Today is Morrissey's birthday so I thought I'd take the opportunity to talk about another hero in my life. I first got into Morrissey and The Smiths when I was around 15. I can't really remember exactly why or how I started listening to The Smiths but I remember the effect that their music had on me. It sounds like one of those stupid cliched lines "they're music changed my life" but when it comes to The Smiths, in many ways it really did. When I first really got into them was at the time when my depression was at its worst. I attached my own meaning to Morrissey's beautiful lyrics and found that almost every song was heart-wrenching and eye-opening. For some reason, the thought that someone else had felt a similar pain to what I was feeling was comforting for me. Now, whenever I listen to Morrissey singing, every song has some form of emotional attachment for me. I can ignore all his flaws just for that incredible nostalgic euphoria that I feel at the sound of his voice.
Where to start? in 1984, I used to listen to a show on Radio 1 on a Monday evening at 8pm. Every week these bands came on and I didn't pay much attention - until The Smiths had their turn. My god, I had never heard anything like them - this man: Morrissey knew what it was like to be me! I fell in love with them, devouring every record they released in those brilliant duo-tone covers; reading every interview I could find. I cried the day they split up, and nothing could ever be the same again.
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