Not that it’s anything new, but Morrissey hasn’t been doing his image any favors recently. His support of the far-right For Britain party has led to a lot of fan backlash and the world’s oldest record store banning his music. Despite the cringeworthy press, Moz’s former bandmate Johnny Marr isn’t worried about how all the hubbub might affect The Smiths’ legacy.
Speaking with NME ahead of his performance at All Points East, Marr addressed whether he thought Morrissey’s behavior might lead younger generations to spurn The Smiths’ catalog. “I don’t think you can change history,” Marr said. “I’m not worried. It’s got nothing to do with my world or my life. The songs are out there for people to judge, relate to and hear.”
(Read: Ranking: Every Song by The Smiths from Worst to Best)
He continued,
“I think that’s all going to be forgotten in a few weeks, as these things inevitably are – for better or worse. It’s always been that way. I understand the issue, but I’m used to stuff coming and going. I don’t worry about people missing out on the culture. That would be like saying to a teenage me, ‘Are you worried about you and your mates missing out on The Velvet Underground?’ That was never going to happen. I know the way things go. Things come and go.”
Leaving Morrissey behind, Marr touched on a number of other topics in the chat. He said he’d love Robert Downey Jr. to play him in a biopic, and revealed that he’s had offers to adapt his autobiography, Set the Boy Free, into a film. “I’ll maybe look at that next year,” he teased.
As for new music, Marr promised a “psychedelic guitar” single coming in six weeks, with a new solo album following shortly after. He also said he’s “hoping to get in the studio with Maxine Peake again,” having collaborated with the singer-songwriter on 2017’s “The Priest”. Marr recently released a new song/video called “Armatopia”.
