While initially announced as U.K.-only, Rhino Records has decided to release a limited number of The Smiths’ career-spanning Complete box sets in the U.S. exclusively through Rhino.com. Even better: They’ve given us a copy of the deluxe CD-and-vinyl edition to give away to one very lucky Slicing Up Eyeballs reader.
Available in three formats, Complete features all eight of the band’s albums — The Smiths, Meat is Murder, The Queen is Dead and Strangeways Here We Come, plus compilations Hatful of Hollow, The World Won’t Listen and Louder Than Bombs, and the live Rank — newly remastered by guitarist Johnny Marr and engineer Frank Arkwright from “the original tape sources.”
The winner of this contest will receive — courtesy of Rhino — a copy of the Deluxe Boxset, which is limited to 4,000 copies worldwide (750 in the U.S.) and comes in a numbered, “trunk-style box.”
Pictured above, it features:
- All eight albums on CD, featuring mini-LP replica packaging with gatefold card wallets
- All eight albums on 180-gram audiophile vinyl (five single LPs and three doubles)
- Twenty-five 7-inches, featuring all of the band’s singles with “specially reproduced rarities”
- A 36-inch by 24-inch poster of all album and single cover artwork
- “The Complete Picture” DVD, featuring all of the band’s music videos
- An eight-page, 12-inch booklet featuring “expanded liner notes”
- 12-inch art prints of each album cover’s artwork
To enter: Because this contest is tied to the U.S. release of Complete, it is, unfortunately, open only to U.S. residents (sorry, those are Rhino’s rules). To enter, please name your favorite Smiths song in the comment section below — and tell us why you’ve chosen that one. Be sure to use a valid e-mail address when leaving that comment, as that is how the winner ultimately will be notified. We’ll accept entries until 12 p.m. EDT Monday, Oct. 18.
To purchase: Now, for those interested in buying the Complete sets domestically rather than on import, Rhino.com is now pre-selling the Deluxe Boxset ($499.98, due out Oct. 25) as well as the Vinyl Boxset (the eight LPs, plus the booklet and poster, priced at $249.98 and due out Oct. 18) and the CD Boxset (just the eight CDs, priced at $69.99 and due out Oct. 18).
UPDATE 10/24/11: Out of more than 1,000 entries, the randomly selected winner of The Smiths’ Complete box set is… Jerome Stockham. Thank you all so much for entering, and, most importantly, sharing your great stories about The Smiths. They’ve been a blast to read.
PREVIOUSLY ON SLICING UP EYEBALLS:
- Morrissey announces 17-date fall tour of southwestern U.S., Mexico
- Vintage Video: Morrissey soundchecks, hangs out during ‘Kill Uncle’ tour in 1991
- Morrissey: Norway killings ‘horrific,’ but millions ‘murdered every single day’ for fast food
- ‘The Smiths — Complete’ box set: 8 albums on vinyl, CD; plus 25 7-inch singles, DVD
- Video: Cheeky ad for The Smiths’ ‘Best…’ spoofs comp as suicide soundtrack
- The Smiths’ ‘Queen is Dead’ released 25 years ago today; watch ‘Rank’ concert
“Nowhere Fast” because it makes me feel like the depressed Texan I’ll never get to be.
“Rubber Ring”. As I get older, and as people drift in and out of my life, I am always reminded of how “the songs that saved my life” were “the only ones that ever stood by me”.
My favorite Smiths’ song will always be Rubber Ring. It is a sing that gets into my head & remains there all day & the beat is wonderful
This Charming Man-I knew the first time I heard this song exactly what Morrissey was singing about. it was the first time I felt acknowledged as a gay man, and not alone in the world. Oh to be 14 again.
There Is A Light That Never Goes Out. It saved my life. It’s also the only tattoo I have.
How Soon is Now? is my favorite Smiths song. The hook is one of the best hooks in all of music, not just in Smith songs. It’s truly epic and a perfect song in everyway.
There is a light that never goes out–I have loved this song since high school, when it would come on 97X when my friends and I would be driving around aimlessly. Good guitar hook, wonderfully self-indulgent lyrics, happy memories.
“Girlfriend in a Coma” – a big favorite of my college girlfriend. I wish all girls had her 1. sense of humor and 2. taste in music! I put it on many a mixtape after. Sigh…
MY FAVORITE SMITHS SONG IS “LONDON”, CAUSE i LOVE THE RHYTYM ON THAT ONE..
Simply for the irony..
“Re-package ! Re-package ! Re-evaluate the songs. Double-pack with a photograph. Extra Track (and a tacky badge)”..
of course that’s Paint a Vulgar Picture..
Paint A Vulgar Picture — Brilliant gtr work and biting lyrics about the music industry squeezing the last bit of life out of a pop star.
“Unhappy Birthday” is my favorite. I dated a guy in college & he put it on a brilliant comp tape for me. It is still one of my favorite songs of all time.
“That Joke Isn’t Funny Anymore” gets my vote….because it’s as chilling, wryly funny and goosebump-inducing now as it was when I first fell in love with it some 25 years ago.
Queen is Dead
Because my older sister constantly played that song and that album…i knew that whole album by the time i turned 10 :)
This Charming Man – great guitar riff by Johnny Marr
There’s A Light That Never Goes Out – I love that song, mostly due to the lyrics and the excellent melody!
What Difference Does It Make? Very first Smiths song I ever heard. Still love it.
Girlfriend in a coma, because sometimes I wish mine was. jk
My fave song has to be “Is It Really So Strange?” It was the first Smiths song I ever heard, and it brings back a flood of memories every time I hear it!
“There is light that never goes out”
My husband would sing that to our daughter before bed,he passed away in 2006 but my daughter remembers that was daddy’s song to her :)
I’ve grown to love the recent released tracks that have “Girlfriend in a Coma” done by the The Smiths in more of a reggae/ska beat. Great stuff.
Overall, though…’There is a Light That Never Goes Out’. Catchy. Morbid. Fun!
“What Difference Does It Make?” was the first Smiths song I ever heard, the beginning of my fandom of one of the most talented bands of all time!
To decide 1 song over another…
I would have to go with “A Rush and a Push and the Land Is Ours” from the Strangeways album.
Strangeways was the 1st Smiths’ album I bought even though I had heard “Ask”, “Panic” and “How soon is now” on the radio. From the first “Oh Hello…” I was hooked. Strangeways is one of my alltime favorite albums to drive on a road trip to. Good times!
“Unloveable” because as a teenager I really identified with the lines “I wear black on the outside, ’cause black is how I feel on the inside. And if I seem a little strange, well that’s because I am.” Morrissey’s lyrics spoke to me, and thousands of others, and let me know I wasn’t alone in feeling like an outcast. Also, just because I tended to wear black, I certainly wasn’t a “Goth”, thank you very much. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, either.
The Headmaster Ritual. In 1985 my family moved clear across country and I was attending a brand new school. Needless to say I hated everything about it and wanted to go back home immediately. That first week I discovered the local community radio station and this was literally the first song I ever heard from the Smiths. I had never heard anything like it before. It completely spoke to me and how I was feeling at the time. For that, The Headmaster Ritual will always be my favorite Smiths song.
“William, It Was Really Nothing”. Just a little love for the A-side that was, more than any other single in history, overshadowed by its 12″ B-side, “How Soon Is Now?”
Still Ill….does it need an explanation? One of the best songs of all time. Yes How Soon is Now or Reel Around the Fountain maybe be a more accurate description of my being. But the fact that I so relate to these depressed teen in the room, angsty, in the bedroom dancing my legs down to the knees songs means that I am well and truly still ill.
My favorite Smiths song is “unloveable”. I was a gay kid that grew up in small town in Oklahoma. From the age of kindergarten to 12th I grew up with the same class of about 35 other classmates. The town I lived had a population of about 4 thousand. I was the only gay kid in this town, at least that I knew of, and the only one into “alternative” music. Needless to say, I was an outcast…in every way. It was tough, but alone in my room Morrissey and the Smiths made me feel a little less alone and a little more alive. “Unloveable” encapsulates everything I felt during that time as well as everything The Smiths gave to me. I am forever grateful to the music of all my heros for helping me through this time. Thank you for listening.
Hand in Glove. Just because of the line “the sun shines out of our behinds.”
“Asleep.” Reminds me of late nights at the college radio station, circa 1988/1989…
HANDS DOWN: There’s A Light That Never Goes Out. Life changing when I heard Morrissey sing it live.
“Oscillating Wildly”, actually. I love B-Sides.
It’s impossible to pick just one, but I guess I would go with “Big Mouth Strikes Again”. It’s a song that brings me back to a simpler time when life wasn’t so complicated. It is a masterful work of art!
“Girl Afraid” – It’s a fast, compact, dark tune with an amazing guitar riff.
“How Soon Is Now” is still my favorite: the hypnotic Bo Diddley influence wedded to Moz’ pale croon is the quintessential Smiths track.
“Girlfriend In A Coma”. For me, that song perfectly encapsulates the band’s mordant sense of humor and theatricality.
Rubber Ring
because
The most impassionate song
To a lonely soul
Is so easily outgrown
But don’t forget the songs
That made you smile
And the songs that made you cry
Cemetary Gates, it’s so melodramatic and the bassline makes me glad all day. It’s one of the first songs I learned to play on bass!
“This Night Has Opened My Eyes” is an underrated gem. Beautiful melody, heartbreaking lyrics, and an undeniable ambiance.
Stop Me If You Think That You’ve Heard This One Before because it has a great intro.
Panic because it was the first Smiths song I remember hearing and obsessing over.
Sweet And Tender Hooligan – Nothing beats the feeling of singing “Ecetera” at the top of your lungs while driving!
Choosing one Smiths song as a favorite is no simple task… however, on most days, my favorite Smiths song is “Cemetery Gates” off of the Queen Is Dead. “Cemetery Gates” encapsulates everything that made The Smiths such a great band. Andy Rourke’s bass line flawlessly drives the song in and out of fruition. Perhaps the highlight of the song is Johnny Marr’s beautiful, shimmering jangly guitar. Add in Morrissey’s playful and witty lyrics and you have a bona fide masterpiece. A perfect song to listen to on an afternoon drive in the Fall!
After tryiny to decide for a few minutes, I chose ‘What She Said’ from Meat Is Murder. The guitar is awesome and the lyrics are so sad, so poetic and so brutally honest. I love their songs that make you think and inspire you.
HOW SOON IS NOW because it was the first SMITHS song I heard and I must have played it 6 times in row. Sometimes your first is the best…
‘Unlovable’ – I wear black on the outside because black is how I feel in the inside…
“Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now”
“You Just Haven’t Earned It Yet Baby.” The song has become something of a motto for me for life in general. It applies to so many situations…
Rushholme Ruffians – because after listening to this song with a girl I was in love with, she wrote my name on her arm.
For today, GF in a COMA. This will change daily. Love the vocals, harmonies, and the length.
I know It’s Over. It’s my show stopper on the Queen is Dead.
I’m gonna have to go with “How Soon Is Now”… not only the music, but the haunting lyrics ‘and you go and you stand on your own, and you leave on your own, and you home and you cry and you want to die’… who can’t relate to that at some point in their life?!
“Stop Me If You Think You’ve Heard This One Before”. This song is so much fun to dance & sing to in the club. I’ve drank one & watched it become four many times. The video is awesome too. The Smiths & bicycles. Doesn’t get better than that!
It’s a dead tie between Hand in Glove and The Boy with the Thorn in His Side.
“What She Said” It has an amazing riff that resembles nothing that I’ve heard before or since, and the line “I smoke ’cause I’m hoping for an early death and I need to cling to something” blew my mind when I was a teenager.
“There is a Light That Never Goes Out” – What greater profession of love than, “to die by your side, well, the pleasure and the privilege is mine”?
“Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want.”
Morrissey and The Smiths changed my life when I discovered them, allowing me to realize my identity was mine to own. Morrissey’s stage presence is still the most impressive I’ve seen. Every time my life seems predictable or fickle, The Smith’s music is there for me. Please, please, please, let me win this contest.
A Rush and A Push holds a special place. It’s the first Smiths I was really aware of.
“There Is A Light That Never Goes Out,” because the chorus is heaven.
I always loved This Charming Man. The guitar intro is incredibly fun to play, and i love how slyly self-deprecating the song is.
“Meat Is Murder” (which I was listening to just last night, coincidentally). I was a passing Smiths fan before I heard that song, and I had no knowledge of vegetarianism at the time, let alone an interest in it. But the lyrics made me stop and think, and in very short order, I had given up meat. All these years later, I’m vegan, and I have that song to thank as a key reason.
