He was the lead singer of The Smiths, one of the most influential alternative bands in the 1980s. The group split up in 1987 and Morrissey started a successful solo career.
His first solo album, Viva Hate was released only six months after The Smiths split, in March 1988. The album's first single "Suedehead" peaked at #5, a higher position than any Smiths single had ever achieved. In 1990, Bona Drag, a collection of his solo singles and b-sides, including popular songs such as "The Last of the Famous International Playboys" and "Everyday is Like Sunday" (which also appears on "Viva Hate")
His second album 1991's Kill Uncle was not as well received as his first, with neither single achieving the Top 20. In 1992, the Mick Ronson-produced Your Arsenal was released and included singles such as "Tomorrow" and "We Hate It When Our Friends Become Successful". A live album, Beethoven Was Deaf, followed in 1993.
In 1994, Morrissey released Vauxhall and I, which contained "The More You Ignore Me, The Closer I Get", his biggest hit in the United States, where it peaked at #46. Later that year, Morrissey also recorded a one-off project with Siouxsie of Siouxsie and the Banshees: they sang in duet on the single Interlude.
After "Vauxhall and I", Morrissey released Southpaw Grammar (1995) and Maladjusted (1997), both of which failed to produce a UK Top 20 single.
A period of musical inactivity followed in the late 90s and early 2000s, which was due to failure in finding a suitable label, according to a 2004 interview with Jools Holland. After seven years without a new album release, You Are the Quarry was released on May 17, 2004 (but one day later in the USA). The first single, Irish Blood, English Heart, was released internationally on May 10, 2004. The single reached number three in its first week of sales in the UK singles chart. To date, this is the highest placing chart position for Morrissey in his entire career as both a solo artist and the lead singer of The Smiths (the 2006 release You Have Killed Me also debuted at number three in its first week in the charts). It has sold over a million copies, making the album his most successful, solo or with The Smiths.
Ringleader Of The Tormentors, produced by former David Bowie producer Tony Visconti, was released in April 2006. The album went straight to the top of the UK Album charts.
Morrissey released a new Greatest Hits collection in February 2008, including two new songs: All You Need Is Me and That’s How People Grow Up, both released as singles. Morrissey is now signed to Decca Records.
In 2009, Morrissey released his latest album, Years of Refusal, which was produced by Jerry Finn, his final production credit before his death. Later in the year, Morrissey released the B-sides collection Swords.
2009 also saw the re-releases of Maladjusted and Southpaw Grammar, two of his most critically maligned albums. The Maladjusted re-release ditched two of its singles, Papa Jack and Roy's Keen, in favour of several other tracks from the period, such as I Can Have Both. Sorrow Will Come in the End, written about Morrissey's vicious legal battle with Smiths drummer Mike Joyce, was also re-instated to the UK edition. Southpaw Grammar retained all of its original tracks, albeit re-sequenced, but recieved the addition of other tracks from that time period, including the new album closer Nobody Loves Us.
Two other Morrissey releases came in 2009; The HMV/Parlophone Singles '88-'95 and Swords, the former a 3 CD compilation of singles and B-sides from Viva Hate through to Vauxhall and I, the latter a compilation of B-sides from You Are The Quarry, Ringleader of the Tormentors, and Years of Refusal.
A new Very Best Of collection was released in 2011, accompanied by a UK tour.
Morrissey's eleventh solo album, 'Low in High School', was released on November 17th, 2017. ' Low in high School' was produced by Joe Chiccarelli same producer as Morrissey’s ‘World Peace is None of Your Business’.
Morrissey's twelth studio album "California Son" is released on 24 May 2019 on the singer's label étienne and licensed on BMG, the album is a collection of cover versions. It is recorded in 2018 by Joe Chiccarelli, a frequent collaborator of Morrissey.
Morrissey's new studio album, I Am Not A Dog On A Chain, is scheduled for March 2020 release by BMG. The album was recorded in St-remy, France, with producer Joe Chiccarelli.
Sunny
Morrissey Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We're really missing you
Oh, and you've only just gone
Oh, well, you punched and fell
Then you felt embarrassed
My heart goes out to you
So I offered love
Oh, what else can I do?
What else can I do?
We're really missing you
We're really missing you
And you've only just gone
So, Sunny, send at least one thoughtful letter
My heart goes out to you
Tell us all how things are so much better
My heart, it left with you
What else can I do?
Oh, they're not forgiving you
And you're not even wrong
Oh, with your jean belt wrapped around your arm
Oh, Sunny, my heart goes out to you
And with a needle pressed onto tight skin
Sunny, I cry when I see where it's taken you
Aah...
I'm here, I won't move
Aah...
I'm here, I won't move
Aah...
