The Smiths

1982: Formation and early performances

In May 1982, Johnny Marr and his friend Steve Pomfret went to the home of Steven Morrissey in Stretford to invite him to form a band. Marr and Morrissey had met at a Patti Smith gig at Manchester's Apollo Theatre on 31 August 1978, when Marr was 14 and Morrissey was 19. They bonded through their love of poetry and literature. A fan of the New York Dolls, Marr had been impressed that Morrissey had written a book on the band and was inspired to turn up on his doorstep following the example of Jerry Leiber, who had formed his working partnership with Mike Stoller after turning up at Stoller's door. According to Morrissey: "We got on absolutely famously. We were very similar in drive." The two found that they were fans of many of the same...

Solo careers

Following the group's split, Morrissey began work on a solo recording, collaborating with producer Stephen Street and fellow Mancunian Vini Reilly, guitarist for the Durutti Column. The resulting album, Viva Hate (a reference to the end of the Smiths), was released in March 1988, reaching number one in the UK charts. In the following years, he invited several singers for backing vocals on several songs such as Suggs of Madness on "Piccadilly Palare" and "Sing Your Life", and Chrissie Hynde of the Pretenders on "My Love Life". He recorded a duet with Siouxsie Sioux of Siouxsie and the Banshees, "Interlude" which was released under the banner of both artists. He also collaborated with arranger Ennio Morricone on "Dear God Please Help Me". At...

Musical style

The Smiths's music has been described as indie pop, indie rock, jangle pop, post-punk and alternative rock. According to Steve Jelbert of The Independent, "Whole eras and genres collide in their music: Sixties soul and rock, funk, glam, rockabilly, African high life and plenty of studio electrickery." Morrissey and Marr dictated the musical direction of the Smiths. Marr said in 1990 that it "was a 50/50 thing between Morrissey and me. We were completely in sync about which way we should go for each record". The Smiths' "non-rhythm-and-blues, whiter-than-white fusion of 1960s rock and post-punk was a repudiation of contemporary dance pop", and the band purposely rejected synthesisers and dance music. From their second album Meat Is Murder,...

Legacy

The Smiths have been widely influential. Ian Youngs of BBC News described them as "the band that inspired deeper devotion than any British group since the Beatles". Marr's guitar playing "was a huge building block for more Manchester legends that followed the Smiths", including the Stone Roses, whose guitarist John Squire said Marr was an influence. The Oasis songwriter and guitarist Noel Gallagher also cited the Smiths as an influence, especially Marr, saying that "when the Jam split, the Smiths started, and I totally went for them". The Smiths were an early influence on Radiohead and inspired their 2001 single "Knives Out". In 2001, Marr said Radiohead were the act that had "come closest to the genuine influence of the Smiths".

Asleep

"Asleep" is a song by the English rock band the Smiths. It was released as a B-side to the single "The Boy with the Thorn in His Side" in September 1985, reaching No. 23 in the UK Singles Chart.

It appears on the compilation albums The World Won't Listen and Louder Than Bombs, and on the deluxe edition of The Queen Is Dead in 2017.

Reception

Jack Rabid of Allmusic describes "Asleep" as "lullaby-ish", and the entire single as "great ... just another feather in a jeweled cap".

In popular culture

Although "Asleep" did not appear on the original The Queen Is Dead, it is referenced several times by the main character in Stephen Chbosky's 1999 novel The Perks of Being a Wallflower, and was also featured in the book's film adaptation.

Barbarism Begins at Home

"Barbarism Begins at Home" is a song by the English rock band the Smiths. Featured on their second studio album, Meat Is Murder (1985), the song has a lyric condemning child abuse and a funk-inspired track based around Andy Rourke's bass line.

Background

"Barbarism Begins at Home" was co-written by lead vocalist Morrissey and guitarist Johnny Marr at the band's rehearsal room in Manchester. When first introduced by the band, the song was titled "Fascism Begins at Home." Lyrically, the song was an ardent criticism of corporal punishment and child abuse. Morrissey commented in a Melody Maker interview in March 1985, "From the time you get hit when you're a child, violence is the only answer. Conversation is pointless."

Release

In addition to its release on Meat Is Murder, "Barbarism Begins at Home" was released as a single in Germany and Italy. Though the band considered releasing the song as a single in the UK, it initially only saw a limited release to DJs as a promotional single there. A 1988 single for the song was released in the UK after the band's break-up.

Critical reception

"Barbarism Begins at Home" has generally seen positive critical reception since its release. The Guardian described the song as "brilliantly titled," while Pitchfork wrote that extended song length "works remarkably well for 'Barbarism Begins at Home', seven minutes of tense funk".

Bigmouth Strikes Again

"Bigmouth Strikes Again" is a 1986 song by the English rock band the Smiths from their third album The Queen Is Dead. Written by Johnny Marr and Morrissey, the song features self-deprecating lyrics that reflected Morrissey's frustrations with the music industry at the time.

Musically, the song was inspired by the Rolling Stones' "Jumpin' Jack Flash" and centres around a guitar riff that Marr wrote during a 1985 soundcheck.