Panic! It was the first Smiths song I ever heard. It was in a club in Chicago, I’m unable to properly describe the energy it created, unbelievable. A lasting impression.
Christianity leaves one with the never ending guilt feeling and growing up in rural Alabama, there was plenty of it. The Smiths were a nice doorway to another world. “Frankly Mr. Shankly” perfectly nailed for me how I felt and taught me not to feel sorry about it, “I want to live and I want to Love/I want to catch something that I might be ashamed of.”
“what she said” is my absolute favorite. it utterly encapsulated a very specific time in my life where i was looking for more, knew there was more, just didn’t know how to go about it…smoked a cig instead. it pushed me to break out of that cycle and really really open my eyes.every time i feel stuck i use it as an impetus to get moving again.
I’m sure we can all agree that it’s painful to choose one Smiths song over another. TBQH, it’s hard for me to think of too many groups about whom I can unequivocally say “I love every song”…that said, I’ve always felt incredibly partial towards “Paint a Vulgar Picture.”
There Is A Light That Never Goes Out…I don’t think you can get much more romantic. To love someone so much you could die with them and be perfectly content…to love someone so much that losing your home isn’t as important because home is with the person you are with.
“How Soon Is Now”. Because it’s just as relevant to me at 43 than it was at 16 when it first came out. It’s also what began a life long love affair with this group and it’s music.
The Queen is Dead. The outro on the title track is sheer heaven.
“That Joke Isn’t Funny Anymore” because it wasn’t. Such a stark and beautiful song.
“Cemetry Gates” Pure poetry with classic references combined with a sublime guitar line. This is Morrissey/Marr at their peak.
My favorite Smiths song is This Night Has Opened My Eyes, for purely emotional reasons. One night I had a craving to listen to this song, which I had known for many years without particularly noticing it. Ever since it has been my go-to song for Smiths melancholia.
I’m going to have to go with “I Know It’s Over”. My favorite mopey song from high school.
I Know It’s Over
…”what she said”. “meat is murder” is the first smiths’ record i ever heard. “what shed said” was my favorite song on that record. it has remained my favorite song many years later.
Rusholme Ruffians — Why? because it reminds me of how I was forced to go to the county fair through my teen years. I always just sort of stood around judging people, wistfully hoping to be noticed but trying not to be, and wondering why gross high schoolers wanted to ride extremely dangerous contraptions (someone nearly died one year on the tea cups). And someone’d fall in love and someone’d be beaten up and the senses being dulled were mine. It is also very rockabilly and danceable.
“how soon is now” because it is timeless.
“Rusholme Ruffians” from “Meat is Murder” is a song so close to my heart that I literally get chills everytime I hear the first bars of the song. It seems to be taken right out of a very specific time in my early teens when we would meet up at fairs, fight, try to impress girls and leave broken hearted. I even have a VERY large “Rusholme Ruffian” tattoo across my stomach.
I Know It’s Over
It expresses heartbreak the way no one ever wants to admit it to themselves
Cemetry Gates. What other band can pack that much funny/sad/clever into less than 3 minutes of musical perfection?
William, it was really nothing. This was the first Smiths song that I learned the lyrics to, and I sang it all the time at the top of my lungs. This was always taken as a bit strange seeing as I was a straight black kid in one of the more violent high schools in Birmingham, Al. …
Cemetery Gates
Fav & Great song!
‘I Want the One I Can’t Have’ because it is so danceable and i loved the coupling of ‘mentality’ and ‘biology.’ And who can’t identify with the unfulfilled yearning in that song?
Still Ill – the amazing Johnny Marr, especially going into the 4-word chorus. Also, “we cannot cling to the old dreams anymore…” Yes. Oh, and the pleasantly bizarre difference bewteen the intro/outro and the rest of the song.
“Bigmouth Strikes Again” always instantly takes me back to the club at which i was djing in 1986…
“That Joke Isn’t Funny Anymore” has always been my favorite because the music is beautiful, the singing is hypnotic, and the lyrics really hit home.
Rubber Ring. The song conveys our life’s journey that we all live through youth and music and how lyrics can passionately change someone’s mood, vision, or even life. Morrissey explains in simple song how everyone in one way or another is affected by music and how songs can easily take you back to another place or time. Simple song with extraordinary meaning and words.
“The Boy With a Thorn in His Side”, it just feels like it was written about me, cause no one ever believed me. ;)
I would have to say “I want the one I can’t have.”
he interplay between guitar and bass is superb, and the lyrics are classic Morrissey. Scornful, shy, arrogant, funny. It really sums up the push/pull contradiction of The Smiths to me.
Bigmouth Strikes Again – Growing up, I hated The Smiths. Any time they would come on the radio, I would cringe and quickly change the station. One day I heard the song playing in a record store, and instantly from the very first chord, I was completely hooked. Now I’m one of the biggest Smiths fans, and I owe it all to that song.
“Barbarism Begins At Home” – I have seen hundreds and hundreds of concerts in my life. The best concert I’ve ever seen? No contest – the Smiths at the Beacon Theatre in NYC on May 18, 1985. Fans in a frenzy all show long. As the show works its way towards the final song (“Barbarism”), fans try to rush the stage. Security guards try to keep them back. Morrissey tells the guards to let the fans onstage. Guards relent. The fans stream onstage as the band continues to play Barbarism. Part way through the song, Morrissey exits the stage, leaving the band to continue, sans vocals. Then, Johnny exits the stage, leaving just the rhythm section to continue. Finally, in what seemed to be an attempt by the venue to stop a riot, the plug is literally pulled and music stops dead. A classic ending to a classic concert. That song and the images of that evening are forever burned into my consciousness.
“There is a light that never goes out” This is my favorite Smiths song because it reminds me of how their music is like a light that never goes out! There sound was timeless……….
I guess I’ll say The Headmaster Ritual, because the guitars are so lovely. I love Morrissey’s lyrics of course, but I’ve always connected with the Smiths musically first. So many choices, though!
I like Reel Around the Fountain (the album version with piano) because I love the “pin and mount me” verse, and because it was so strange and compelling when it came out, and remains so today. I’m also really loving The Hand That Rocks The Cradle on the Unreleased Demos and Instrumentals Album for early, haunted, lost on the moors perfection.
Meat Is Murder lead-off track, “The Headmaster Ritual”. The first Smiths album I owed – and still my favorite!
“How Soon Is Now” is without a doubt, musically and lyrically, one of the greatest songs ever written. Captures Heartbreak and feeling casted aside in the most haunting and peferct way. I like it so much I have “Oh mother, I can feel the soil falling over my head” tattooed on my arm.
“This charming man” because it was so unique at the time discussing the complex idea of growing up and finding yourself or having others help you discover who you are. It was the first Smiths record I bought and I have been a fan ever since.
How Soon Is Now reminds me of all the things we have when we’re young, but lose as we get older (like 97X, the greatest radio station ever). Nostalgia is truly the greatest drug of all.
“There Is A Light That Never Goes Out”. It was the first Smiths song I learned to play on guitar and the lyrics get you so caught up with how the character is feeling.
Bigmouth Strikes Again: My sister used to give me tapes when I was younger and this was the first Smiths track I heard.
So many to choose from, so many favorites, but if I must choose one it is “Girl Afraid”.
“Oscillate Wildly” Great guitar work by Marr. A wonderful instrumental.
“Unloveable” as it was first dedicated to me by a drug addled boyfriend in my teens. Awww…
There is a light (and it never goes out)
This is really hard, but the song that really got me into the Smiths is Sheila Take A Bow….”…Boot the Grime of this world in the crotch dear, and don’t go home tonite, come out and find the one who you love and who loves you….” and of course the classic ending line: “…Throw your homework onto the fire, come out and find the one that you love…”. Spoke volumes to me as a teen!
It’s got to be “Half a Person”. Anyone who has ever felt the first pinch of senseless obsessive (i.e. romantic) love can feel comforted that this wasn’t some demented sickness that they alone have suffered. Morrissey carries the torch for all of us love-lorn, lonesome losers. Nothing says it better than “16, clumsy, and shy.”
Stretch Out and Wait – The lyrics really hit the nail on the head with what was going on around me. “Amid concrete and clay and general decay, nature must still find a way. So ignore all the codes of the day, let your juvenile impulses sway.” God how sex implored me!
Sweet and Tender Hooligan, raucous guitar and great lyrics like “in the midst of life we are in death etc”
“Panic”
Dancing in the club, visiting a friend in Glasgow & seeing road signs to the mentioned towns, and so much of the popular music at the time said nothing to me about my life.
“Handsome Devil” because it’s so goddamn sexy.
“This Charming Man,” wherein Morrissey and Marr reinvent the guitar pop single for a new generation.
After hearing “Half A Person” for the first time I was hooked for life on The Smiths, but I would have to say the song that holds the most meaning for me and will always be my favorite is “I Know It’s Over.” I was going through such a hard time in my life that I was literally at the end of my rope. “I know it’s over, and it never really began, but in my heart it was so real…” Hearing the song’s beautiful lyrics made me feel like I wasn’t alone. I had given up hope and that song, along with all the others from The Smiths literally brought me back to life. Morrissey’s beautiful, hauntingly poetic and heartfelt lyrics simply can not be beat.
Always loved ‘The Queen is Dead’, especially for its humor and irony.
Bigmouth Strikes Again-Is full of energy and makes me want to spin in my black trench coat and beret.
Unloveable. As a teenager I listened to this song many times thinking it was written specifically about me. Now I am in my 30’s and STILL think that it was written specifically for me. : )
the boy with the thorn in his side was always the smiths song that i could just lose myself in as a teenager, feeling misunderstood, first loves, it was also stellar to dance to along with a strobe light at a club but when my son, who is also an avid smiths fan had to make a trip to the ER because a branch from a bush snapped back at him and resulted in an actual thorn is his side that had to be removed it became too hilarious and i had to tease by singing it throught the whole ordeal, even the doctor came in and sang it to him!! it was too much.
Death At One’s Elbow. Because everyone hates it & a songs needs a Glen every now and then!
“Jeane.” This Charming Man was the first single I ever bought on vinyl, which made Jeane the first and still one of the only B-Sides I loved more than the song I was trying to buy. The chord progression has a perfect mix of jauntiness and minor key sadness without going overboard with either, and the lyrics manage to hit that sad/clever sweet spot only Morrissey could ever manage. Plus, since it was never on a compilation (until recently), it was like that song was my little secret. Never mind the Sandie Shaw cover.
“How Soon is Now?” I know it may sound cliche’- but it is my favorite song by the Smiths because it was the first time I heard of The Smiths. Or should I say saw the Smiths? I didn’t have MTV at the time and this is when they showed videos unlike the reality tv garbage they show now- and I would give a friend of mine video tapes to pop in to record MTV over night. One on of those tapes, was the video- in fact, it was the next to the last video- and I was transfixed by the song. It was the first time in my teen years that I felt any singer/musician had personally spoke to me- or even took a page from my life. And let’s face it- how could anyone not love that guitar?
Ask: speaks to me about my shyness and social anxiety. I’ve often repeated the portions of the song in my head as encouragement when going into social situations when I feel uncomfortable.
Golden Lights, totally unique sounds.
To hold up one song to the light, I suppose it would have to be “How Soon Is Now?”. Like many here, the output of the Smiths was virtually a soundtrack for my late eighties youth, with HSIN atop as my anthem of self-pitying teenage ennui. However, little would I know that one day more than a decade later, that song, a lifelong friend, would provide the moment when I would meet the love of my life. It was a club, and I did meet someone who really loves me. :-)
“Stop Me If You Think You’ve Heard This One Before.” It’s sung with so much confidence, and musically it’s one of their finest moments. Punchy & compelling. And that final line..”I still love you. Oh, I still love you, only slightly, only slightly less, than I used to, my love.”
Shakespeare’s Sister – I’ve always loved the line “I thought that if you had an acoustic guitar then it meant that you were a protest singer.”
“You Just Haven’t Earned it yet, Baby”. I just love the line “when they pulled me back and held me down and looked me in the eyes and said..” and how it just flows directly into the chorus. It’s a bit unconventional but moves so well with the music. Granted most of the lyrics are fairly simple, but it doesn’t need to be incredibly complex to be mind-blowing, does it?
Panic! Love that song so much.
How Soon is Now?
“Rubber Ring.” Shows that Morrissey knows what it is to love music, and it’s how I feel about the music of Morrissey and The Smiths.
My fave Smiths song is What Difference does it make because Morrisseys voice sounds excellent esp when he is yelling so beautifully loud at the ending puts me in a trance !!!!!
