I find it fascinating that people seem to just get sadness out of Smiths' lyrics. What about the humor? The Smiths were the only band EVER that made me laugh out loud at their lyrics!
Yeah, exactly. Those who say "it's mopey and just sad, i don't get it" completely missed the brilliance of The Smiths/Morrissey. I've never laughed harder at lyrics more than I have at Morrissey's ("the pain was enough to make a shy bald Buddhist reflect and plan a mass murder", "your BF he went down on one knee, or could it be he's only got one knee", the entire Vicar in a Tutu song, even song titles "mute witness" 😂😂😂
They’re just doing a bit; playing against people’s expectations of hamm. He’s a funny guy and clearly loves the smiths. This is a way to be funny and show his love of the band.
I love Hamm's honesty here and the fact he passed on the opportunity to pretend he is a music guy. Met so many people that are twice as clueless and claim that music is their life etc.
Hahaha it's unreal how you could say they suck. I LOVE the Smiths so much and they have had a huge impact on my life as well as my guitar playing but even if you're not huge into their music you can't say they suck because Johnny Marr's guitar playing was literally genius and completely unique and influenced so many people same with Morrissey's voice and lyrics, they were so unique and influenced countless others
The Smiths suck? Well aren't you just a boy with a thorn in it's side. What happened? Did your walkman start to melt so you couldn't appreciate them? Or are you just a belligerent ghoul that gave up education as a bad mistake?
Anonymous DueToFascists Not liking a band doesn't automatically mean someone is an idiot. Saying they suck is a bit harsh, but not everyone connects with The Smiths. They're not as iconic as their fans make them out to be either. I hadn't even heard of them until I was well into high school. I had heard of bands like The Cure and Joy Division long before I heard of The Smiths. They're good, but I don't see them as that amazing, to each his own.
I was in the USMC in 89 but anyway, I am a true metal head since 82 but when I got to my first duty station a buddy of mine introduced me to The Smiths and that was it. I’ve been a true fan ever since
He could just have a trivia oriented memory. I need a mnemonic device to remember my social security number, but I'm constantly suprised by how clearly I can remember specific scenes from movies I watched once, fifteen years ago.
I honestly don't even know who Jon Hamn is but I guess this guy just retains knowledge very very well, meaning he can talk about a lot of different subject ranges with specific information.
Your comments rings true to me (even though I know very well who Jon Hamm is) because I'm just like him. I'm aware of random stuff and I don't even know where I got the info, it's like being a sponge. Being curious about different things and simply aware by default seems to be why this happens. He may be trolling but I can see how he may be actually honest when he says he is just aware of it even thought not a fan.
Agreed, Sofia, but I think trolling would be too strong a word. Hamm could be showing his sponginess or Hamm (or both of them) could be affecting the situation of his Smiths non-allegiance for laughs. Just clowning about, really. Musicians are spongy about music across all genres and performers. They often know stuff about music they don't like or are indifferent too. Maybe Hamm was a frustrated musician before he became an actor. He definitely has Moz/The Smiths character off pat; misery in a major key. Anyway, Hamm seems like a nice chap. I might check out his films.
It can be perceived as being cool and collected to casually lie about passionate knowledge you know about someone or something; something you do have some passion for; to make light of it to not sound obsessed or fixated. He doesn't want to be quizzed about Morrissey trivia after saying something pedantic like "I'm a big fan", so he's doing this thinly veiled ruse instead to stay modest.
My brother knows The Smiths because we lived in the same house and I played them all the time. Sometimes he surprises me with what he knows. He also knows some Depeche Mode through vicarious transmission. Sometimes he'll spit-out a lyric or two.
Same, my sisters know songs and bands just from when I lived at home so they definitely are more aware than non-fans in terms of lyrics and album titles, but I know for sure they are not fans. Just aware.
Post-punk, the absolute darling genre of music critics...bring that bass to the front, jangly guitars, sing like you don't care, and critics will love you
profd65 Excuse me? Who the fuck are you calling an idiot? You must have gotten your lilly ass kicked by someone wearing a Dokken shirt back in the day. Yeah, you trench coat, half shaven purple hair, eyeliner dweebs were soooo smart. Pfff.
@@pukeyourguts if you google his name, yes, he is an actor with 51 credits in TV and movies. But, nuanced? He’s playing the straight man and it’s pretty straightforward here, act incredulous.
He never said he didn't listen to the smiths, he said he was introduced to it late in life and that when he listen to it, he never fell in love for it...But it sure seams like he listen to it and "studied it". There are plenty of bands that I I know a lot about (maybe it's collateral acquired knowledge, say... because so many friends (or a lover) were into it...Maybe it's a generational thing, that made him know about it (he seams to have an amazing memory/learning skills) but still, he can't say he loves their sound... Anyhow, it's not my case in regards to the smiths, I love the smiths...
Lot's of guys from the Midwest for whatever reason refuse to admit that they like them. Sad really. I'm from the Midwest and those bands are literally ALL that all I listen to.
HaHa! I know right!? It's like road kill. You don't wanna see it but somethings intriguing or just not right or something, and your like wtf is going on here?!!
no, the phrase looks like its painted in the helmet. I actually had to check that, bc when he said it was a card thats the way my brain painted that memory. H probably remembered the phrase being on the helmet and closed the gap in his memory by making the logical assumption that it was on a card.
I like how they just let the interview go off organically onto this tangent and let it linger there. It really showed a different side to Jon's personality.
I'm a hardcore reggae music man and I loved the Smiths from way back in the 80s, showing my age. I must be one of the few black men in the world to admit that :)
Ha, I remember that Dana Gould bit. It was on pre-Comedy Central, when it was Comedy Channel. There was a part where he went "I cried and I cried and then I DIED" and he talked about how you only need one Morrisey album because they were all like that.
Guys, it's possible. I know of a lot of films that I never watched (like production details, director, cast, award nominations, reception, etc.). I bet you can know of albums and bands that you never listened to.
He's not laying down any obscure knowledge. Anybody who grew up in the 80's knows about Meat is Murder. I feel like Chris' amazement is rooted in a more recent discovery of the Smiths.
I disagree, a lot of people know The Smiths but wouldn't be able to name any albums or songs, let alone comment on the characteristics of the lyrics! Besides don't forget that both of them are American not English
Lol, that's bullshit. Certainly in America the overwhelming majority of persons in the '80s had never heard of the Smiths, and they certainly weren't aware of particular albums of the Smiths. I was in college in the '80s; I know.