Background

"Bigmouth Strikes Again" began as a lyric written by Morrissey in the summer of 1985. The lyric was the final one of three written about Morrissey's frustration with the music industry, the previous two being "The Boy with the Thorn in His Side" and "Rubber Ring". "Bigmouth Strikes Again" specifically reflects Morrissey's negative experiences with the music press. When asked by the NME about the song, Morrissey replied, "I can't think of one sentence [I regret saying]. We're still at that stage where if I rescued a kitten from drowning, they'd say: 'Morrissey Mauls Kitten's Body'. So what can you do?"

Music and lyrics

During the song, the protagonist compares himself to Joan of Arc as "the flames rose to her Roman nose" and also says "now I know how Joan of Arc felt". In recent solo performances, Morrissey has changed the lyric "and her Walkman started to melt", to the more technologically current "and her iPod started to melt". Morrissey included the lyric "and her hearing aid started to melt" as a tribute to the band's deaf and hard-of-hearing fans.

Release

Though "Bigmouth Strikes Again" was initially planned to be released as the debut single from The Queen Is Dead in autumn 1985, by spring 1986, Rough Trade head Geoff Travis pushed for the band to release "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out" instead.

Reception

"Bigmouth Strikes Again" has seen critical acclaim since its release. Decades later critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic would praise the song's "minor-key rush," while Clash wrote that the song's "brash Stones-esque rock and sharp guitar lines still sound vital today."

Cemetry Gates

"Cemetry Gates" is a 1986 song by English alternative rock band the Smiths from The Queen Is Dead, their third album. Written by Morrissey and Johnny Marr, the song centres around a guitar riff that Marr initially thought was too uninteresting to base a song around.

However, Morrissey liked it and convinced Marr that they could complete the song.

Background

"Cemetry Gates" originated when Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr was on a train; he recalled, "I was ... thinking, 'If you're so great, first thing in the morning sit down and write a great song.' I started with 'Cemetry Gates'; B minor to G change in open G."

Lyrics

Morrissey's lyrics were inspired by his walks with his friend, Linder Sterling, to the Southern Cemetery in Chorlton. The song's lyrics describe two friends spending a day at the graveyard, where one friend lectures the other on plagiarism while ironically taking lines from Richard III and The Man Who Came to Dinner ("all those people, all those lives, where are they now?"). The song features Morrissey commenting on critics who demeaned his quotation of other writers, notably Oscar Wilde. Author Simon Goddard stated of this:

Release

"Cemetry Gates" was first released on the band's 1986 third album The Queen Is Dead. It had been a last-minute addition to the album. The song was included on the B-side to the band's "Ask" single in October 1986. A live version of the song also appeared on the band's 1988 live album, Rank.

Reception

"Cemetry Gates" has seen critical acclaim since its release. Mark Coleman of Rolling Stone spoke glowingly of Morrissey's vocal performance on "Cemetry Gates", concluding "When he's at his most pretentious, pitting Wilde against Keats and Yeats in a battle of the bards on 'Cemetry Gates,' Morrissey sounds clearer and more melodic than ever before, wafting unlikely lines to high heaven. Like it or not, this guy's going to be around for a while." Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic praised the song's "bouncy acoustic pop," while the same site's Stewart Mason noted the song's lyrical matter as "a particularly interesting topic, and one obviously close to the singer's heart."

Girlfriend In a Coma

"Girlfriend in a Coma" is a song by the English rock band the Smiths, written by singer Morrissey and guitarist Johnny Marr. It was the first of three UK singles from the band's fourth and final studio album, Strangeways, Here We Come.

Inspired by the song "To Be Young, Gifted and Black", "Girlfriend in a Coma" features a lilting acoustic guitar line performed by Marr and lyrics about a hospital-bound lover sung by Morrissey.

Background

"Girlfriend in a Coma" was inspired by Bob and Marcia's version of the Nina Simone song "To Be Young, Gifted and Black". Marr recalled, "[Morrissey and I] both absolutely adored it. So 'Girlfriend in a Coma' was trying to capture the spirit of that. If you listen to the string parts on both you maybe can see it." Initially the band attempted to record the song with a reggae-inspired arrangement, but, unhappy with this sound, the band collaborated with co-producer Stephen Street to re-arrange it with a more gentle acoustic sound.

Music and lyrics

The song's lyrics are told from the perspective of a man whose girlfriend is in a coma after an accident. The singer's anxiety is balanced by his memories of the bad times in lyrics such as "There were times when I could have murdered her/But you know I would hate anything to happen to her". The song quotes the Four Seasons' "Bye, Bye, Baby (Baby Goodbye)", a song that reached number one in the UK when covered by the Bay City Rollers. The repeated assertion "I know it's serious" is undercut by his careless tone and "the light playful accompaniment by the other members of the band". Armond White of Rolling Stone calls "Girlfriend" a song about AIDS which responds "to the crisis that took the lives and broke the hearts of so many friends and...

Release

Released on 10 August 1987, "Girlfriend in a Coma" was the last single by the Smiths to include newly recorded material on the B-side. It contains the band's last recorded song, "I Keep Mine Hidden", as well as a cover of a Cilla Black song, "Work Is a Four-Letter Word", both recorded in May 1987.