Cemetery Gates as it’s a fantastic pop song, short and sweet but with some fairly scathing, accusatory lyrics. The combination of those is what The Smiths were best at.
Extraordinarily difficult question, as it changes- in a month, if this question was asked again, it would probably be different. But now it’s probably William, It Was Really Nothing. The quality, almost a lightness, of Morrissey’s voice and the beauty of the guitar lines make it what I think of when I think of the Smiths as an entity. There’s an impossible to describe wistfulness about it that draws me back again and again.
“Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want” It’s like Morrisey is singing for every person in the whole world who always ended up on the short end, wanting for just once, pleading in desperation to the one who could answer and reciprocate, one request.
I know it’s an easy cliche, but I still love “How Soon is Now” – the guitars just kill me every time. Johnny Marr is a genius. And I love the way the guitar and the vocal melody work together by working against each other.
My favorite is “Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want” because it reminds me of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off!
“How Soon Is Now?” The reason is that it is the most iconic Smiths song ever. Also, it is best listened to while inhaling N2O.
Two songs tie for favorite: There is a Light That Never Goes out and Boy with a Thorn in his Side. They are both fantastic examples of lyrics that connected with my soul during my angst filled teenaged years.
Ask as I was given a mix tape by a girl years ago and that was the song mid-way through side one and it chilled me to the bone as this girl was NOT was I was looking for in a lady. Also taught me a lesson about mix tape etiquette and the dangers within mix tapes.
“Unloveable” – Spoke volumes to me then, and still does.
‘How Soon Is Now’ – because it’s one of the songs i remember was playing when I lost my virginity. Oh the irony.
‘Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now’. It is the life-theme song for me and my wife. We know it well.
This is an impossible question since my favorite is usually what I happen to be listening to at the moment.
I will go with Death of a Disco Dancer. Just love the tempo and the emotional distance of the lyrics. Atypical in many respects yet textbook Smiths all the same.
Girlfriend in a coma.
It’s serious ;}
Asleep is my favorite Smith’s song. I love it so much because when I was in my darkest period in life, it gave me something to relate to.
“Unlovable” because it spoke to me at the time.
One of my favorite songs by The Smiths is “Ask.” I can really relate to “Ask” because I am shy and sometimes I am so shy I keep my thoughts and feelings inside and miss out on stuff. The Smiths inspire me with this song. When I think of this song, I find I am more courageous.
Favorite Smiths’ song: This Charming Man
Will forever remind me of my teenage years, where I fancied myself as a bit of a charmer :)
For me it has to be Paint a Vulgar Picture for its sheer irony and foresight to how the Smiths catalog has been (mis)handled these last 24 years. Hopefully this Rhino release puts things right.
My favorite song by a brassiere strap is “Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others” because, of course, some girls mothers are bigger than other girls’ mothers….oh…
“Cemetry Gates”. Not only is it just a lovely song, but the lyrics are wonderful. How could you not love how Morrissey says “Wilde”?
I’ve had “A Rush and a Push and the Land is Ours” stuck in my head for 4 days in spite of not having heard the song in a decade, so I’m going to go with that, for some reason.
Death Of A Disco Dancer. Smiths at their peak. It sounds like nothing else. And Morrissey plays pianer.
stop me if you’ve heard this one before because the video is awesome.
“Paint a Vulgar Picture” for the self-referential line “and when it fails to recoup, well maybe you just haven’t earned it yet baby.”
“how soon is now” because it was the soundtrack to my youth!
“Oscillate Wildly,” a Smiths instrumental!
Rubber Ring. Because songs about songs seem to make Morrissey happy — and a happy Moz is such a rare thing.
Although I don’t have a favorite Smiths song (they all are perfect in my opinion), I will have to say my favorite album is The Queen Is Dead. It’s one of the best albums of the 1980’s, and a lot of modern alternative music owes a lot to that album. One of my personal favorites, and always will be.
This is a tough one as growing up in the 80’s, The Smiths were the soundtrack to my life. However, having to go with just one, I would say Reel Around the Fountain if only for the verse “I dreamt about you last night and I fell out of bed twice. You can pin & mount me like a butterfly, but take me to the haven of your bed. was something that you never said…two lumps please, your the bees knees, but so am I.” How I wanted to sing this to every girl I fell in love with (from afar, of course) in high school.
“This Night Has Opened My Eyes”
Another Favorite, “This Night Has Opened My Eyes and I Will Never Sleep Again”
Rubber Ring – who but the Smiths would write a song to the fans who have outgrown them, and make it realistic and relevant?
“But don’t forget the songs
That made you cry
And the songs that saved your life
Yes, you’re older now
And you’re a clever swine
But they were the only ones who ever stood by you”
How true.
“There Is A Light That Never Goes Out” is the best love song ever written. I was listening to it at age 15 when I wore my heart on my sleeve and everyday was an emotional struggle to understand my new feelings of love that were perfectly encapsulated by the song. My emotions were so complex and in a state of flux, but at the same time, everything was so simple and clear–my whole world revolved around the object of my love and it felt as if it really didn’t matter if a double-decker bus were to crash into us as long as we were together. I look back over the past 25 years of my life since and know that I have not been able to approach love with the trust and purity that I did the first time and I will never be able to again. Your first love is truly special!
I think “Asleep” has be one those osngs that just sticks you. It’s a twistedly beautifull lullaby that haunts me every time I hear it.
Unloveable, because it’s simple and straight to the point.
shoplifters of the world unite because if i don’t win, i will be forced to steal.
“Some girls are bigger than others” Brings back so many college memories!
“Cemetry Gates”…because it reminds of those terrible/wonderful teenage years.
Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want- The Smiths- A simple prayer made up of complex longing and desperation. It almost as by the end of the song, your prayer has been answered.
I mean, it’s like trying to pick which child one loves best, really, but even though it’s lyrically fairly simple (especially compared to the dense lit-referenced ones) ‘Ask’ is probably my favourite since it’s got a heavy personal association with awkward crushes and first love in a warm-fuzzy cold-war era mutual-assured destruction political context.
My favorite Smiths track is Well I Wonder from the Meat is Murder LP….The songs contains all the best elements of the band…Marr’s guitar work…Morrisseys voice just sails along beautifully..And Morrissey’s lyrics have a beauty in their longing for love and attention..It still gives me chills after all these years..
I’m going to say “Unloveable”. As a freshman in college I played it on my radio show, dedicating it to a girl I liked. She heard it and thought it was the most romantic thing ever and we started dating. A few months later I broke up with her on Valentine’s Day, which in retrospect seems perfect for a relationship started with a Smiths tune.
My favorite Smiths song is Unloveable. My aunt and uncle danced to it at their wedding reception. Has always had a soft spot in my heart for it.
ASK
Tough to beat a lyric like, “Writing frightening verse to a buck-toothed girl in Luxembourg…”
If it’s not love then it’s the bomb that will bring us together.
“Stop Me If You Think That You’ve Heard This One Before”, not only for the tongue-in-cheek lyrics, but it reminds me of my childhood (the sound, not the lyrics!)
“I want the one I can’t have” -This song was the story of my life. I was very mad for a long time.
“This Charming Man” if for nothing more than that opening riff…brilliance.
There’s a light that never goes out
“how soon is now”…be cause the lyrics are so true to life…was even my theme music for my picture montage for my wedding…and i should also win because my daughters name is Moz…=)
My favorite Smiths song is “Boy With a Thorn in His Side” because it makes me happy and sad all at once. I’ve heard it so many times and have never gotten tired of it. But, it was hard to choose just one favorite song!
“Still Ill” because it says a lot to and about me.
Please please please, let me get what i want (like a boxed set of Smiths albums)/Lord knows it would be the first time…
“How Soon is Now”, because my husband put that and numerous other songs on a mixed tape for me before he had to leave for Desert Shield/Desert Storm and it was my favorite one and got me through his deployment! Love it and Morrisey/The Smiths!
Favorite Smiths song is Rush And A Push And The Land Is Ours. This is my favorite song becaus of how catchy it is, and the way everything flows and is just perfect. Also because it’s not one of their more popular or very liked by other fans.
Death of a Disco Dancer. This song has been one of my favorites for over 20 years. The lyrics are beautiful, the music is haunting. Hearing Morrissey play the toy piano at the end just adds to the uniqueness and greatness of this song. “Love, peace and Harmony…oh very nice but maybe in the next world” is such a brilliant and yet sad lyric that just delves you into the depth of the world and the chaos it constantly ensues.
My favorite Smiths song is “Cemetry Gates” because it moved me to write poetry and, if I had never started to write poems, I would have never began to write prose. These two things are such defining factors of my life now as I am currently working on a Children’s Novel and I can validly say that I credit that song (and Morrissey) for helping me realize that I am a writer (but rest assured all of the words I use “are my own”!)
Big Mouth Strikes Again (love it because i have such a big mouth lol ) and it strikes quiet often =]
Boy with the thorn is his side, because it is the perfect example of teen love awkwardness
My favorite Smiths song is “Shoplifters Of The World Unite”, because it was my first taste of The Smiths back in 1987 when I was a freshman in high school. The Smiths introduced me to a world that seemed a million light years removed from my hometown in rural Georgia, but I somehow related to every song as if the song were written specifically for me.
“Sweet and Tender Hooligan” For my two year old daughter, Penelope Switchblade (real name!). She is my sweet little hooligan and always will be!
“Stop Me If You’ve Heard This One Before” just because it has such a magnificent, epic feel to it. Plus I love Low’s cover of it.
This is very tough, but I always seem to come back to “Paint A Vulgar Picture’ because of it’s poignancy. All around it’s simply a wonderfully crafted song.
I Know It’s Over. This is my all time favorite Smiths song off of my favorite Smiths record. It’s my favorite because of how sad it is and how much I can relate to it. I can relate to Morrissey’s sadness and loneliness in this song. For that it instantly became my favorite and most listened to song by them.
This charming man, reminds me of love and my bf
“There is a light that never goes out” because whether you’re 15 or 40, the lyrics still strike at the heart of you.
Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now. I can relate to this song in so many ways. I waste my time on people who don’t even care about me nor do they appreciate how I sometimes go out of my way for them (In my life, why do I give valuable time to people who don’t care if I live or die). I’m only happy when I’m drunk; once I’m sober, back to reality (I was happy in the haze of a drunken hour, but heaven knows I’m miserable now). I smile at people I highly dislike because I’m required to do so at my job (In my life, why do I smile at people who I’d much rather kick in the eye)..
Paint A Vulgar Picture—a story of a man’s rise to fame. his freedom of song is taken away and he fails to be himself. Morrissey and the Smiths hold true to their art, fans, & message.
reel around the fountain –
slap me on the patio
I’ll take it now
Fifteen minutes with you
well, I wouldn’t say no
There is a light that never goes out. Chose this tune because when it came out I was in a really bad and dark place and this showed me joy through the darkness.
extremely difficult question! it changes daily. but i’ll go with How Soon is Now…. because it captures so perfectly the mood of my early 20’s. and because even after all these years, the guitar still gives me chills.
My very favorite Smiths song is “Cemetry Gates”. I love the setting, the upbeat sound and the homage to great writers. I could listen to it on repeat forever.
have to pick “How Soon Is Now”, just sounds so much more badass than anything else they recorded.
How Soon Is Now? in the mid eighties I used to go dancing at a club called the “Network” in Glendale, CA. One night I was supposed to meet a girl there and was was stood up. Upon recognizing my defeat and gearing to go home alone the dj played ‘how soon is now’ officially kicking off my angst and a teenage life of promiscuous behavior.
“Frankly, Mr. Shankley” – the most funny, true, and polite way to summarize my academic and professional life experiences through my 20’s…
“Still Ill” because it displays Morrissey’s wit and emotional but sardonic personality. It’s got that anti-social “I don’t need the world” while emanating utter vulnerability. It’s the illest.
“That Joke Isn’t Funny Anymore” because it comes in the middle of a great stretch of songs on Meat Is Murder and the lyrics and yeah.
the hand that rocks the cradle, this song reminds me of my son who i rarely see, word i wish i could tell him….
“Well I Wonder”, because it was always there for me when I needed it from High School all the way till now. . .
“How Soon Is Now?” is my all-time favorite Smiths track. The lyric “I am HUMAN and I need to be LOVED” is one of Morrissey’s most simple, yet it spoke to every person who heard it. It told us that Moz felt our pain, understood our longing and was one of US.
“Big Mouth Strikes Again” Brilliant lyrics and music. Wonderfully fantastic track.
