This Charming Man...

I've spent today playing The Smiths and humming along to them. I've been a fan ever since my days as a student in Cardiff in the early 80s. I saw them at the Mayfair, Swansea, in 1984. I was enthralled by Morrissey's image: National Health glasses and hearing aid - not sure what that says about me...?

I remember pushing my way to the front at that gig in Swansea and, as the guitar intro to This Charming Man started, I thrust my hand toward Morrissey, who, squatting at the front of the stage, grabbed it and held it for the entire duration of the song.

With all the sweaty pushing and shoving at the front, the dye from my black belt had run into my new white trousers. I didn't care; Morrissey had just held my hand and sung This Charming Man to me. I was in love! I could have died there and then and my life would have been worth it. To quote another Smiths song:

And if a double-decker bus
Crashes into us
To die by your side
Is such a heavenly way to die
And if a ten ton truck
Kills the both of us
To die by your side
Well the pleasure, the privilege is mine

You've got to love that mix angst and humour. I don't get those people who write him off as miserable - they're not listening closely enough. I think his songs are painful and real and funny.

Morrissey once did an interview where he was asked what he thought of TATU's cover of How Soon Is Now? Morrissey said that he thought that it was magnificent but admitted that he did not know too much about TATU. The interviewer explained, "They're teenage Russian lesbians." To which Morrissey replied, "Well, aren't we all?

I'll leave you with a video of This Charming Man.

Today's run at 15:01
Distance	4.01 km	Time	22:04
Pace	5:30 min/km	Cadence	79 spm
Comments: Clear and sunny.