The Most Terrible Type of Person

Robert Smith of The Cure has never hesitated to express his opinions about his contemporaries, and his views are often quite sharp. One notable target of his criticism has been Morrissey, the lead singer of The Smiths.

In an older interview clip, Smith was candid about his intense dislike for Morrissey.

“I actually dislike them [The Smiths] immensely,” Smith stated in the interview. “I just don’t like him [Morrissey] and I think he’s really arrogant, mainly. He’s like a professional intellectual, it’s like the worst type of person.”

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Smith did mention that he enjoyed bands with a melancholic feel similar to The Cure, highlighting the Cocteau Twins as an example. But The Smiths? Absolutely not.

This mutual disdain didn’t end with a few passing comments.

The antagonism between Smith and Morrissey dates back to the 80s. Although the exact origin of their feud is unclear, it’s believed Morrissey may have initiated it, prompting Smith to fiercely retaliate.

A potential starting point for their rivalry was Morrissey’s interview with The Face in 1984, where he remarked, “Robert Smith is a whingebag. It’s rather curious that he began wearing beads at the emergence of the Smiths and had been photographed with flowers.”

Hearing this, Smith responded sharply, “Morrissey’s so depressing if he doesn’t [off] himself soon, I probably will.”

The tensions escalated from there. In 1989, Morrissey labeled Smith as “a precious, miserable b*st*rd” in an interview and fiercely criticized The Cure’s album Disintegration, calling it “crap.”

Smith retorted by saying, “At least we’ve only added a new dimension in crap, not built a career out of it.”

Over time, the feud softened. By 2018, Smith expressed confusion over the origin of their conflict. The following year, Morrissey admitted that he regretted his harsh words about Smith from 35 years ago.

Smith reportedly accepted Morrissey’s apology and noted that their feud was “far from important now.” Even rock legends sometimes need to bury the hatchet.

Photo by Ian Gavan