Morrissey explains why he wanted a Smiths reunion tour

Morrissey has again spoken out about his desire to reunite The Smiths for a tour, explaining why he wanted the band to get back together for a series of live shows and claiming he wasn’t dealing with “any emotional attachment” to his former bandmate Johnny Marr.

In recent months the former frontman of the iconic Manchester group had claimed to have accepted a “lucrative” offer for a reunion tour for the band in 2025, but claimed that Marr had “ignored” the proposal. Subsequently, a representative of the guitarist had called Morrissey’s comment “incorrect” clarifying that Marr “didn’t ignore the offer, he said no”. Now, in a recent interview for Medium, Morrissey was asked if he was “really interested in sharing the stage again” with Marr, given the ongoing feud between the two. The singer responded:

“I agreed because it seemed like the last time something like this would be possible. We are all starting to age. I thought that accepting the offer for a tour would be a good way to thank those who have listened to our music, which seems like a lifetime. It’s not because I had any emotional connection to Marr. I have absolutely none.”

When asked how he saw Marr today, Morrissey replied: “He seems just as insecure and fearful to me as he was in the ’80s.

But he gets more adoration from the press by pretending to be the gatekeeper and caretaker of the Smiths in isolation, and as long as he sits in the corner bitching about me he has a pedestal that would disappear in the event of a reunion.” He continued: “He claims to find me completely indigestible, but every time he gets on stage he sings my lyrics, my vocal melodies and my song titles. Is it hypocrisy or self-deception? He forced people to choose between Morrissey and Marr, and I’ve had enough of his back-slapping comments. I have endured them in silence for over 30 years.”

Reflecting on his long solo career as he looked to the future without a return from The Smiths, Morrissey said: “For me, the time I have left is now quite limited, but I absolutely love the musical career I’ve had without the involvement of Marr. Music really is the ultimate thing that brings people together, and if you like music then you like life.” And again: “Solo recordings are my greatest pride and joy. I couldn’t ask for more from the life of those songs. The Smiths’ songs are powerful, but they are rooted in youth, while the solo songs address a world beyond Manchester. It had to be like this, somehow. A lot of people, I know, wanted me to remain a boy twirling around Manchester… but that would be ridiculous at my age.”