Label: Attack/Lost Highway
When the name Morrissey is mentioned, people have one of two reactions- they think his music is either dark, gloomy and depressing, or that he is a man who just "gets" what life is and is not going to bullshit it.
"Years of Refusal" opens with "Something Is Squeezing My Skull," where he says that he is doing very well and that “I know by now you think I should have straightened myself out, thank you, drop dead.” That's the sense of humor that makes Morrissey great. He also goes on to say that there are “no true friends in modern life”, but I guess there are lots of drugs to help like diazepam, temazepam, lithium and HRT!
"You Were Good In Your Time" is a track about letting go of someone who has had their time in the sun. I got the feeling listening to this song that Morrissey could be talking about an entertainer who was there when you needed him, and as Morrissey says “You made me feel less alone, you made me feel not quire so deformed, uniformed and hunchback.” Personally, The Smith’s song "How Soon Is Now," gave me the same the feeling that Morrissey is describing.
"Years of Refusal" also includes "All You Need Is Me," which was also on his Greatest Hits collection that came out in 2008. The song is good and contains Morrissey’s dark sense of humor. “There is so much destruction all over the world and all you can do is complain about me, You bang your head against the wall and say you’re sick of it all yet you remain ‘cause all you need is me.”
Call me bias because I am a fan, but Morrissey still pulls no punches in his message.
