Morrissey, famed for penning some of British pop music's most melancholic songs, is being lined up to represent Britain in the Eurovision song contest, usually seen as a celebration of all things kitsch and trite.

The former lead singer of The Smiths, whose hits include "That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore" and "Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now," revealed he wanted to take part after Britain's disappointing performance last year.

"Morrissey expressed an interest way back last year in writing for the contest and since then we have been in talks with him," a BBC spokeswoman said on Tuesday.

She said no decision had yet been made and there were also discussions with other artists taking place. It was also unclear whether Morrissey would perform or merely write the song.

Britain's entry last year, rapper Daz Sampson, came only 19th out of 24 countries, faring slightly better than Jemini's 2003 offering which failed to win a single vote..

Finish rockers Lordi, attired in monster-themed costumes, were the surprise winners with "Hard Rock Hallelujah," watched by an estimated 100 million viewers across Europe.

The contest that launched the careers of ABBA and Celine Dion is usually regarded in Britain as something of a joke, because it traditionally attracted entrants with strange hairstyles and over-the-top outfits, singing awful songs with catchy choruses.

It would therefore seem to be an unlikely setting for Morrissey whose angst-ridden lyrics won The Smiths an army of fans during the 1980s.

The Manchester band's album "The Queen Is Dead" is considered by music critics to be one of the best of all time.

A spokeswoman for the singer confirmed he was in discussions but could not provide further details.

"He was definitely approached after speaking out about it last year," the spokeswoman said.

Even if Morrissey produces a song for the contest which will be held in Helsinki in May, there is no guarantee he will be Britain's representative, who will be chosen by a public vote in March from a shortlist of candidates.

Taken from Yahoo!