I have to say… ugh!! is difficult to choose I like every single song but I’ll say “Accept Yourself” because reminds me that I have to actually “accept my self” to get to something i want, i have to open my eyes and stop blaming me, that things will get really hard if i dont have trust in me.
I couldn’t possibly pick just one “favorite” Smiths song. But a song that I’ve always loved that didn’t seem to get much traction with anyone else I knew was “Unhappy Birthday.” Just a fantastically dark, wistful song, that grinds out a perfect jangle-angst progression toward the end.
Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me. The haunting sounds of the first two minutes, into some of the saddest words ever laid to tape. Amazing!
WITH OUT A DOUBT , MY FAVORITE Smiths Song is ‘ UNLOVEABLE ‘ !!!!!!!
Because i swear Morrissey is singing about ME! LOL …. Ive always been known to push everyone away thats close to me, and so people say that song describes me very well. i even got “I dont have much in my life, but take it, its Yours!” tattooed on me. I guess U can say that song is very close to my heart. xoxox My favorite by far..
“Stretch out and wait” You have no idea how interesting it is to hear Moz sing the line, “God how sex implores you…”
“I know it’s Over” is a brilliant song. Musically it meanders along like a walk through the rain while the lyrics break your heart. Beautiful, wonderful, sad and always great.
Pick only one? Noooooooooo! I’m tempted to pick “Oscillate Wildly”, since it’s the name that I use for the Smiths tribute night & dance party that I produce & DJ in New York City every month. I’m also very tempted to cite “There Is A Light…”, “Still Ill”, “Hand In Glove”, or “I Know It’s Over”. • Ultimately, though, it is “The Queen Is Dead” that constantly tops my list of favorite Smiths tracks. It’s an unusual choice, I know… but that brilliant film sample that opens the track & LP, the dramatically-sequenced introductory collage, the sudden onslaught of huge guitars, that distorted ringing that runs through the whole track, and Morrissey’s comic tale mocking the Royal family by name… combine to deliver The Smiths at their most massive and powerful. The version on “Rank” is even more forceful! I’ll always love that song. So moving. So proud… so perfect.
“Miserable Lie” is by far my favorite song by The Smiths!
“William, It Was Really Nothing” from Hatful of Hollow. Gloriously melodic and dour, brilliant guitar work, a perfect and powerful marriage of Morrissey and Marr.
“hand in glove” being content with who and what you have, not worrying about what others feel or think about you.
Headmaster ritual. The song speaks to me in a way only I could understand. I get lost in a dream sequence of sweet desire and just cant stop myself from dancing.
“rusholme ruffians,” because the music and lyrics combine to make you FEEL the atmosphere of that wonderful and terrible night at the fair.
My favorite Smiths song is Still Ill and specifically, the version on Hatful of Hollow. But it’s a tough one, so many amazing songs by the Moz and Co…
My mom passed a year ago she was one of the most loving mothers, friends and grandmothers always willing to go out of her way to see other people happy. She trusted people so much no matter how many times they let her down “There is a light” in her that could never be put out,even after death. That song just hits deep what else is there to say? I Love and miss you madly mom Love your your Charming Man.
I know it is common, but ” how soon is now” Johnny’s guitar is life changing, the sound is so moving…..and i got my first BJ during it at my gf’s house
There is a Light that Never Goes Out..the ultimate love song
‘Stop me if you think that you’ve heard this one before’ because “nothing’s changed, I still love you….”
‘What She Said’ for me is the quintessential Smiths song. Amazing guitar, a solid rhythm section and lyrics that evoked more feeling in one line than others only wished they could in an entire career. “I smoke ’cause I’m hoping for an early death and I need to cling to something!” First heard this at 15. Now more than twice that age, it still grips. Incredible.
“This Charming Man”…Love the haunting Morrissey vocals!
I am a HUGE fan of both The Smiths and Oscar Wilde, thus my favorite song is Cemetary Gates.
“Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now”…how could you ever beat the line “Why do I smile at people I’d much rather kick in the eye”?
“Handsome Devil” because it always makes me laugh. It is very witty and cheeky. Every time it comes on, I automatically smile and I have to sing along.
My absolute favorite is, and always has been, “The Hand That Rocks The Cradle.” I feel like it’s been somewhat overshadowed by other songs, which is unfortunate. It’s hauntingly beautiful. I find the writing in it absolutely amazing – more ‘poem’ than ‘song’ and the first time I heard it I found myself listening again and again, until I had every word memorized. It’s strange and almost frighteningly obsessive, and at the same time wonderfully loving – it’s calmed me when I was afraid, but it’s also made me cry – two very different feelings. And I think that’s what I love about it most.
“Sheila Take a Bow.” I know it’s probably an unusual choice for a favorite Smiths song, and I can certainly come up with a top ten in under five minutes, but I just have loved this one since the first time I hear it in 1987.
“Back to the Old House” will always be my sentimental favorite for a variety of reasons, not the least of which was a high school dalliance at the back of the school bus when I was told by a girl I was smitten with that the song sounded like me, that I would really like someone and never tell them. Someone flashed to mind when she said that…someone other than her. I was a cad!
The Smiths have a huge and fantastic catalog. “Handsome Devil” and “I Know It’s Over” are my two favorites. In fact, The Queen Is Dead is one of the best albums on the 1980’s.
“Panic”. I’m a DJ for an ’80s show on community radio, and I love to hear “Hang the DJ…hang the DJ…” sung over and over again. Also, the shout-out to Grasmere is fabulous.
“Girlfriend in A Coma” Quintessential Smiths which combines a catchy happy tune with depressing melancholy lyrics. Also when I heard this for the first time, I had just broken up with my girlfriend…and happy about it!
“reel around the fountain”. Just way too haunting, way too pretty to about such a horrific event. It showed me how music can be many things at once, and different things to different people.
Sing your life… it reminds me of my brother when we were younger n used to dance to it now he’s far away
“Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now” is my favorite Smiths song. Love the lyrics “In my life why do I give valuable time to people who don’t care if I live or die”
I believe that “Stretch Out and Wait” is one of those songs that becomes more beautiful with each listen. The lyrics are coy and playful and Morrissey’s voice evokes such a lovely innocent feeling. There is something very sweet and delicate about this song that just takes my breath away. Still.
I have a lot more than one favorite but here I’ll mention “Stop Me If You Think You’ve Heard This One Before.” I remember listening to it on vinyl and singing along. Very easy song to sing along to and has an iconic music video with all of the Moz-alikes in the glasses. :)
favorite Smith’s song in nearly impossible to pick —love their entire catalog –if i had to chose one it would be “Bigmouth Strikes Again” —since during the 80’s I often had the same problem
I always liked Kirsty Maccoll’s cover of “You Just Haven’t Earned It Yet, Baby.” Johnny Marr plays on several of her albums. As for The Smiths themselves, “How Soon is Now?” is still the one that still sounds great when you hear it in a club almost 30 years later.
there is a light that never goes out.
this song always takes me back to some of the best summers of my life. a convertible, summer, and the smiths. who could have ever asked for more
My favorite has to be Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now. That song just spoke to me the first time I heard it, created a world I could understand.
That is a really tough one but I would have to say Handsome Devil, the images that Morrissey gives us with those lyrics are just incredible. When you add tone of the most upbeat (musically) tracks in the Smiths catalog, it’s just perfect!
*to one
It is not easy but i will have to say, “Half a Person.” This song shall always remind me about a guy i was forced to leave because of a drug addiction. Can’t say I didn’t have my own struggles at the time, but I managed to pull through. I wish I could have said the same for him. The guy is not forgotten, and neither is this great work of art.
“The Headmaster ritual” is my favorite! Amazing jam with poinant lyrics and one of the most soulfull choruses in music! Love it!
It’s so hard to pick just one, but I would have to say that ‘Unloveable’ has always been a favorite of mine for the lyrics “I wear black on the outside ’cause black is how I feel on the inside.” It just echoed so much of how I felt during my more youthful and emotionally turbulent and inexperienced years…
“Girlfriend in a Coma”
Because it’s one of their most beautiful songs and is perhaps the finest expample of a 2:02 pop song ever written.
Meat is Murder, because I was eating a hamburger the first time I heard it. I just smiled, and nodded as I continued to eat.
True story. Meat is Murder is also my favourite album. That song sealed the deal for me, since I had listened to the previous songs rather seriously. I could finally laugh at myself by the end of it.
“You’ve Got Everything Now” by The Smiths!
“I’ve seen you smile but I never really heard you laugh. So who is rich and who is poor I cannot say..” this line helped me through school. This song has significant sentimental value to me.
There is a Light That Never Goes Out. It’s probably a bit cliché to love that one so much, but it’s so damned lovable. I love the modern themes–of going out to clubs, driving in cars–the sheer britishness of it–being killed by (specifically) a Double-Decker bus, and the sad, dark romanticism of it.
“Rubber Ring” — Morrissey looking out to the day when his fans grow up. A song from the point of view of a song! And beautiful, to boot.
Fav Smiths track would have to be ‘Asleep’. Reminds me of being young, and having a close friend introduce me to the song. She then asked me to make sure the song one day gets played at her funeral. Intend to keep that promise.
My favorite Smiths song is “There’s a light that never goes out” because I had an exgirlfriend who actually wanted to kill both of us like the song. Though the experience was not a good one, I realized what the song meant and I fell in love with it.
“Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want” – I like the feeling of optimistic sadness that I get when hearing this tune. It’s one of those songs that just sounds so much better when you are all alone and you can just soak in the simple melancholy and dig it.
“The Boy With the Thorn in His Side” is probably the most beautiful song they ever did. Choosing only one favorite song is ridiculous, by the way. If there wasn’t a box set being dangled out there, I’d never choose.
Panic. A brilliant statement on pop culture and those who consume it. Becomes ever more true as time goes by.
“Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me” – Haven’t we all, really?
I Know It’s Over, esp. the version on Rank. Johnny’s guitar is beautifully heartbreaking, and Morrissey’s voice is raw emotion wrapped in gorgeous melody. He sings with more intensity and soul than any other singer of his time. Hearing the song in concert now (via Youtube) still gives me chills – Morrissey’s voice is even more powerful and evocative today. The song is a testament to the enduring power and brilliance of The Smiths.
“there’s a light that never goes out” … because it reminds me of how much i love my husband. I swear sometimes i feel like this song is about me! >.<
“there’s a light that never goes out” … because it reminds me of how much i love my husband. I swear sometimes i feel like this song is about me! >.<
Despite it’s popularity, “How Soon Is Now”. I’ll never forget my first year of college (1990), and a yet-to-be very good friend blasting it all the way down the dorm hallway, while signing AND air-guitaring right along. I thought he was crazy. Now I do the same thing around my house all the time.
“This Charming Man”- one of the greatest opening guitar runs EVER.
Barbarism Begins At Home for the bass jam.
“Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me” I was a little late to The Smiths. Strangeways, Here We Come was my first album, and I can’t explain it, but that was the song that I kept going back to time and time again and still go back to.
“Asleep.” Nothing like the uplifting words of the Smiths!
“Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now” is my favorite Smiths song because I believe everyone questions their existence and effectiveness of life. At times we are utterly content with our lives, or feel empowered to obtain or achieve something better, and in the next moment something or someone brings our energies down. “In my life, why do I give valuable time to people who don’t care if I live or die?” This song is so honest and brings me back to answer one of my life goals: to make sure I can be an uplifiting and positive spark in anyone’s life…
“Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now.” So many wonderful little jokes, and a heartbreaking Marr melody.
I Know It’s Over
It touches on the loneliness that is deep in my heart.
Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want- This was my introduction to the Smiths. I first heard it in the movie Pretty In Pink in the theater at 14 years old. That song hit home to me in my awkward teenage years (when i was in my “Ducky” phase) and turned me into a total Smiths/Moz geek. I still am after 25 years.
“Unloveable” because I used to wear black on the outside because black was how I felt on the inside.
What Difference Does It Make? because of the lines: “Heavy words are so lightly thrown, but still I’d leap in front of a flying bullet for you.” Who hasn’t thought “You hurt me, but you’re everything to me.”
“What She Said”…I love how raw the version on “Rank” is.
My favorite song is Cemetery Gates, I love the line “all those people, all those lives, where are they now?”. I wonder the same.
Girl Afraid because it’s been my moniker for the last 8 years and because it also reminds me of when I was younger and first discovered the Smiths as well.
