Morrissey

About

Morrissey is a song by Robbie Williams from his album Britpop. The track stands out as one of the record’s most overtly playful moments, blending cultural reference with self aware humour.

The song was written by Williams with Gary Barlow among the songwriting team. Their collaboration marked a notable reunion between the former Take That bandmates, this time framed around satire rather than introspection. The writing plays with Williams’ long standing relationship to British pop culture and his position within it.

Lyrically, Morrissey adopts an exaggerated narrative voice, using irony to explore admiration, obsession and identity. Rather than functioning as a literal tribute, the song operates as a character study, poking fun at both its subject and its narrator. Musically, it is upbeat and melodic, offsetting the sharper themes elsewhere on Britpop.

Everybody said you should get back with Gary, write a song about Morrissey, and you know what, eventually I was like, I’m gonna do that.Robbie Williams

Within the context of Britpop, Morrissey fulfils the role of the album’s knowingly irreverent track. Its combination of wit, collaboration and cultural commentary reinforces Williams’ continued interest in using humour as a way to engage with his influences, while also reflecting the renewed creative partnership with Barlow.