Music video

"Girlfriend in a Coma" was one of two songs on Strangeways selected to receive music videos. The song's video saw moderate success on MTV, though it only featured Morrissey, as the band had disbanded before the videos could be made. The music video, which was directed by Tim Broad, featured clips from the 1964 film The Leather Boys—as stated by White, the scene present in the music video depicts "a young man (Colin Campbell) who marries too soon and faces doubts about his masculinity, egged-on by his equally immature wife (Rita Tushingham)".

Hand In Glove

"Hand in Glove" is the debut single by English rock band the Smiths, written by singer Morrissey and guitarist Johnny Marr. It was released in May 1983 on independent record label Rough Trade.

It peaked at No. 3 on the UK Indie Chart but did not make the UK Singles Chart.

Background and recording

"Hand in Glove" was written by Morrissey and Marr in January 1983. By that date, they had been working together for around eight months, had written more than ten songs together, and had recorded two demo tapes, but had been rejected by both Factory and EMI. Their usual composition method was for Marr to add music to Morrissey's lyrics, though for "Hand in Glove", Marr had the music first - he developed the chords on an acoustic guitar while at his parents' house. Unable to record the music there, Marr's girlfriend Angie drove him to Morrissey's house while he continued to strum the guitar, altering it with suggestions from Angie. At Morrissey's house, the tune was recorded on a cassette tape. Morrissey said that he wrote lyrics for it in...

Composition and lyrics

The original recorded version of "Hand in Glove" is in the key of G minor. The song begins with an overdub of Marr playing a harmonica over the rest of the music. Simon Goddard wrote that Marr's use of the instrument "purposefully evoked the very same 'blunt vitality of working-class northernness' that Ian MacDonald attributes to The Beatles' parallel 1962 single 'Love Me Do', though infinitely more melancholy." Of the backing music, Goddard wrote, "Marr's redolent minor chord wash weeps with a rain-soaked hopelessness while Rourke contributes one of his most inspired bass patterns".

Release and reception

"Hand in Glove" was released as the Smiths' debut recording in May 1983. The single sold consistently for the next 18 months. Although the single failed to reach the UK Singles Chart, it reached number three on the UK Indie Chart. Its relative success earned the group a listing in the Guinness Book of Records in January 1984 when it and the group's next two singles, "This Charming Man" and "What Difference Does It Make?", held the top three position on the UK Indie Chart. "It should have been a massive hit", Morrissey later said, "it was so urgent. To me, it was a complete cry in every direction. It really was a landmark." The single did raise the band's profile; a week after its release the band gained their first major live reviews in...

Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now

"Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now" is a song by English rock band the Smiths. Released as a single in May 1984, it reached No. 10 on the UK Singles Chart, making it the band's first top ten single.

It was later included on the November 1984 compilation album Hatful of Hollow and the March 1987 compilation album Louder Than Bombs. The song is listed as one of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll.

Background

The music was written by Johnny Marr in an hour in a New York hotel room on 2 January 1984, using a red Gibson ES-355 guitar that was bought for him that day by Seymour Stein. After finishing the song, he wrote the music for B-side "Girl Afraid" the same evening. Marr considers the two songs "a pair".

How Soon Is Now?

"How Soon Is Now?" is a song by English rock band the Smiths, written by singer Morrissey and guitarist Johnny Marr. Originally a B-side of the 1984 single "William, It Was Really Nothing", "How Soon Is Now?" was subsequently featured on the compilation album Hatful of Hollow and on US, Canadian, Australian, and Warner UK editions of Meat Is Murder.

First released as a single in the US in 1984 by Sire Records and later in the UK by Rough Trade in January 1985, it reached No. 24 on the UK Singles Chart. When re-released in 1992, it reached No. 16.

Origin and recording

Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr wrote "How Soon Is Now?" along with "William, It Was Really Nothing" and "Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want" during a four-day period at Earl's Court in London in June 1984. His demo was originally called "Swamp". In contrast to the frequent chord changes he had employed in most Smiths' songs, Marr wanted to explore building a song around a single chord (in this case, F♯) as much as possible, which also appealed to producer John Porter.

Release

When Rough Trade owner Geoff Travis first heard "How Soon Is Now?", he felt it was too unrepresentative of the Smiths' sound to be released as a single. Despite pressure from Porter to save the song for a later single release as an A-side, "How Soon Is Now?" was included as B-side on the 12-inch single release of "William, It Was Really Nothing" in August 1984. According to Porter: "I thought 'This is it!' ... but I don't think the record company liked it ... They totally threw it away, wasted it." Night-time British radio picked up on the song almost immediately, however, and by autumn it had become the most-requested track on request shows by DJs John Peel, Janice Long, and Annie Nightingale. It was subsequently included on the Smiths'...

Reception

"Morrissey and co have once again delved into their Sixties treasure-trove, and produced a visceral power capable of blowing the dust off Eighties inertia. The majestic ease of Morrissey's melancholic vocals are tinted with vitriol, as they move through vistas of misery with plaintive spirals around the pulse of Johnny Marr's tremolo guitar. The string's muted strains conjure wistful signs that bridge the schism between crass sentimentality and callous detachment. Each repeated phrase intensifies the hypnotic waves, with results that outflank anything since 'This Charming Man'. Catharsis has rarely been tinged with so much regret, and shared with so much crystalline purity." – Melody Maker, 2 February 1985

Music video

Sire Records made an unauthorised music video to promote the song, which was co-directed by Paula Grief and Richard Levine. It intercut clips of the band playing live (including a shot of Johnny Marr showing Morrissey how to play the guitar), an industrial part of a city, and a girl dancing. The identity of the girl is unknown. This clip uses the US single edit of the song by Phil Brown, which is different to and slightly longer than the UK single edit.