Death of a Disco Dancer. BOOM
“Unhappy Birthday.” Because as a teenager, I used to have a bed sit and cry to this song whilst surrounded by Perrier bottles, dried flowers, doilies and posters of James Dean, Oscar Wilde and the Mozzer. Such wonderful years ;-)
“I Know It’s Over” The first song I can remember listening to and thinking, “Holy shit I finally get it.”
If I have to pick just one, then today I’ll pick The Boy with the Thorn in his Side. The first time I read the lyrics in my Star Hits Magazine my mind was blown. Growing up lonely and misunderstood it was the first time I remember feeling like a man was singing about the love in my own heart.
I love all their songs, but I will always remember “William, It Was Really Nothing” because at the first concert I attended in 1987 (New Order/Echo & The Bunnymen), that song was played in between bands and a huge cheer went up from the crowd at the opening chords. It made me realize that the Smiths had not just affected me, but thousands of others as well.
“The Queen is Dead”, because it’s about the turning point where you stop becoming a person of circumstance (what you happen to be born into, what influenced you) and a person of being, forging your own path.
What she said-it just demonstrates tha Johnny was so capable to write such beautiful soundscapes like Reel around the fountain and how soon is now but could drop the hammer and rock out when he wanted to.
I’m having such a good time just reading these comments. Another vote here for “Rubber Ring”, because it sums up the relationship I’ve always had with music. It was my best friend.
there is a light that never goes out…. i think it relates to everyone who has found that special someone in their life.
Stop Me If You Think You’ve Heard This One Before. Because I never, I never.
How Soon Is Now.. Late night, Starck club in downtown Dallas. Dj played this often.. listening to it still reminds me of late 80s late night dance club, clove cigarettes, black pants, black boots, white shirt, spikey hair.. aaahh
“Stop Me If You Think That You’ve Heard This One Before”. Being born in August 1978 and the oldest of five boys, I missed the Smiths at their peak coming on the scene in the early 90s as I discovered New Order, Joy Division, and the Cure around the age of 13. I used to tape Alternative Nation and 120 Minutes religiously and can still remember the first time I saw the video for this song. At that point, I knew the Smiths, primarily for How Soon is Now, and had only recently bought Meat is Murder, my first Smiths album. The video was iconic with the Moz look alikes and bicycles racing around Salford. The song with its swirling guitar riff and wonderful interplay between Joyce’s drums and Rourke’s bass line had everything I loved at that very moment in time. To top it off, Moz delivered with a brilliant vocal and lyrics that I still know by heart to this day. My favorite Smiths’ song ever.
“Girlfriend in a Coma” – Morrissey is able to write one of the saddest songs ever, yet present it in a poppy song that’s fun to sing along to.
‘I Know It’s Over.’ Listening to this song at a time when I was utterly lonely and felt incapable of being loved reminded me that I was not alone and that for all my pain, ‘it takes strength to be gentle and kind’ and ‘love is natural and real.’ I have often thought of these words since in moments of sadness and anger, and they calm me and help me to be a better person.
“Half A Person.” During my college junior year, I lived in a dormitory with a communal bathroom – pretty standard deal. One of the guys on the floor always belted out Smiths songs in the shower, which surprised and amused me because it was so unexpected. “Half A Person” was one of his standards, perhaps because of the “back scrubber” line, or maybe he was a clumsy and shy 16 year old (I think we all were). One night, about five of us joined in and sang along while sudsing up. I think Moz would have appreciated that moment.
There is a light that never goes out – most romantic song ever written
Like so many others, “There Is A Light That Never Goes Out”. It’s wrapped up with the memories of an ex, but it’s such a perfect song, I still love it anyway.
I’m a typical Smiths fan in that I have a very, very hard time choosing one song, but I find myself coming back to “Reel Around the Fountain” again and again and again. There are many reasons, but to name just a few: the magic of it being the first track on the first album, and therefore the moment when everything changed; the lyrics that have so many of Morrissey’s trademarks–sadness, sweetness, poetry, and a bit of naughtiness for good measure; and Johnny’s lovely, sensitive guitar work. It’s a singular moment in music history.
“That Joke Isn’t Funny Anymore” – So, so, so many great lines in that song. The music continues to haunt my bones. I so wish I still had my original 12 inch record.
“Unloveable” is my fave for the ultimate teen lyric: “I wear black on the outside, ’cause black is how I feel on the inside.” (Though I completely loved “How Soon is Now” in high school; and “Girlfriend in a Coma” is fantastic.)
One of my favorite Smiths songs is “A Rush and a Push And the Land Is Ours”. It’s just a great eerie start to an amazing album.
THIS CHARMING MAN
Just because that’s the story of my life…
Barbarism Begins At Home. Why? The bass. The best bass I’ve ever heard in a song. That and when you watch videos of it being performed live, Morrissey just seems to shine
“The Hand That Rocks The Cradle” because it is scary and sweet and the sound of meloncholy incarnate. A beautifully performed piece of music.
My favorite song is “Pretty Girls Make Graves” – because we all know it’s true….and the heavens above know i’ve contributed to my share of past graves.
“How Soon Is Now.” I particularly like that “I am the Son and the Heir…” sounds like “I am the Sun and the Air…” so vulnerable and yet so strong all at the same time.
Bigmouth Strikes Again.
Because it was the first song I ever heard by them, it was on a cassette and it changed the way I look at guitar playing forever.
ASK because if it’s not love then it’s the bomb that will bring us together.
“That Joke Isn’t Funny Anymore” is my favorite, such great lyrics!
ASLEEP
A song to listen to in those very low moments so that you may be reminded that someone else is lingering in the depths with you, but they are probably even further below. The music, words, delivery, and emotion are as authentic as humanly possible.
“Cemetry Gates” – It was my jam when I was in Brighton. It reminds me of good summers and lovely friendships. Plus, I love shouting, “Some Dizzy Whore 1804!” Plain and simple reasons to like a song, no? Beauty of the Smiths. <3
Ask, always been the best. Epic
Golden Lights. Love the Interplay between Morrissey and Kirsty
“Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me”. Because although it would appear to be a fairly simple song lyrically, it is immensely complex in that it is painfully isolating and at the same time hopeful that at some point there will be “the right one”. Musically the song is epic.
handsome devil
i love the lyrics of this song and the overt sexuality displayed. and of course johnny marr’s masterful riffs. the song even sounds devilish.
sweet and tender hooligan- this song feels chaotic, something my life related to. things are never easy, but the Smiths and Morrissey made hard times bareable and less lonely
Asleep has always been a favorite.
…”There Is a Light that Never Goes Out.” I mean, the song is great, but my memory is great. The contrast. In high school I had a cassette in my car. It had Prince’s “Dirty Mind” on side A and “The Queen Is Dead” on side B. Friday nights kicked off with the optimism and defiance of “Party Down” and the salacious promise of some of the songs on the Prince side that best not be mentioned here. As yet another uneventful night wound down, “There Is a Light that Never Goes Out” would sooth the inevitable let-down. Couching great sadness in great grand humor (a double-decker bus isn’t going to hit us, face it) was always Morrissey’s genius, and always seemed to go unnoticed by the black lipstick kids. But I laughed hard on my ride home.
‘This Charming Man ‘ is my favorite song of the Smiths, that was the first song I heard from the Smiths when I was a teen and I was hooked! After that day I began buying and collecting anything and everything I could get my hands on, or could afford at the time. I really hope I win this special box set!
There is a light that Never Goes Out….
Makes me feel at peace….
I’ve been a Smith’s/Morrissey fan since day one…For me….ALL of the Smiths are the “story of my life” but if I had to choose one at this stage of my life, 40 years of age, and just had my first child, a baby girl and the love I feel for her has been reafirrmed in the lyrics to the song “The Hand that Rocks the Cradle”. Plus Johnny Marr, Andy Rourke and Mike Joyce are excellent with the Music also.
How Soon Is Now for all the loners and shy people at that young age unsure how to romance someone, and be loved! The production and loop of the opening chords are unlike any song I’ve heard
“Cemetery Gates” will forever be my favorite. I listened to that cassette over and over as I cut grass in a cemetery eight hours a day. Just me and my Smiths. And yes I would ‘gravely read the stones. All those people all those lives. Where are they now?’
Unloveable – It’s my favorite and if that seems a little strange, well that’s because I am. But I, know that you would like me if only you could see me, if only you would meet me/give me the box set…
“Unloveable” – Because I am. You don’t have to tell me.
Headmaster’s ritual – Marr’s best playing.
“There Is A Light That Never Goes Out”. A song that expresses in the darkest but strongest way how much I love my wife.
Cemetery Gates!
That Joke Isn’t Funny Anymore— the epitome of The Smiths to me has to be this song. It has everything, great lyrics that start off dark but then change to something uplifting but sarcastic at the same time, beautiful guitar and bass lines and some of the best vocals by Morrissey to end it. Lovely song.
My entry: “How Soon Is Now?”
It was the first Smiths song that hit heavy rotation on my iPod courtesy of my fantastic brother-in-law. His knack for picking the right song (plus knowing a good B-side when he hears it) is the reason I actually listen to The Smiths instead of just hit “skip”. Owning a collection like this would be a privilege.
Stop Me If You Think You’ve Heard This One Before.
How can you not love a song that says,”The pain was enough to make a shy, bald Buddhist reflect and plan a mass murder”.
“Rubber Ring” – I just love the sound of this song, but the lines: “But don’t forget the songs that made you cry, and the songs that saved your life” speak not only of why I love the Smiths specifically but why I love music.
“Frankly Mr. Shankley” is my favorite Smiths song. In 1986 I was in the U.S. Navy and was in broadcasting school learning how to be a D.J. One of the last assignments was to put together a radio show in a specific format. I was given “pop” and told to stick with that week’s Billboard chart with only two openings that I should fill with “other hits”. I filled one with this song just to see what would happen. My instructor failed me for breaking format. It was totally worth it!
“Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now” Kind of sums it all up, dunnit? Encapsulates the Smiths oeuvre: drunken afternoons, dolorous sexuality, best laid plans and all that…
Handsome Devil—”There’s more to life than books, you know, but not much more”, after all.
“Asleep”
The Smiths and Morrissey have been there for me in good and bad times, during the bad times the words to their songs have given voice to my life at that time. Asleep sums up so many nights.
Reel Around The Fountain.
I remember growing up in a household where music and music history was rather abundant. There wasn’t a part of the house that didn’t have something playing on the turntable or an area of wall that didn’t have a framed concert poster hung up. Through my parents, I grew up with bands like Talking Heads, The The, Throbbing Gristle, Japan, OMD, and most importantly, The Smiths. When I turned twelve, my parents got a very rough divorce after a few years of unbearable fighting and quarreling. I remember flipping through dad’s albums and coming across the first Smiths LP. This song symbolized how I felt as I was dragged through the divorce: “It’s time the tale were told, of how you took a child, and you made him old…” I was forced to ‘grow up’, and The Smiths helped me to get through such a rough time in my life.
“How Soon Is Now”. It was the first Smiths song I ever heard while I was growing up and it reminds me of a lot of really great times. I still get goosebumps every time I hear it.
Panic – every time this song comes on, we shake it down real good.
“There Is A Light That Never Goes Out,” from the first Smiths album I ever got my hands on, ‘The Queen Is Dead.’ Such great lyrics and subject matter that was unusual and dealt with so matter-of-factly, making it so instantly attractive to the teenage me.
“Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want”. It’s amazing how beautiful, heartbreaking, and incredible a song can be in just 1:50. That’s the genius of the Smiths.
I would have to go with “This Charming Man” simply because it was the first song I heard by them and it subsequently changed my life and my perspective on what music could be. Before I heard this song I had no Idea there was music like this out there.
Asleep – Eerily beautiful!
Half A Person… It was the song he opened with when I first saw him in concert and I was floored that he was playing a Smiths song. That song always tugged at a place in me, it makes me feel young, vulnerable and hopelessly in love to sing along with it. *love*
London – Because it showed the band could slice into Punk just as easily as Indie Pop.
Even though it’s a compilation album, I’ve always loved the track “London” off of Louder Than Bombs. The whole band just explodes on this track! I’ve always loved the opening of this song, with the feedback off of Johnny’s guitar before kicking into the main riff. Mike’s drums and Andy’s growling bass line, are just outstanding, and Morrissey’s vocals and lyrics are in top form. The main reason I picked this song, I remember this song popping up on a mix tape I made back in my high school days, and it impressed a couple of metal head friends of mine. And to this day, I think they’re embarrassed to admit it, but this song was heavier and more angst driven than most of what they were listening to at the time, and had to admit the they really liked a Smiths song.
“Panic”. Introduced to it by a now dearly departed radio station and a DJ who played the track knowing the significance of the track. That and DAMN if it isn’t the happiest little track about anarchy ever!
“Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want” why is it my favorite?: because Lord knows it would be the first time. :)
… winning a contest that is. ;)
“How Soon Is Now” because it brings you to a certain place and time – like a time machine.
the oscillating guitar effect!
The urgency of “How Soon Is Now,” & it’s haunting, oscillating effect. Its global resonance of “I am human and I need to be loved, just like everybody else does…” It forever remains a part of my existence.
“there is a light that never goes out” Johnny Marr’s songwriting on this one is sublime
Sheila Take a Bow….”Boot the grime of this world in the crotch, dear” ….Because We Must!
Unhappy Birthday, definitley. Mainly for the line: Because you’re evil and you lie and if you should die I may feel slightly sad but I won’t cry. I try and remember to listen to it on my birthday every year.
“William, It Was Really Nothing” Is my favorite, because it is the ‘story of my life’ (I know, I know, different song…) The rain falls hard here ocasionally in my humdrm town. This town has always dragged me down. But I continues to live my life, just like veryone else. At 14, I live in the musical past, and the music of the generations before me, espsecially The Smiths, drives me on through more hardship than I imagined and now towards the future.
“what she said” because of this line “how come someone hasn’t noticed that i’m dead, and decided to bury me, god knows i’m ready, la la la la la la.”
all his lyrics are fantastic, but this song especially gives me chills [as does the entire “meat is murder” album]. moz truly knows what it’s like to need to cling to something.
“Please, Please, Please, Let me get what I want”. I play this song everyday. I recently broke up with my partner of 4 and 1/2 years, and there is something comforting and depressing about this song that makes me yearn for better things. It’s hope. The music allows me to envision my pain from a retrospective place where I am happy. Good times for a change.
‘These Things Take Time’ (Hatful of Hollow)–the baseline alone. First album track I fell in love with that wasn’t played on the radio
unhappy birthday – it really spoke to me after a break-up
“heaven knows i’m miserable now” because i like when morrissey rhymes a word with the same exact word, i.e. “i was looking for a job, then i found a job.” it’s like he couldn’t think of a lyric and just said the same word, but it totally works!
“Please please please let me get what I want”. The Smiths were great stripped down, too.
I couldn’t live without the first album, but as of today, my favorite song is “Rubber Ring.” Through interviews, my impression of Morrissey is that he does truly feel that the songs he loves are the only ones who will always stand by him, which lends this song an intimacy that goes beyond the unusually intimate nature of most of The Smiths’ library. The way he delivers the lyric kind of wraps itself around me in a comfortable way… as of right now, it’s the one song of theirs that I couldn’t do without.
“I Know It’s Over” It is always difficult to pick only one, but that song helped me in so many ways get through the few “loves” and ultimate disappointments in my life… Brilliant song, brilliant album…as they all are.
There is a light that never goes out. There is just something so spiritual and brave about that song. When he sings that a strange fear keeps him from jumping into death that part gets to me. What I find spiritual is that there is a light the never goes out and no matter how rough life gets you still have some small hope that things will get better. Now being in the military the line to die by your side the pleasure and the privilege is mine also rings a lot of emotions in me. Some of the most important people in my life have been in the military and to die by their side fighting for what we believe in would be a privilege. Some have died and the lost is hard to carry at times. I know many smith fans are totally against war, but we do find ourselves in life or death situations and this song make me think of who I would want by me side in those times, many are my military friends. God Speed and may they be safe.
Oscillate Wildly because its stirs up so many emotions, most often makes me melancholy and that is the place I most often like to be within music…
I love “Hand in Glove”. It begins with that you and me against the world bit, “No it’s not like any other love, this one is different because it’s us!” confident, taking a stand and then of course in the end “I’ll probably never see you again”. Self defeating, I couldn’t possibly have anything!!! We’ve all been there, hoping, only in the end to be disappointed. Was hard choosing one but it’s the one I am listening to the most at the moment. I have Girl Afraid tattooed on my chest. It really just depends on the day, asked of me tomorrow and I may give a different answer!
“There is a Light That Never Goes Out.”
When I was young and alienated and not getting along with my folks very well, this was the song that spoke to my condition like no other. MASTERPIECE WHAT WHAT
“Panic” because I used to DJ and I’m a masochist (:
“Everyday is Like Sunday” bc no matter who sings it, whether it is Morrissey or someone covering it, it is gorgeous.
“I Know it’s Over” because no other song to date has ever fueled my melancholy more than that one.
It’s a toss up between Unhappy Birthday and Panic. Depends on my mood! Unhappy Birthday just sums up that weird love/hate thing you have going on post break up and Panic reminds me of dollar drink nights at my favorite dance club.
It depends when you ask me! Right now, my favorite is the lovely “There Is A Light That Never Goes Out” and yes, I know that so many would only know this song. Yet this song still holds up as an amazing song whether one knows the rest of their catalog (as I do) or not.
And it always makes me think of Her. Always.
You Just Haven’t Earned It Yet, Baby – One of my favs because of the fantastic guest vocals from Kirsty MacColl.
Favorite Simths song is “How soon is now?”
Growing up on a steady feeding of corporate rock (Led Zeppelin, The Who, Foreigner, The Eagles, etc.) this song revealed to me a new sound and lyrics that would inspire me to take creative chances.
“This Night Has Opened My Eyes” – I don’t know why this song just breaks me down when I hear it, yet I listen to it over and over. Brilliant songwriting
“Queen is Dead”
Best song from their best album. The song’s iconic and euphoric imagery and sound remain vital and relevant even — especially — after twenty-five years; its anthemic sound and English-ness inspire me to wear a cardigan and join a revolution, or watch a Manchester United match. Plus I was wearing my Alain Delon shirt when I first met my wife-to-be.
“What Difference Does It Make” – Great lyrics, Great memories of a wonderful time in my life. Thank you Morrissey and Marr!
well i wonder
I always liked the live version of “What She Said” on the ‘Rank’ album. Something about Marr’s melodic guitar intro followed by Morrissey suddenly dropping raw energy soon thereafter with his evil-sounding “Yeah!” and just taking over a thousand percent. You don’t need to see a video of the performance to understand the energy that’s being generated there.
Girlfriend in a Coma because it just brings back so many fond memories.
“Stop Me If You Think You’ve Heard This One Before” – for the mantra line “Nothing’s changed, I still love you, only slightly less than I used to.” God, that’s so true with everyone I’ve ever known.
I have always loved “How Soon Is Now”. It was the first Smiths song I evah hoid and it remains my favorite to this day. “Bigmouth” places a close second.
I absolutely love There Is A Light That Never Goes Out!!!! This is my favorite song because when I first heard it I was in high school, and I felt like this song was written for me. I was at that stage where everything is life or death. When you wish your crush would just give you that chance to ask him/her out. This song was and always will be my favorite. No matter what period in your life you are at, this song just goes with what is going on.
“I Want the One I Can’t Have” as it was the final song during one of Morrissey’s concerts, and just before it ended and he left the stage, he grabbed my hand for the first time.
I’ll never forget.
At the risk of sounding like a neophyte, I choose “How Soon Is Now”. Not only would I put “How Soon Is Now?” as the best Smiths song, but also the best song of the entire 1980s. Morrissey’s message has never been so simple or quintessentially his own. Johnny Marr’s guitar playing usually works as a sprightly counterpoint to Morrissey’s voice, but in this song that method is thrown out when Marr successfully contrives to produce a very-Morrisseyesque sigh from his strings.
So hard to choose just one, but, I would have to say the one that stand out int mind as far as significance goes is, There is a Light That Never Goes Out… I was 15, felt alone with an alcoholic mother and in those crazy teenage years- my 1st boyfriend made me a mixed tape of all Smiths songs… He spoke on it before each song as an intro and related this song to his feelings for me. I must’ve listened to it 100 times… And through the years, though our lives went separate ways, the Smiths tape and it’s lyrics have brought me through a lot of obstacles in life. It’s powerful what music, a person, and an artist like Moz can do for someones life! Thank you!!!
“Stop Me If You Think…” because of the brilliant lyrics.
‘Vicar in a tutu’. I love every component of this song and it’s off of the wonderful The Queen Is Dead.
It might be typical, but “How Soon Is Now” was a song that I had briefly heard my older brother playing when I was a kid. Maybe 5 years later I was in a packed club and heard it and it left a huge impression on me that made me want to delve into their entire catalog.
Thanks
Sheila take a bow…no matter what Smiths song I’m listening to or even when we’re just talking about Smiths/Morrissey music, Sheila will pop into my head and hang out for few days.
When I was a young lad,I remember hearing Johnny Marr’s guitar on “How soon is now” and thinking “that sounds amazing”…so I went out and grabbed a copy of “Meat is Murder” and “That joke isn’t funny anymore” became my favorite on the album…”I’ve seen this happen in other peoples lives and now its happening in mine”…
‘Cemetery Gates’. Probably the first song from them i was exposed to. Loved the literary references, the sense of humour.
-G.
“Some Girls are Bigger Than Others” – An amazing riff, and I love the line where Morrissey sings: “Send me the pillow, the one that you dream on… and I’ll send you mine”. Beautiful!
It’s impossible to name just one Smiths track. However, “That Joke isn’t Funny Anymore” is probably the on that over the years I am drawn to. There is something almost hypnotic to me when I hear it.
” This Charming Man ” has been my favorite Smiths song for a long time. Why ? Because i never had a stitch to wear when i wanted to go out. My friends and i would hang out in the evening listening to music getting ready to go out and when ‘This Charming Man’ came on, well… its my song. Short and sweet, we’d dance around and sing it as together and celebrate our small country town and the fact that we didnt care. We were going to go out and rock n roll anyway. In the 80s, The Smiths were a bright light for me and my friends and we’ve enjoyed reliving those days over and over.
I am going to have to go with Bigmouth Strikes Again, because the visual imagery that it entails. The line “As the flames rose to her roman nose and her Walkman started to melt” Makes me picture Joan of Arc with a Walkman (which is very 80s)
I wonder what she was listening to??
This is tough….Maybe “These Things Take Time” – the Hatful of Hollows version. I love how the bass line comes through. Never get sick of it.
William, It Was Really Nothing – this was the first song I’d ever heard by them, and it totally blew me away. My girlfriend at the time, who had just moved to Ohio from Connecticut and thus was better versed in the world of good music, loaned me her cassette of Hatful of Hollow. An amazing first musical impression.
I’m sure it’s slightly cliche, but my favorite is “Big Mouth Strikes Again”. From Moz’s lyrics to Marr’s excellent guitar work, this song always raises my mood.
My favorite has to be their (arguably) most popular: “How Soon Is Now?” Great variation on a Bo Diddley riff by Johnny Marr and Morrissey is at his most poignant/sarcastic. The song has aged incredibly well.
The Death of a Disco Dancer – I love the sparse opening, the chaotic crescendo and the line “I never talk to my neighbour I’d rather not get involved”
Death of a Disco Dancer…reminds me of high school and I love the way Morrisey’s voice hits the higher notes…Takes me right back to my ripped jeans, flannel shirt and chuck taylors..
and i just realized my lack of coffee made me mispell Morrissey. I am shamed.
Half A Person … no, London … no, Panic … er … far too many to choose! :)
‘This Charming Man” because it helped me come to terms with who I am at a very turbulent time in my teenage years
There are so many amazing songs, but I would have to pick “Reel Around The Fountain” not only because it was the first song on the first album that I ever owned of The Smiths but also because I felt like it was speaking directly to me. As a misfit 15 year old the line “People see no worth in you, I do” was something I could definitely relate to.
girlfriend in a coma … first smiths song i ever heard and completely different from anything i had heard up until that point in my life. that song and strangeways, here we come blew me away, then i found out they had just broken up.
“That Joke Isn’t Funny Anymore.” I think it’s the most affecting song Morrissey and Marr ever wrote. The build-up is goose-bump-inducing. Kills me every time.
“What difference does it make?” all time fave – it brings the best of each member of the smiths together perfectly.
Girlfriend in a Coma — a great song that somehow manages to be poignant without being quite as ridiculous as it could be. It’s serious!
I really enjoying getting ready for an evening and listening to “This Charming Man.” There’s just something apropos about it.
