ton of music, both with The Smiths and as a solo artist, that I can’t help but adore. It’s actually kind of difficult to even narrow it down for an entry today, but there’s just always been something about the morose and maudlin “Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me” from 1987’s Strangeways, Here We Come.
Beginning with a slightly discordant and reverbed piano riff accompanied by echoed crowd noise in the background, the song shifts instantly into melodramatic, lovelorn requiem, the sudden blast of a synthesized orchestra hit cueing the artist’s lonesome lament. Listening to “Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me” now, it’s really easy to see why The Smiths’ and Morrissey’s catalogs resonate so intensely with young music fans. Morrissey effortlessly captures that kind of teenage outsider zeitgeist, parlaying notions of alienation and sour feelings into wonderfully relatable (and damn good) pop. It’s almost like an Emily Dickinson poem come to life.
So yeah, Morrissey makes wonderful music. He’s adept at touching your soul with his lyrics, maybe making you feel like you’re not alone in this world.
But, he’s also an asshole.
Listen below, our Daily Jam.
