And Finally

David Cameron defies Smiths ban

By | Published on Wednesday 20 February 2013

David Cameron

David Cameron has said that he “will go on and listen to The Smiths”, despite repeated statements from guitarist Johnny Marr banning him from liking the band. Morrissey also got in on the act in 2010 to no avail.

Now Marr has said that he just thinks the situation is “funny”, saying that Cameron’s proclamation on ‘Desert Island Discs’ in 2006 that the band’s appearance on ‘Top Of The Pops’ playing ‘This Charming Man’ was “an iconic moment for people of my age and generation” seems a bit contrived.

Asked to comment on this again on yesterday’s edition of the ‘Today’ programme on Radio 4, Marr said: “[It’s] quite funny, actually. It just sounds like a stupid conversation, really. It just doesn’t ring true to me very much. I’m not saying [he wasn’t a Smiths fan]. I think he likes the song. That’s probably sadder than if he didn’t know it, really. He’s entitled to like whatever he likes, as long as he doesn’t say it. It’s a good song”.

Asked if this meant he’d changed his mind about the ban on Cam liking The Smiths, Marr said: “No, I’m not changing my mind at all. I told him to stop saying that he liked the band. I told him that I forbid him to like it. I do forbid him to like it. He shouldn’t like us because we’re not his kind of people. I don’t think I can say it any better, I think ‘forbid’ is a really funny word”.

Asked for a comment on this by the BBC while on a diplomatic and trade-building mission in Delhi, the Prime Minister said: “I’ve now got Johnny Marr and other members of the band saying I’m not able to listen to The Smiths. When I’ve got the complete and full set, even then, I’m afraid, I will go on and listen to The Smiths”.



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