I Started Something I Couldn't Finish

"I Started Something I Couldn't Finish" is a song by the English rock band the Smiths, written by singer Morrissey and guitarist Johnny Marr and released on the group's 1987 album Strangeways, Here We Come. Featuring a glam rock-inspired guitar riff, the song emerged from a jam during the "Sheila Take a Bow" sessions.

Background

"I Started Something I Couldn't Finish" began as part of a jam session played during the sessions for the band's single "Sheila Take a Bow". Marr recalled, "It was just a weird chord change that I had in my pocket for a while, and we needed a song so I pulled that out, just trying to get the key changes to work. I mean there was a lot of throwing stuff around with that album [Strangeways]." The song was inspired by David Bowie's "The Jean Genie" and Sparks' "Amateur Hour".

Release

Initially, the band's label Rough Trade intended to release "Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before" as the second single from Strangeways, Here We Come. However, after the BBC banned the single in the aftermath of the Hungerford massacre (the lyrics contain a reference to "mass murder"), the band selected "I Started Something I Couldn't Finish" as the replacement A-side in the UK.

Critical reception

"I Started Something I Couldn't Finish" saw positive critical reception from its release. Reviewing Strangeways, Here We Come in 1987, the NME called it "a classic pop song that seems to echo―believe it or not―the treasured oeuvre of T. Rex, Mud, and the Glitter Band!"

Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me

"Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me" is a song by the English rock band the Smiths, written by singer Morrissey and guitarist Johnny Marr. It appears as the sixth track on the band's final album Strangeways, Here We Come (1987).

It features a backdrop of crowd noises from the miners' strike of 1984–85. The song is a favourite of both Morrissey and Marr.

Background

Guitarist Johnny Marr wrote the chord sequence for "Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me" after a Smiths concert in October 1986 in Carlisle. The piano intro was composed separately. Marr later explained:

Release

"Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me" was released as the final single from the band's 1987 album Strangeways, Here We Come. As the band had disbanded prior to the release of Strangeways, the release was billed on posters as "the Last Single". Ultimately, the single peaked at number 30 in the UK, continuing the underwhelming chart positioning of its predecessor, "I Started Something I Couldn't Finish".

Critical reception

"Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me" saw critical acclaim from its release. Reviewing Strangeways, Here We Come in 1987, the NME named it one of the two songs on the album amongst "Morrissey/Marr's greatest moments since the Fab Four's inception" (the other being "I Won't Share You"), writing, "it's as great as 'I Know It's Over'." Smash Hits wrote at the time, "If you fail to be moved by songs like 'Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me', then you're missing out on a beautiful experience."

Covers

Alternative band Low also covered the song, initially as a single, and later included it on their A Lifetime of Temporary Relief: 10 Years of B-Sides and Rarities. In the booklet, the band describes it as "another cover that some may sneer at. After this, nothing is sacred".

Panic

"Panic" is a song by the English rock band the Smiths, released in 1986 and written by lead vocalist Morrissey and guitarist Johnny Marr. The band's first recording as a five-piece featuring new member Craig Gannon, "Panic" bemoans the state of contemporary pop music, exhorting listeners to "burn down the disco" and "hang the DJ" in retaliation.

The song was released by Rough Trade as a single and reached No. 7 on the Irish Singles Chart and No. 11 in the UK Chart. Morrissey considered the song's appearance on daytime British radio a "tiny revolution" in its own way, as it aired amongst the very music it criticised.

Background and recording

"Panic" was recorded at London's Livingston Studios in May 1986. It was the group's first recording sessions since they completed work on their third album The Queen Is Dead six months earlier. During the interim period, bassist Andy Rourke had been fired due to his heroin addiction, which had interfered with his playing. The band hired Craig Gannon to replace him, but after they rehired Rourke, guitarist Johnny Marr offered Gannon a position as second guitarist.

Composition and lyrics

A story circulated as the basis for the song holds that Marr and Morrissey were listening to BBC Radio 1 when a news report announced the Chernobyl nuclear disaster. Straight afterwards, BBC disc jockey Steve Wright played the song "I'm Your Man" by pop duo Wham! "I remember actually saying, 'What the fuck has this got to do with people's lives?'" Marr recalled. "We hear about Chernobyl, then, seconds later, we're expected to jump around to 'I'm Your Man'". While Marr subsequently stated that the account was exaggerated, he commented that it was a likely influence on Morrissey's lyrics. The band later commissioned a T-shirt featuring Wright's portrait and the phrase "Hang the DJ!"

Release and reception

The song "extended The Smiths' unorthodox tradition of releasing a non-album A-side" as a single. It reached number 11 on the UK Singles Chart and stayed on the chart for eight weeks. The single also stayed on the Irish Singles Chart for five weeks, reaching a peak of number 7, and reached number 32 on the Dutch Top 40. "Panic" was voted Single of the Year by the annual NME readers poll, and also ("somewhat incongruously", noted Goddard) ranked sixth in the Best Dance Record category.

