I hang my head in shame… it’s years since I listened to The Smiths… years that is until I came across this piece by that wonderful Manchester based artist Oskar whilst out walking the Fallowfield Loop recently.

I wouldn’t classify ‘Vicar in a Tutu’ as my most favourite Smiths track: at a pinch that would probably go to ‘What Difference Does It Make?’ but it’s a really interesting selection, a fun track celebrating individuality in the face of religious conformities… “Who comes sliding down the bannister? Vicar in a tutu…”

What a couple of lines?! Pure class…

We have a vicar who is happy and ignorant of social pressures. Someone being himself. He’s not harming anyone, quite the contrary, he’s able to give a sermon the next day to combat “ignorance dust and disease” but the monsignor doesn’t see it that way: “My man, get your vile soul dry-cleaned”. 

He doesn’t see the good work the vicar is doing: the monsignor’s head is full of “plaster”.

Unlike a lot of Morrissey tracks I think the message is more powerful for it a little less serious: Johnny Marr recalled writing the music in an interview with NME: ”I think I was self-conscious about doing something so playful… I had slides going on it and all sorts of stuff but the lyrics being so funny really helped out with the rest of the recording.”

Individuality, the freedom to be who one really is whilst contributing to the greater good:

“Vicar in a tutu

He’s not strange

He just wants to live his life this way”

Cherish that thought…