I'm here, I will not move
Aah...
The song Sunny by Morrissey is a painfully melancholic tribute to someone who has left this world, presumably due to a drug overdose. The first stanza sets the scene - the singer is mourning the loss of someone very dear to them. The repetition of "We're really missing you" emphasizes the intensity of the grief. Morrissey's voice, solemn and almost monotonous, perfectly captures the pensive mood of the song, while the simple guitar melody reinforces the sadness of the lyrics.
The second stanza reveals the circumstances of the person's death - they punched (perhaps in a fit of anger or frustration?), fell, and got embarrassed. The singer offers love to this person, but it's not enough to save them. "What else can I do?" Morrissey asks, and the question is left hanging in the air. He seems to be wrestling with feelings of guilt and helplessness - couldn't he have done more to prevent this tragedy?
The third stanza is addressed to the deceased person, referred to here as Sunny. The singer implores them to send a letter, to let them know how things are in the afterlife. There's a sense of desperation here - the singer wants to believe that their friend is now in a better place, but they can't be sure. The line "My heart, it left with you" is particularly poignant - it suggests that the singer has been profoundly affected by the loss, and that they feel like a part of them is missing.
In the fourth stanza, Morrissey describes the difficult reality of the situation. "They're not forgiving you / And you're not even wrong" - there's a sense that the world is judging the person who has passed away, and that they're being blamed for their own downfall. The image of the jean belt wrapped around their arm, as if they were trying to shoot up drugs, adds a sense of tragedy and poignancy to the scene. The song ends with the repeated line "I'm here, I won't move" - it's as if the singer is trying to anchor themselves to the present, to remain solid and unshakeable even in the face of such pain.
Line by Line Meaning
We're really missing you
The singer and others are deeply feeling the absence of someone.
Oh, and you've only just gone
The person's departure is recent and has left a significant impact.
Oh, well, you punched and fell
The person fell down after physically attacking someone else.
Then you felt embarrassed
The person was ashamed of their behavior.
My heart goes out to you
The artist empathizes with the person's situation.
So I offered love
The singer extended comfort and support to the person.
And it was not required
The person did not accept or perhaps did not want the singer's love.
Oh, what else can I do?
The artist feels helpless and unsure how to further provide assistance.
So, Sunny, send at least one thoughtful letter
The artist is requesting communication from the person, hoping to hear about their progress.
Tell us all how things are so much better
The artist wants the person to share any positive developments or improvements in their life.
My heart, it left with you
The singer is emotionally attached to the person and misses them terribly.
Oh, they're not forgiving you
Others are unwilling to pardon the person's actions.
And you're not even wrong
Despite not being correct in their behavior, the person deserves mercy from others.
Oh, with your jean belt wrapped around your arm
The person has used their clothing as a makeshift tourniquet for injecting drugs.
And with a needle pressed onto tight skin
The person is engaging in drug use via injection.
Sunny, I cry when I see where it's taken you
The artist is devastated and saddened by the effects of drug use on the person.
Aah... I'm here, I won't move
The artist is committed to remaining loyal and present for the person.
Aah... I'm here, I won't move
The singer reiterates their steadfast presence for the person.
Aah... I'm here, I will not move
The singer will not abandon the person during this difficult time.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ALAIN WHYTE, STEVEN MORRISSEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
SmashingPumpkins
We're really missing you
We're really missing you
Oh, and you've only just gone
Oh, well, you punched and fell
Then you felt embarrassed
My heart goes out to you
So I offered love
And it was not required
Oh, what else can I do?
What else can I do?
We're really missing you
We're really missing you
And you've only just gone
So, Sunny, send at least one thoughtful letter
My heart goes out to you
Tell us all how things are so much better
My heart, it left with you
What else can I do?
Oh, they're not forgiving you
And you're not even wrong
Oh, with your jean belt wrapped around your arm
Oh, Sunny, my heart goes out to you
And with a needle pressed onto tight skin
Sunny, I cry when I see where it's taken you
Aah...
I'm here, I won't move
Aah...
I'm here, I won't move
Aah...
I'm here, I will not move
Aah...
United States of Avalon
Can't listen without shedding a tear for my brother mikey who passed away with a belt around his arm..rip mikey boy and thankyou moz x
Skipraida
robert avalon,as the man says my heart goes out to you!
Drunk Roku
RIP Mikey
Burton Rd Forever 1977
Sorry rob
R W
God bless you 🙏 He's still with you.
HuH WhAt
Condolences
m patrick
2019. it's still my favorite Morrissey song of all time.
Daniel Joe Whitfield
Me too
Heaven bless you, my gentle friend
ShakinFit
Same here!
Juan Manuel Tournet
I agree...but really i can'' t pick just one...so i don't