Without a doubt I’m going with “Stop Me if You Think You’ve Heard This One Before.” I initially saw the video for it on an obscure Philly-based teen show called “Check It Out.” I remember vividly the host saying how the band had just broken up before she aired the clip. Seeing all the Morrissey clones biking around Manchester while the song blared was a revelation to me. I was 13 at the time and just figuring out what my musical tastes were (I moved from Debbie Gibson teen pop to They Might Be Giants and Tracy Chapman during my summer vacation). So hearing “Stop Me…” for the first time connected a lot of dots. It encapsulated everything I felt music should be. Unfortunately, when I originally saw the video I never remembered the song name or artist afterwards. All I had to go by were a few somewhat hazy lyrics, the melody and what happened in the video. There was no Internet or Shazam or anything back then, and most of my friends then didn’t care about music much so this mystery song haunted me for years. Then in 1991, a friend lent me his VHS copy of Morrissey’s “Hulmerist” rightfully believing that I would love it. I totally did. Realizing the voice was the one I had been searching for, I asked him if Morrissey was in another group and he told me about The Smiths and I soon checked out “Strangeways, Here We Come.” I freaked when “Stop Me If You Think You’ve Heard This One Before” and eventually damn near wore out the tape.(I had it on CD too for home listening, but I was one of those sullen teens who always had a Walkman on my person…now I’m that way with my mp3 player, so things haven’t changed too much). It wasn’t until The Smiths’ “The Complete Picture” VHS came out a year later that I finally got to see the video again, as I always seemed to miss the episodes of “Post-Modern MTV” and “120 Minutes” that featured it. It remains my favorite song and video ever. I don’t mean to sound grandiose here, but there is something truly magical about discovering music on your own. My “Stop Me…” hunt defined my musical tastes in subtle and profound ways. Would I have appreciated it as much if I just could have downloaded the mp3? Certainly not. It was the experience of seeking it out that built up its importance, and it doesn’t hurt that the song is still in my opinion the band’s masterpiece. It is a pop epic that still amazes me. That’s a rare thing. Now if you’ll excuse me I’m going to listen to it for a bit…
“Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others” taught me everything I needed to know about women.
“There is a Light That Never Goes Out” turns me back into a naive/romantic/testosterone-addled teenager again every time I listen to it.
“How Soon is Now” — one of the few songs by anyone I will probably never get tired of hearing.
Fav Song is “Ask” still laugh at the line “…writing frightening verse to a buck-tooth girl in Luxemburg…”
Just a great image!
The Queen is Dead – Opening drums and guitar are just killer.
Suffer little children, this song still brings tears to my eyes
Can’t believe that someone hasn’t fav’d “How Soon is Now?”. Talk about the soundtrack of my teenage years… this one spoke directly to me. I remember pulling into the local record store, walking straight to the “Alt” section, grabbing the album and never looking back. Meat is Murder is like a portable time machine. Can’t tell you how many friends I discovered based on a love for The Smiths music.
Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What i Want – The Smiths “Complete” box set heyoh!
I definitely identified with it growing up and nearly wore it out since it was over in under two minutes.
Oh such a hard thing to choose just one. I love “there is a light and it never goes out”. It makes me swoon just a little.
It is trite, I know, but “There Is A Light That Never Goes Out” is my favorite. It is my favorite because it is the first song my son heard after he was born. We were in the hospital room with him that fist night, I had that album with me, and it just seemed like the right thing to do…
It’s got to be “Bigmouth Strikes Again.” I like the self-effacing lyrics and I love Johnny Marr’s rapid-fire acoustic guitar at the beginning…
I have to choose “William, It Was Really Nothing”. I bought it without really knowing much about The Smiths, because of the original sleeve – a speaker ad photo I’d seen hundreds of times in the years prior to the songs release. Turned it was the beginning of an endless love affair with the Smiths.
I would have to pick “How soon is now?” because the lyrics are so amazingly well crafted. But my close second is “There is a Light That Never Goes Out” because it was on the first mix tape my girlfriend ever made for me. She would drop dead if I won because I’d pass it on to her to make her collection “complete”.
I am going to say “Unloveable”. Its was my first introduction to the Smiths. As a teen filled with angst, uncertainty and starry-eyed views of the world and love, it spoke to me. This of course opened up a door many other Smiths songs that seem to speak to me like so many other artists of the time failed to do. I still listen to them as means to relive my youth and how I was less tied and carefree to the world in my ways of thinking and living.
“This Charming Man” – the way the guitars shimmer and jangle at the beginning kills me every time.
“Ask” – fond memories of dancing to that at the ‘alternative’ dance night in town.
My all-time favorite Smiths song is “Frankly Mr. Shankly” because of the absolutely brillant lyrics. I challenge anyone to come up with something better than… “Frankly, Mr. Shankly, since you ask, you are a flatulent pain in the arse”!!!!
Big Mouth Strikes Again…love the guitar and the lyrics.
“Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others”!
I have to say “Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want” as I was going through a rough period in my life, and their song was the light at the end of a very dark tunnel.
So tough to choose…and changes over time…but right now listening to Strangeways a bunch, and “A Rush and a Push and the Land is Ours” is a great opening track
Please Please Please, Let Me Get What I want … Classsic love/angst/yearning song. That song puts me in my place when I’m feeling down, gives me drive to actually define what it is I want and whether I can achieve it or not. Inspiring.
“There is a light that never goes out.” At 17 I loved it for the morbid romanticism and beautiful melody, and at 43 I love it for taking me back to 17.
The guitar riff (can you call it a riff?) in This Charming Man will always continue to baffle and amaze me. As a boy raised on Led Zeppelin and Hendrix, my idea of guitar players were skewed towards the heavy. And then, out of no where, here comes Marr with the lightest and most precise playing I have ever heard. As a musician, it was a turning point; I completely revamped the way I played and approached the guitar. As a fan of music, it was an absolute revelation. Never had I been that affected by guitar playing. I can’t help but break out the biggest grin when I hear that intro (the Hatful of Hallow is even better!); it is the sound of sunny days. And that doesn’t even mention Morrissey! It took my younger self a while to realize how Morrissey’s hilariously dark lyrics perfectly complement Marr’s bright guitar playing. I have frequently quoted one line in particular: “I would go out tonight, but I haven’t got a stitch to wear” . But never mind that, there are many more times when I have simply burst out in singing that guitar line (riff?). To me, it embodies everything good and amazing in music: Simple yet deceptively complex, bright, warm, and beautiful. It changed my life.
How Soon Is Now? is my fave. I just love the double meaning behind I am the son (sun) and the heir (air). The lyrics are beautiful. That, and it was the first Smiths song I ever heard.
By far “I know its over” Greaty lyrics, greatest guitar riff and definitly one of the longest Smith songs. Please, Please, Please pick me.
I am going to have to go with “Hand in Glove”. It is a song that anyone that has ever been in love can relate to. He says it perfectly, starting from the first verse. The song ends with Morrissey’s classic sardonic tone, making it the perfect song! This has been a song that I shamelessly sing out loud on most walks home. Thanks, Morrissey!
WOW! Picking a favorite Smith’s song is like saying, “Hey, pick your favorite son or daughter.” Each song has something that speaks to you, means something to you and touches you in a special way. Ask me this question again tomorrow and I will probably give you a different answer but TODAY I will say that “Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want” is my favorite. Marr’s acoustic guitar paired with Morrissey’s vocals and the tone of the song are simply amazing. I also love the mandolin at the end. OH! and the song was in two of the best movies ever – Ferris Bueller’s Day Off and Pretty In Pink.
Sometimes…when I’m washing the dishes…Death Of A Disco Dancer creeps upon me unawares. That’s the one.
It’s almost impossible to choose 1 song, but if there was ever a song that best represented the feel of The Smiths it would have to be “Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me”. It’s amazing that their final 7″ may have been the best of all.
“I know it’s over” is my favorite Smiths song because it IS easy to laugh and easy to hate. For years my New Year’s Resolution has been “to be gentle and kind.” I love the lonely sadness of the wanting of something that isn’t even good to be ending to just to have had it… This is just my favorite song. Of course, “there is a light that never goes out is an anthem…”
I would have to say it’s a very hard choice to pick just one Smiths song since every Smiths song is my favorite. I can remember buying “Hatful of Hollow” on vinyl back in 1984 at the ripe old age of 12.
I would have to say “Ask” off of Louder than Bombs, It seems to be the one played most throughout the years.
“The Boy With the Thorn In His Side” has always been my top track though I’ve loved them all. It was the first song I learned on guitar as well as the first cd I had him sign. Now, as we get older, it’s still as relevant today as it was 20 plus years ago. “…and when you want to live how to you start, where do you go, who do you need to know?” and the ending vocals are heavenly.
“Well I Wonder.” I’ve always found it interesting that this song isn’t mentioned more, generally. In the midst of what is, in my opinion, their seminal album, is this song.
Unlike any on the album and unlike just about anything they ever recorded. It still annoys me a bit to this day (I’ve calmed down in my ripe old age of 40) that The Smiths are considered depressing. Sure there are some maudlin lyrics but I’ve always taken inspiration from them-all 4 of them, for the sheer talent in each individual.
I’ve listened to “Well I Wonder” prior to just about every difficult task or time in my life and it has always centered me.
“This is the fierce last stand of all I am” indeed.
Sing your life…………..the music, the lyrics, is such a feel so good about your self song.
I think that’s a Morrissey solo song. But still a great song!
“There Is A Light That Never Goes Out”. Captures the best of the Smiths – beautiful melody, melancholy and earnest lyrics without being overly morbid or sarcastic. Not their “coolest” song but whatever.
“This Charming Man”, Marr’s perfect guitars with Morrissey’s perfect voice = PERFECTION
Nearly impossible to settle on just one, I’ll go with my favorite Smiths sone as of *this very moment*:
“Death Of A Disco Dancer”
The slow intro and whispery vocal, contrasted with the extended passionate finish make this song one of the most complete Smiths experiences one could hope for.
Of course, tomorrow I might add another comment gushing about “How Soon Is Now?”
there are so many to chose from, so i find this extremely hard…Im not going to try to write some type of witty banter or an over thought short story…i pick “This Charming Man”. I love the beat , love the words, and love the mood it puts me in..I just love it!
bigmouth strikes again. it reminds me of my friends who turned me on to the smiths and all the nights we spent getting drunk listening to “the queen is dead” on repeat.
-Ben
“Girlfriend in a Coma” – I mean the irony alone is enough to make it one of the all time greats! I also love the contrast of an upbeat tempo and melody against angst filled lyrics…this is why the Smiths are the KING!!!
“How Soon Is Now” beacuse it was the first Smiths song I ever heard. The local arcade had a video jukebox and when I heard that crazy guitar effect coming out of the speakers I was hooked.
I know it’s over- because the song keeps giving me a lively sensation no matter how many times I play it as well as it’s a constant reminder of my own self defeating choices.
Without a doubt, Barbarism Begins at Home. Great in its own right as a recording – amazing guitar playing by Johnny and Andy’s incredible bass line that just stays with you for days, the live versions which go on and build to a fever that culminates with Moz and Johnny dancing together always bring a smile to my face — there is nothing like those boys, and never will be again!
“Well I Wonder” – The moment I heard this song, my life was changed forever. The music, the voice, and the powerful lyrics were unlike any I had ever experienced. From that moment on I was a Smith’s fan for life. I still get the same goosebumps every time I hear it. I’ve always felt that “How Soon Is Now” was sort of an extension or sequel of this song.
“HANDSOME DEVIL”; Hands down the greatest of everything the Smith’s, as a machine, had to offer. Forget that “Handsome Devil” is one of the most exceptionally cohesive pieces ever gifted to us by this short lived musical catalyst; it is also drenched with an irrefutable confidence and swagger rarely missed by the then fledgling act. Additionally, this homage to the carnal spirit demonstrates quite clearly, that in the case of the Smith’s, the sum is greater than the whole of its parts. There was more to the Smith’s than Morrissey; and I believe that this submission, more so than any other the perfect testament to that fact.
Only one? The Hand That Rocks The Cradle. It’s the story inside the music or is it vice-versa?
Very tough to pick just one, I narrowed it down to three, but if I have to pick just one, I am going to go with “Stop Me if You Think You’ve Heard This One Before”. I discovered this song much later for some reason. I never owned “Strangeways, Here We Come” for some reason. Probably never thought I would like it at the time. I remember people saying that since it was their last album before the break-up that it was not their best, so I didn’t bother. I remember when I heard this song in particular it was one of those moments where you get this excited feeling of hearing a new song that you love. i still love it to this day.
That Joke Isn’t Funny Anymore- new to The Smiths, when I first heard that song, sonically it seemed to sum up everything I was feeling at the time- not just mentally, but it seemed to become the engine that was running my body- my body FELT like this song. As brilliant as the lyrics would later be to me, the first listen introduced the MUSIC to my bloodstream, and I’ve been addicted ever since.