Music videos

Two music videos were released for "Panic", both of which were directed by Derek Jarman. The first, which the band does not appear in, saw the song used in medley with "The Queen is Dead" and "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out" in promotion of the band's then-recent studio album of the former's same name (although "Panic" does not appear on the aforementioned album), which Jarman created as a short film for the 1986 Edinburgh Festival. The second, better-known video for "Panic", in promotion of its release as a single, sees footage of the band performing the song at a gig overlayed with footage from its segment in Jarman's film.

Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want

"Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want" is a song by the English rock band the Smiths. It was released on the B-side of the single "William, It Was Really Nothing" in 1984 and later featured on the compilation albums Hatful of Hollow and Louder Than Bombs.

The song was also included on the soundtrack album of the 1986 film Pretty in Pink and featured in the 1999 film Never Been Kissed. An instrumental version of a cover by the Dream Academy was featured in the 1986 film Ferris Bueller's Day Off.

Background

Johnny Marr wrote the music to "Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want" shortly after its eventual A-side, "William, It Was Really Nothing". Marr commented, "Because that was such a fast, short, upbeat song, I wanted the B-side to be different, so I wrote 'Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want' on Saturday in a different time signature—in a waltz time as a contrast". Marr has also noted that the music was an attempt to "capture the ... spookiness and sense of yearning" in Del Shannon's "The Answer to Everything", a song his parents played for him as a child.

Pretty Girls Make Graves

Pretty Girls Make Graves is a post-hardcore band formed in Seattle in 2001, named after The Smiths' song of the same name. Andrea Zollo and Derek Fudesco had played together previously in The Hookers, as well as The Death Wish Kids and Area 51 along with Dann Gallucci, with whom Derek had formed Murder City Devils.

Not long before the Murder City Devils disbanded, Derek and Andrea formed Pretty Girls Make Graves along with Jay, Nick and Nathan. They played the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in 2004.

Shakespeare's Sister

"Shakespeare's Sister" is a song by the English rock band the Smiths. Released in March 1985, it reached No. 26 in the UK Singles Chart.

It is also featured on the compilation albums Louder Than Bombs and The World Won't Listen. The front cover to the single features former Coronation Street star Pat Phoenix, dressed up as her character Elsie Tanner.

Background

The title refers to a section of Virginia Woolf's feminist essay A Room of One's Own in which she argues that if William Shakespeare had had a sister of equal genius, as a woman she would not have had the opportunity to make use of it. Sean O'Hagan says that the essay was "one of the many feminist texts Morrissey embraced as a sexually confused, politically-awakened adolescent".

Release

The song had some disagreements regarding its release. The boss of Rough Trade Geoff Travis had little faith in the song, and thought that it was too short.

Reception

In a retrospective review of the song, Jack Rabid of Allmusic wrote, "The Smiths' weakest is still quite good, is what we can infer from this. What wit Morrissey still shows, record after record? Who else is writing an opening line like 'Young bones groan/And the rocks below say/Throw your skinny body down, son!' – thus evoking the tragic Romeo and Juliet quality of so much teenage romance in the most poetic terms?"

Sheila Take a Bow

"Sheila Take a Bow" is a song by the English rock band the Smiths, written by Morrissey and Johnny Marr. Featuring a glam rock-style beat and guitar riff, the song was originally planned to feature Sandie Shaw on backing vocals, but Shaw's distaste for the song and Morrissey's illness during her session resulted in the vocals not being used.

Background

"Sheila Take a Bow" was co-written by Smiths lead vocalist Morrissey and guitarist Johnny Marr. Musically, Marr sought to channel the glam rock influences of their single "Panic", later recalling, "I was going for a Mott the Hoople sound, but it ended up like Mott the Hoople as performed by the Salvation Army Band. Which is very Smiths." Lyrically, the song is an homage to Shelagh Delaney, whose work, particularly on A Taste of Honey (1958), was greatly influential to Morrissey.

Release

"Sheila Take a Bow" was released as a single in April 1987, the fourth and final non-album single the band released between The Queen Is Dead (1986) and Strangeways, Here We Come (1987). The single reached number 10 in the UK Singles Chart, the joint highest chart placing of any single by the Smiths during the band's lifetime. The song was also released on the 1987 compilation Louder Than Bombs. The single's two B-sides, Peel Session versions of "Is It Really So Strange?" and "Sweet and Tender Hooligan", are also featured on Louder Than Bombs.

Critical reception

Stephen Thomas Erlewine named the song as one of the tracks on Louder Than Bombs that he considered "definitive," while Diffuser.fm listed it among Morrissey and Marr's "best material."

Shoplifters of the World Unite

"Shoplifters of the World Unite" is a song by the English rock band the Smiths, written by Morrissey and Johnny Marr. Morrissey's lyrics, which endorsed shoplifting and referenced Karl Marx, were controversial at the time of the song's release.

Musically, the song continues the glam rock styling of other Smiths singles during the period and includes a short guitar solo from Marr.

