Johnny Marr Slams Morrissey's Open Letter: 'I'll Just Carry On Being Who I Am'

Johnny Marr has addressed his ongoing feud with Morrissey, saying he felt he had to "defend" himself from his former bandmate. 

Earlier this year, the former Smiths frontman and lyricist posted an open letter in which he accused guitarist-composer Marr, his onetime songwriting partner, of throwing his name around in interviews and using it as "clickbait." 

"Would you please, instead, discuss your own career, your own unstoppable solo achievements and your own music?" Morrissey wrote. "If you can, would you please just leave me out of it?"

Marr responded at the time on Twitter, writing: "Dear @officialmoz. An 'open letter' hasn't really been a thing since 1953, It's all 'social media' now. Even Donald J Trump had that one down. Also, this fake news business…a bit 2021 yeah?" 

In a new interview with The Sunday Times, Marr explained that he reacted the way he did as a form of self-preservation.

"When you're attacked out of the blue, particularly in public, you have to defend yourself," he said, according to Spin.

"The letter was designed to be insulting, wasn't it? That has to have been the idea. If it's something that's not based in fact, you have to react in kind, which is just with ridicule. Look, it was about [his wanting] attention … and I'm getting a lot of it. I've got my new record coming out, and that's getting attention too. All my solo records have. I just do what I do. I'll just carry on being who I am."

In his letter, Morrissey said that Marr knew "nothing of my life, my intentions, my thoughts, my feelings."

"Yet you talk as if you were my personal psychiatrist with consistent and uninterrupted access to my instincts," he continued. 

Elsewhere in his letter, Morrissey told Marr it was time to "move on."

"It's as if you can't uncross your own legs without mentioning me," he said. "Our period together was many lifetimes ago, and a lot of blood has streamed under the bridge since then. There comes a time when you must take responsibility for your own actions and your own career, with which I wish you good health to enjoy. Just stop using my name as click-bait."

There is speculation that Morrissey's strong reaction was based on comments Marr made in an interview with Uncut. While speaking with the outlet, Marr said he and Morrissey were not "close" because they are "so different." 

"It won't come as any surprise when I say that I'm really close with everyone I've worked with — except for the obvious one. And that isn't that much of a surprise because we're so different, me and Morrissey," he said, according to NME.

"Everyone I've worked with has been great," he added. "The only thing that turned to s**t was The Smiths. Which is a shame, but s**t happens. I hate talking about the group I formed in those terms, the group I loved. But, you know, let's get some perspective."

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