Popular Culture Review Vol. 5, No. 1, February 1994 | Page 85

The Smiths

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just wants to live his life that way" from "Vicar in a Tutu") or calling
for "shoplifters of the world" to unite.
The stardom of The Smiths and Morrissey is intimately connected
to their privileging of the marginalized. In fact, marginalization can
be considered as a market strategy by the group, a means through
which to maximize their economic success. The blunting of the
political meaning creates songs which most often present
marginalization as a concept or as a means of living within society,
without specifying a role for the listener. The effect is to create
several different possible interpretations of a song. The ambiguity in
the songs offers a range of readings, all of which recount the position
negotiated by outsiders from mainstream society. The translation of
the song into this variety of readings permits a stronger plea for
accepting difference of all kinds. Of course, individual marginalized
groups can read the lyrics as specific to their concerns, thereby
creating a bond between the marginalized group and the star.
Morrissey is clearly interested in maintaining this wide range of
readings, if only to create a more solid economic base for his music.
When questioned on the emphasis on "homosexual longing" in his
lyrics, Morrissey replied, "I've always said that I leave things very
open and that I sing about people. Without limitation. And I don’t
think that automatically makes me a homosexual." When the
interviewer subsequently states, "You’ve always taken offense at that
word . . . , ’’ Morrissey adds, "Because it’s limiting and restrictive.’’^^
This focus on difference in all forms links to the more general
critical interest in accounting for experience outside the dominant
cultural norms. In many respects, Morrissey’s strategy echoes Cornel
West's description of the new cultural politics of difference: "The
new cultural politics of difference . . . are distinct articulations of
talented contributors to culture who desire to align themselves with
demoralized, demobilized, depoliticized and disorganized people in
order to empower and enable social action and, if possible, to enlist
collective insurgency for the expansion of freedom, democracy, and
individuality.’’^ ®
Consider, for example, a song titled "There’s a Place In Hell For
Me And My Friends" from Morrissey’s solo album Kill Uncle. The song
tells of a place "reserved for me and m y friends" which, at first,
seems like paradise: one is never lonely "since when we go/we all
will go"; the place offers "a bit more time, . . . a few more gentler