Background

Written by Morrissey and Johnny Marr, "Shoplifters of the World Unite" lyrically endorsed shoplifting and nonconformism at large. The title alludes to the slogan "Workers of the world, unite!" as well as the 1966 David and Jonathan hit "Lovers of the World Unite". During a 1987 interview with Shaun Duggan, Morrissey said of the song: "[It does] not literally mean picking up a loaf of bread or a watch and sticking it in your coat pocket. It's more or less spiritual shoplifting, cultural shoplifting, taking things and using them to your own advantage".

Release

Another newly completed song, "You Just Haven't Earned It Yet, Baby", was originally intended to be the A-side of this single. It made it to the white label test pressing stage and approximately 900 stock copies of the single were manufactured before the band decided to make "Shoplifters" the A-side instead. Marr has since stated, "'Shoplifters' was the better record," while Morrissey disliked producer John Porter's mix of "You Just Haven't Earned It Yet, Baby". This aborted single mix can be heard on The World Won't Listen, while a remixed version is included in Louder Than Bombs.

Critical reception

Stephen Thomas Erlewine named the song as one of the tracks on Louder Than Bombs that he considered "definitive," while Diffuser.fm listed it among Morrissey and Marr's "best material".

Still Ill

"Still Ill" is a song by the English rock band the Smiths. It was written by singer Morrissey and guitarist Johnny Marr.

It was featured on their self-titled debut album in February 1984. Another version of the song was included on the compilation album Hatful of Hollow in November 1984.

Reception

"Still Ill" has been noted as "One of the best and most loved Smiths songs", and is still a staple in both Morrissey and Johnny Marr's concert set lists.

Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before

"Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before" is a song by the English rock band the Smiths, written by singer Morrissey and guitarist Johnny Marr. The song was first released on the group's 1987 album Strangeways, Here We Come.

Marr's music features a larger sound, courtesy of a 12-string Gibson ES-335, and one of his few guitar solos with the Smiths. Morrissey's lyrics allude to alcohol and deception.

Background

"Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before" features, like most Smiths songs, lyrics written by Morrissey and music written by Johnny Marr. Marr composed the song's music on a 12-string Gibson ES-335, which he commented "gave a really big sound." He explained that the guitar hits in the song's intro were the result of stacking a Telecaster "on top of a Fender Twin Reverb with the vibrato on, and tun[ing] it to an open chord" only to "drop a knife with a metal handle on it, hitting random strings." The song also featured the first guitar solo on a Smiths record; Marr explained in an interview with Guitar Player magazine:

Release

In addition to its release on Strangeways, Here We Come, "Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before" was originally intended to be released as the album's second single. Promotional singles were printed and sent to Radio One. However, the song's single release came in the wake of the Hungerford massacre, in which 16 people were murdered, and the BBC refused to play the song on the grounds that the lyric "plan a mass murder" was offensive. As a result, the song was not released as a single in the UK and "I Started Something I Couldn't Finish" was selected instead. "Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before" was ultimately released as a single in other regions, including the United States, Australia, Germany, and others. The...

Music video

A music video was produced by the director Tim Broad. It opens with a picture of Oscar Wilde hanging on a brick wall, and features Morrissey and a group of Morrissey lookalikes cycling around Manchester and Salford, including famous locations such as the Salford Lads' Club. Morrissey was hesitant to take part in the videos, but was implored by Rough Trade's Geoff Travis to participate in order to boost the album's singles. Morrissey recalled in his autobiography, "Tim Broad steps in to make sense of it all, hotch-podging two videos for both 'Girlfriend in a Coma' and 'Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before'. The results for both are frustratingly unwatchable, although Tim did his best with such a mealy-mouthed budget."

Critical reception

"Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before" has seen critical acclaim since its release. David Browne of Rolling Stone called the track "the album’s most propulsive number" and opined, "Marr's piercing solo at the end of the song not only is one of the record's emotional highlights — it also proves it's best the band split up rather than attempt to replace him." Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic called the song a "classic," while Douglas Wolk of Pitchfork commented, "Their final single couldn't have had a cleverer title than 'Stop Me if You Think You've Heard This One Before'."

That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore

"That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore" is a song by the English rock band the Smiths. The full-length version of the song appears on the album Meat Is Murder.

It was the sole track from the album to be released, in edited form, as a UK single. The song was written by guitarist Johnny Marr and singer Morrissey.

Music and lyrics

The song's narrative refers to mockery of the lonely or suicidal, whom the narrator identifies with and champions in an exchange with another individual in a parked car. Disparity between literal and figurative meanings in parts of the lyric discourage a precise reading of the song. In 1985, Morrissey disclosed to Melody Maker that the song was a response to journalistic mockery of his songwriting that dwelt "on the unhappy side of life" and to persistent attempts to expose him as a "fake". In 1998, Uncut reported rumours that the song's inspiration was an "'intimate friendship' with a journalist around 1984–5".

Reception

For many critics the song is the focal point of Meat Is Murder. The music has been described as "a monolithic ballad of tender yet imposing grace; a score of unreserved, raw beauty that Morrissey dutifully complemented", and the song's coda as containing "one of the most heart-rending vocal passages Morrissey has ever recorded".

The Boy with the Thorn In His Side

"The Boy with the Thorn in His Side" is a song by the English rock band the Smiths. It was released as a single in September 1985, reaching No. 23 in the UK Singles Chart.

A remixed version appeared on their third studio album, The Queen Is Dead, in June 1986.

