Morrissey - Interesting Drug

What this video is

Released 17 April 1989, 'Interesting Drug' arrived at the zenith of Thatcherite Britain, when Conservative government policies bore heavily on working-class communities. Morrissey explicitly framed the song as a critique of the government's criminalisation of working-class drug use as a mechanism of social control. The video extends this politics visually, embedding animal rights activism, gender nonconformity, and…

Why it matters

A landmark of late-1980s British indie alternative, 'Interesting Drug' fuses jangle-pop melodicism with overt political lyricism in a manner rare for chart-oriented singles of the era. The video's Tim Broad-directed realism established a template for politically engaged, narrative-driven UK music…

The director

Tim Broad (1955–1993) was a British music video director and cinematographer, best known for his close creative partnership with Morrissey. He directed videos for The Smiths ('Girlfriend in a Coma', 'Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before') and…