Quote Originally Posted by p4pking View Post
Each their own, I'm not sure he has an original thought in his head though. If Oscar Wilde weren't funny, charming, insightful or a talented writer Morrissey would be a carbon copy.
I don't think many people have truly original ideas though, so I wouldn't blame Morrissey for that. I think people like Einstein are an exception, but in terms of language and opinions, I find it hard to imagine a truly original thinker.

For me, what Morrissey has done is what Lou Reed has done. In the case of Reed he was putting alternative views into the rock lyric. The topics were nothing new to anyone who had read a DeSade or Burroughs book, but in terms of rock, it was something new. I think Morrissey in a similar way, but using an entirely different lexicon, introduced something new into the rock lyric, obviously using his own influences.

Also, if we are to talk about Wilde being so unique, talented and clever (which he was), one should also point out his own influences. His first book of poems was widely slated as being derivative and manipulating a voice, rather than having a voice. It took Wilde a long, long time to find his own way with words and for a long time was known for having long hair and velvet trousers, rather than anything he actually did. For a man known for being so intelligent, it is also interesting to read many of his letters to new lovers using exactly the same language. Oscar Wilde was not above following a formula and an excessive use of the word 'charming'. He was a very naughty boy.