Morrissey debuted the title track of his upcoming album “Bonfire Of Teenagers,” a song the artist says is about the 2017 suicide bombing at the Manchester Arena on May 22, 2017, during a July 1 residency show in Las Vegas. The 2017 attack, following an Ariana Grande concert, resulted in 22 people dead and left hundreds injured.
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“This song is new,” said Morrissey during his concert. “It’s about England’s 9/11. Obviously in jolly old England, most people won’t talk about it, but I will.”
Singing Bonfire of Teenagers which is so high in May north-west sky / Oh, you should’ve seen her leave for the arena / On the way, she turned and waved and smiled Goodbye, the lyrics then take a jab at the Oasis’ 1995 song “Don’t Look Back in Anger” with And the silly people sing ‘Don’t Look Back in Anger,’ / And the morons sing and sway ‘Don’t Look Back in Anger’ / I can assure you I will look back in anger ’till the day I die.
In the wake of the tragedy, the Oasis single became an anthem for many in the city. Grande later covered the song with Coldplay at the One Love Manchester tribute show, while Oasis’ Noel Gallagher joined U2 for a rendition of the song in memory of the victims and again with Morrissey’s former Smiths bandmate Johnny Marr for another performance of the song on the one-year anniversary of the bombing.
Oasis brothers and former bandmates, Noel and Liam Gallagher, also donated royalties from the song to help the families of victims in 2017.
“Bonfire of Teenagers” then goes on to describe the female fan vaporized and ends with a refrain of Go easy on the killer.
The former Smiths frontman also debuted new songs “My Hurling Days Are Done,” “I Live In Oblivion,” “Rebels Without Applause,” “Sure Enough,” and “The Telephone Rings,” off the new album.
The 11-track Bonfire of the Teenagers is Morrissey’s first album since leaving BMG in 2020 and his previous release I Am Not A Dog on a Chain from the same year.
Photo: Monika Stolarska / Shore Fire Media