Background

Margi Clarke asked Morrissey if this song was inspired by Oscar Wilde, and Morrissey replied: "No, that's not true. The thorn is the music industry and all those people who never believed anything I said, tried to get rid of me and wouldn't play the records. So I think we've reached a stage where we feel: if they don't believe me now, will they ever believe me? What more can a poor boy do?"

Reception

Jack Rabid of Allmusic called this single "great ... just another feather in a jeweled cap".

Cover versions

The song was covered by Scottish band Bis on the tribute album The Smiths Is Dead. Reviewer Stephen Thomas Erlewine harshly criticised the cover, writing: "Bis utterly disembowel 'The Boy with the Thorn in His Side' with a single-minded stupidity that is just bewildering."

In popular culture

The third episode of the 2004 BBC musical miniseries Blackpool features "The Boy with the Thorn in His Side", sung by David Tennant.

The Headmaster Ritual

"The Headmaster Ritual" is a song by the English rock band the Smiths that appeared as the first song on their second studio album, Meat Is Murder. It was released as a single in the Netherlands in July 1985 and subsequently released as a CD single in the UK in 1988 and Australia/New Zealand in 1990.

The music was written by Johnny Marr and the lyrics by Morrissey.

Background

"The Headmaster Ritual" was written as a criticism of the English education system, citing the 'belligerent ghouls' who ran Manchester schools. The song was the only one in which Marr made a suggestion to Morrissey on the lyrics, specifically to change the line 'bruises bigger than dinner plates' to 'bruises big as dinner plates'. As Marr recounted, "An eyebrow was very definitely raised at this point, and he went away to mull it over. When we reconvened 24 hours later, he said he'd given it a lot of thought and was impressed by my observation. Then, of course, he went on to do sod-all about it!"

Release

In addition to its release as the opening song on Meat Is Murder, "The Headmaster Ritual" was released as a single in the Netherlands. It peaked at No. 15 on the Tipparade ("bubbling under") of the Dutch Top 40. The cover art for the single, chosen by Morrissey, features a black-and-white image of a child dressed as a cowboy from the 1966 film The Uncle. The song also appeared as a B-side on the American single release of "How Soon Is Now?"

Critical reception

Pitchfork spoke glowingly of the song, writing "When [Meat Is Murder] is good, it's great: 'The Headmaster Ritual', especially, is full of chills-down-the-spine moments from Morrissey (the wordless, yodelling chorus that rhymes with 'I want to go home/ I don't want to stay,' the second verse's thrilling deviations from the first)" and commenting, "It's safe to say that nobody else, before or since, has opened a significant rock album by hammering the bejesus out of the capoed, open-tuned chord that begins 'The Headmaster Ritual'."

Cover versions

It was covered by Radiohead for a 2007 webcast. After watching the cover, Marr joked, "I have shown Ed O'Brien the chords, but maybe he was looking out of the window!"

There Is a Light That Never Goes Out

"There Is a Light That Never Goes Out" is a song by the English rock band the Smiths, written by guitarist Johnny Marr and lead vocalist Morrissey. Featured on the band's third studio album The Queen Is Dead (1986), it was not released as a single in the United Kingdom until 1992, five years after their break-up, to promote the compilation album ...Best II.

It peaked at No. 25 on the UK Singles Chart and No. 22 on the Irish Singles Chart. The song has received considerable critical acclaim; in 2014, NME listed it as the 12th-greatest song of all time.

Origin and recording

The Smiths began working on "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out" during their late-1985 recording sessions at London's RAK Studios. In early September, the band recorded a rehearsal tape of the song performed in the key of F♯ minor. Four days later, the group made a monitor mix in the key of C♯ minor, this time accompanied by a synthesised string arrangement Marr created on an E-mu Emulator (credited to the "Hated Salford Ensemble" on the album release). While Morrissey was sceptical about using synthesised strings, the lack of a budget to hire a real string ensemble as well as the band's reluctance to allow outsiders into the recording process changed his mind.

Composition and lyrics

It was written in tandem with "Bigmouth Strikes Again". The two songs share the same key as well as similar chords. Simon Goddard noted both the guitar break in "Bigmouth Strikes Again" and the flute section in "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out" (originally written as a guitar part) are based on C♯ minor arpeggio figure. The song features an ascending F♯m–A–B chord sequence that guitarist Johnny Marr took from the Rolling Stones cover of Marvin Gaye's "Hitch Hike". Marr said in 1993 he included the figure as an "in-joke" to determine if the music press would attribute the inspiration for the part to "There She Goes Again" by the Velvet Underground, who he contended "stole" the figure from "Hitch Hike". Marr commented, "I knew I was...

Release

Due to a dispute between the Smiths and its record label Rough Trade Records after the group completed The Queen Is Dead, nine months passed after the release of "The Boy with the Thorn in His Side" before the group issued another single. Once the matter was resolved, Rough Trade owner Geoff Travis felt that "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out" should be the band's "comeback" record. Despite Travis's advocation of the song, Simon Goddard expressed doubt that the song's "explicit glamorisation of suicide" would have endeared it to daytime radio. Additionally, Johnny Marr was insistent that "Bigmouth Strikes Again" be the band's next single. Marr stated:

Critical reception

Music critics consider "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out" to be one of the Smiths' finest songs. Simon Goddard wrote, "In a straw poll among Smiths fans today, 'There Is a Light That Never Goes Out' would more than likely still come out victorious", which he credits to the "perfect balance" of Marr's compositional skills and Morrissey's lyricism. AllMusic's Tim DiGravina calls it "a standout among standouts from the Smiths' masterpiece third album, The Queen Is Dead." In 2014, NME listed "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out" as the 12th-greatest song of all time. In 2017, Rob Sheffield of Rolling Stone placed the song number one in his ranking of 73 songs by the Smiths.

This Charming Man

"This Charming Man" is a song by the English rock band the Smiths, written by guitarist Johnny Marr and singer Morrissey. Released as the group's second single on 31 October 1983 by the independent record label Rough Trade, it is defined by Marr's jangly guitar riff and Morrissey's characteristically morose lyrics, which revolve around the recurrent Smiths themes of sexual ambiguity and lust.

A different version, from the John Peel Show on BBC Radio 1, was included on the 1984 compilation album Hatful of Hollow.

Background

By early 1983, the Smiths had gained a large following on the UK live circuit and had signed a record deal with the indie label Rough Trade. The deal, along with positive concert reviews in the weekly music press and an upcoming session on John Peel's radio show on BBC Radio 1, generated a large media buzz for the band. In a music scene dominated by corporate and video-driven acts, the Smiths' camp and bookish image stood out, and many expected the band to be the breakthrough act of the UK post-punk movement. However, the Smiths' May 1983 debut single "Hand in Glove" failed to live up to critical and commercial expectations, mostly due to its perceived low production values. When Rough Trade labelmates Aztec Camera began to receive daytime...

Music and lyrics

The lyrics of "This Charming Man" comprise a first-person narrative in which the male protagonist punctures one of his bicycle's tyres on a remote hillside. A passing "charming man" in a luxury car stops to offer the cyclist a lift, and although the protagonist is initially hesitant, he accepts after much deliberation. While driving together, the pair flirt, although the protagonist finds it difficult to overcome his reluctance: "I would go out tonight, but I haven't got a stitch to wear". The motorist tells the cyclist: "it's gruesome that someone so handsome should care".

Reception

On release, the song received near-unanimous critical praise. Paul Morley of the NME wrote, "'This Charming Man' is an accessible bliss, and seriously moving. This group fully understand that the casual is not enough ... This is one of the greatest singles of the year, a poor compliment. Unique and indispensable, like 'Blue Monday' and 'Karma Chameleon' – that's better!" A contemporary review in The Face asked, "Where has all the wildness and daring got to? Some of it has found its way onto the Smiths' record, 'This Charming Man'. It jangles and crashes and Morrissey jumps in the middle with his mutant choir-boy voice, sounding jolly and angst-ridden at the same time. It should be given out on street corners to unsuspecting passers-by of...

Versions and release history

The earliest version of "This Charming Man" was recorded on 14 September 1983, in Maida Vale Studio 4, for John Peel's radio programme (first broadcast: 21 September 1983). Produced by Roger Pusey, and assisted by Ted De Bono, this version of the song was first included on the 1984 compilation Hatful of Hollow. On 28 October 1983, the "Manchester" version was released in the UK in 7-inch and 12-inch formats, reaching number 25 in the UK charts. The record sleeve uses a still frame from Jean Cocteau's 1950 film Orphée, featuring French actor Jean Marais. The song was included on the cassette version of the band's debut album The Smiths in most territories.

William, It Was Really Nothing

"William, It Was Really Nothing" is a song by the English rock band The Smiths. It was released as a single in August 1984, featuring the B-sides "Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want" and "How Soon Is Now?", and reached No. 17 in the UK Singles Chart.

The song is featured on the compilation albums Hatful of Hollow and Louder Than Bombs, as well as other best of and singles collections. In 2004, the song was ranked No. 425 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest songs of all time.

Lyrics and background

Morrissey has said of the song: "It occurred to me that within popular music if ever there were any records that discussed marriage they were always from the female's standpoint, female singers singing to women. There were never any songs saying 'do not marry, stay single, self-preservation,' etc. I thought it was about time there was a male voice speaking directly to another male saying that marriage was a waste of time ... that, in fact, it was absolutely nothing."

Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others

"Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others" is a song by the English rock band the Smiths. Recorded in autumn 1985, it was first released on their third studio album The Queen Is Dead in June 1986.

It was also released as a single in Germany.

Background

As with every original recording by the Smiths, the music of "Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others" was composed by Johnny Marr and the lyrics were written by Morrissey. The recording was given a distinctive intro by engineer Stephen Street, who increased the reverb on the drums, faded the track in then out again, and took the reverb back off when reintroducing the song: "A bit like opening a door, closing it, then opening it again and walking in". The lyric paraphrases Hank Locklin's 1949 country hit "Send Me the Pillow You Dream On". The phrase "the Dole Age" refers to Unemployment Benefit, nicknamed the "dole"; in the year of the song's release, 1986, 3 million people in the United Kingdom were unemployed.

Single release

In Germany, "Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others" was released as a single in slightly edited form, on 7" and 12" vinyl, with artwork modified from the cover used for "Ask".

In popular culture

1995: Martin Newell covered the song on The Off White Album, produced by Louis Philippe.