I Won’t Share You. I love the lyrics and the melody but I think the reason I really like it the best is because it’s the only song of theirs that I can strum on my guitar…
“Jeane” That songs transports me to a time when I was in a miserable relationship and that song seemed to always come up randomly. The Smiths always got me through the good times and the bad and now hearing Jeane makes me glad I have moved on to a better place. …Man that sounded like a eulogy.
“I Know It’s Over”. Brilliant, quintessial Smiths moment of capturing personal doom in a simple, beautiful song.
How Soon is Now
Probably the most well known Smiths song.
Kind of a different sound than most Smiths songs.
I like the over mood of the song, and the lyrics.
When listening to Meat is Murder and I get to
this song, I’ll repeat it a few more times
before letting the album finish out.
Paint A Vulgar Picture. It’s my favorite song because the first album i purchased was ‘Strangeways, Here We Come’ back in 1988, and that song stuck out right off the bat. Picking a favorite Smiths song is like picking a favorite Beatles song…it’s virtually impossible. But, i’ll go w/Paint A Vulgar Picture.
‘Paint a Vulgar Picture’ So hard to pick, but this one is an amazing romantic ode to music (and the evils of the music industry). Also one of the very rare (only?) traditional Johnny Marr guitar solos….
you are awesome.
“You Just Haven’t Earned It Yet, Baby”
This has always been one of my all time favorite Smiths’ songs. Although I originally was attracted to it for it’s sound, over the years, I have felt like the sentiment became more and more valid. And even though you could take it to be such a bummer, instead I feel like the song encourages the listener to buck up and withstand more of what life is gonna throw at you! This song has some attitude behind it. Like the more turmoil you’ve lived through, the tougher you are!
“Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want”
It’s so sparse, compared to many of their songs – a short, quiet plea from Morrissey that those of us of a certain age can appreciate from being so desperate and disaffected at the time. There may be Smiths songs that I enjoy listening to more, but this one will always hold a reserved spot at the top of my favorites list.
I suppose “There Is A Light That Never Goes Out” is my fav song by The Smiths. I like the mushy and morbid vibe. In addition, I jumped on stage during a concert during this song. Tx E_
“Asleep” – When my daughter was a baby, I used to sing it while rocking her to sleep. At first it really calmed her down and she fought me a lot less with that one compared to other songs I sang; so I used it frequently. However, as she grew, she began to associate that song with having to go to bed, so eventually I had to remove it from heavy rotation.
I miss those days.
“William, It Was Really Nothing,” I just love the sound of all those layered guitar parts.
How Soon Is Now
This song will always take me back to being 15 years old, head over heels in love, totally smitten with a girl 2 years older than me. We ended up marrying, building a life together, having a wonderful son. We spent over 20 years sharing life together.
We ended up getting divorced last year, mostly due in part to my battle with substance abuse. This bittersweet song will always remind me of what I had, and eventually lost.
“Rubber Ring” is my favorite, particularly when it blends into “Asleep.” Equal parts sad, hopeful, and prescient (Morrissey wrote a song about fans outgrowing The Smiths only a few years after the band’s short career began.), “Rubber Ring” is a Smiths song that brilliantly articulates the bittersweet relationship between fans and the music that sustains them. On the b-side version that melts into “Asleep,” “Rubber Ring” gains even greater heft: the speaker in the latter has asked not to be forgotten; the speaker in the former quietly considers dying by his own hand. Together, the songs represent much of the beauty, melancholy, and compassion that made The Smiths who they were.
“Hear my voice in your head and think of me kindly.” – Rubber Ring
“Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now” is a great Smiths song: urgent, jangly guitars, spicy yet understated bassline, and quintessential lyrics. Please, please, please, let me win what I want! Lord knows it would be the first time.
“You Just Haven’t Earned It Yet, Baby” is my favorite Smiths song. The Smiths aren’t known for being optimistic, but for some reason, this song always cheers me up. I have memories of many a good night dancing to this song at a small club in Boston.
“Hand In Glove”….1st Single. Voice, Guitar, Bass and Drums. All collectively working masterfully together on this track, throw in the mouth harp and you’ve truly achieved perfection. A standout for it’s time then and now.
Production aside….it truly is the music that matters.
With so many great songs, it’s hard to narrow it down to just one. But I guess I have to go with How Soon Is Now, as much for the nostalgia factor as for everything else I love about that song: the soaring guitar, the bubbling bass, the yearning vocal.
“There Is A Light That Never Goes Out” is my favorite because I heard it at a time when I was beginning to fall in love.
The Hand that Rocks the Cradle-haunting and beautiful and perfect.
Hand In Glove
It would be really difficult to pick just one favorite Smiths song. Mine changes from day to day, or mood to mood. For the purposes of brevity, I’ll tell you why “Sheila Take A Bow” is one of my favorites. A lot of Smiths fans have felt like Morrissey was speaking for them or to them through a song. This is one of Morrissey’s gifts as a lyricist and artist, and I suspect, one of the reasons why he has such a devoted following. And even besides the obvious fact that I share a name with the girl in the song, I feel like these are words to live by. An anthem, perhaps, but without the cheese factor. “take a bow” Be proud of and celebrate who you are. “Kick the grime of this world in the crotch, dear.” Self- explanatory, but don’t take any guff: ) “Throw
your homework on the fire. Come out and find the one you love.” Don’t let the banality and drudgery of everyday obligations distract you
from what is vital and true in your life. And
maybe an echo of David Bowie-a “kook” and
hero that I share with Morrissey.
Is it wrong to want to win a Smiths box set? No it’s not wrong…
If I had to choose one, it would be “Girlfriend in a Coma”. I remember getting ready for school as a high school freshman and seeing that video on a number of consecutive mornings. I was taken aback by the lyrical content as well as the video–Morrissey in the corner of the TV screen crooning over footage from some random black and white film. It made me realize there was more to music than Top 40 radio. I explored not only the Smiths’ music, but a number of artists I still listen to and cherish to this day.
I pick “Jeane” because the song pretty much summed up my life in 1982, when I first heard it. I love that this song rocks just a little bit harder than most others in The Smiths’ catalog (which I adore). Still makes me sing along every time I hear it (which is often).
My favorite Smiths’ song is “Some Girls are Bigger than Others”. The quiet to loud beginning of the song differentiates it from any other Smiths song. The crawling bass line is prominate and creates its own course throughout the song. The catchy signature guitar sound comes across like a you are on a spinning, hypnotic carousel. At the 2:01 mark you have Morrisseys hazy voice asking you for the pillow that you dream on. The song then gives in to an instrumental part that concludes into perfection. Give it a listen…I think it is one of the most over-looked and under-appreciated song on an already stellar album.
The Queen Is Dead (Take Me Back to Dear Old Blighty) would be my pick. I love the transition between the two parts, Marr’s playing was definitely in top form, and it was simply epic to me.
For me it’s “The Headmaster Ritual”. Who else but Morrissey was able to capture such powerful emotions with so few words:
Belligerent ghouls
Run Manchester schools
Spineless bastards, all…
The jangly guitars and the driving drums perfectly mix with Morrissey’s low key vocal delivery – a perfect Smith’s single.
I have to choose Rusholme Ruffians. It’s descriptive narrative and Morrissey’s choice of words really paints a romantic picture for me. Plus I love Johnny’s references to old school guitar playing.
“Bigmouth Strikes Again”–stand out guitar work alongside that irresistible, self – loathing croon
I have to my favorite song is ‘Heaven knows im miserable know’. that song describe my life in everyway. such beautiful lyrics yet so true. Johnny guitar licks and chords are so beautiful. Morrisseys voice is like an angel. whenever im having a bad day i listen to this song and it brings me joy knowing im not the only one feeling the same way i do, so miserable. its not just a song. its a poem. its a story. a life changer. the smiths are the best and no one can ever top them. such amazing music, such love.
my fav song is There Is A Light And It Never Goes Out because it is achingly beautiful and majestic. Reminds me so much of my college days.
Fave Smiths song: “Girlfriend In a Coma”. Why: Came out at a particularly important time of my teenage years. Everytime I hear the song, I am transported back in time to the best years of music. I have it as a 45 in my jukebox!
“There is a Light That Never Goes Out”
The melancholic optimism slays me–and the tune is unbeatable!
“There Is A Light That Never Goes Out,” with “How Soon Is Now” as a close second. These songs are why Morrissey/Marr are some of the most essential and venerable composers of the last 40 years.
“Girl Afraid”
Because it is the quintessential Smiths song.
2:47 of pure Johnny Marr guitar genius, not to mention the production, topped off by the Moz’s biting wit, recalling a moment all too familiar to many, myself included.
Rejection never sounded so good.
All this from a band about a year old.
Brilliant.
It’s tough, but I’d pick “Cemetery Gates” – it has all The Smiths quality to it – sunny melody juxtaposed with morbid thematic lyrics. Who else has pitted Keats and Yates against Wilde in a song, and comments on plagiarism as well? Awesome!
“That Joke Isn’t Funny Anymore”- because it pretty much plays in my head everyday when someone in the office tells the same crap jokes over and over and over and over again.
Rubber Ring because it reminds me what a Smiths’ fan my husband is and that he will share his incredible love of music with our new baby girl – and that she might, one day, reminisce about the songs that made her smile and the songs that made her cry in her youth.
Bigmouth Strikes again….for the tempo, great guitar work and the just wonderful mix.
“Reel Around the Fountain” – sums up an air and a time during my prebuscent childhood that in sense can’t be remembered any better than in the synethetic sense of putting this single on and hearing it play over and over again. I love this song.
“Big Mouth Strikes Again” because it describes so many that “I’ve known.
I would have to say “The Boy with the Thorn in his Side” is my fav Smiths track. Love Morrissey’s voice. Also my Fav Smiths record Sleeve with a young Truman Capote.The song’s lyrics refer to the band’s experience of the music industry that failed to appreciate it.Marr said it was”an effortless piece of music” and was written on tour in 1985.Morrissey also named this as his favourite Smiths song .
There is a Light that never goes out – because my friend Shari and I would sing it to each other at various moments randomly.
Ask. With a little imagination it can be quite a dirty song :)
My favorite is Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want, because I listened to it several times a day during and after my divorce. It became my anthem to get through and to get to a point in my life where I would get the things I want.
JUST ONE? Quite impossible …. but I’ll try….Barbarism Begins at Home, because the guitars aligned with Moz’s voice and lyrics are heaven on earth, and because a crack on the head is what you get for asking. Marr and Moz always were playful and fun when performing it live– even Rourke grinned once or twice.
These comments are great to read!! I am truly shocked at all the favorite votes for Unlovable and I Know it’s Over, I truly thought I was the only person in existence to adore these dark, lovely, poignant gems.
This charming man is one of my favorites. I love the line the leather runs smooth on the passenger seat…
some girls are bigger than others… great song with crazy lyrics
Mine is “I know it’s over”
It essentially defined my teenage angst period. And as I climb into an empty bed, oh well…enough said.
“Half A Person” – helped me through a time when I felt just like the song’s protagonist.
“asleep” – hauntingly beautiful. Love the piano.
“How Soon is Now”, it’s that haunting, train-like guitar. It takes me days to get it out of my head when I hear it :)
Girlfriend in a Coma – because I sing it often to my girlfriend (fiancee now) and she often changes it to Boyfriend (fiancee now). Yes it’s serious.
“There is a Light That Never Goes Out” — Memories of being with a certain boy and never wanting the moment to end.
“Asleep”
The first Smiths song I ever heard, at 16 years old, and I cried the first time I heard it. Just said everything I felt. It was like a hymn made for me. I find it difficult to listen to, still, and rarely do, but that is what makes it special, almost sacred for me.
tough to pick just one but fave of the the moment is: A Rush And A Push And The Land Is Ours (because there’s too much caffeine in my blood stream and a lack of real spice in my life)
“Frankly, Mr. Shankly”… because it always puts me in a good mood.
Easy: “Last Night I Dreamt…”. So concise lyrically, but packs such an emotional whollop.
Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now – because you said I could only pick one!
“The Queen Is Dead” is my favorite Smiths song. Everything you need is in there. Even, perhaps, a kitchen sink. What more can I say? LISTEN!
This Charming Man was the first Smiths song I was exposed to and therefore my favorite. I remember it was while in middle school in the late 90s. I was at a friend’s house and his older brother was playing a song with guitar riffs and vocals that sounded different from everything I had heard. I asked my friend’s older brother who it was and from then on I was hooked.
“Asleep” is the song I want to be playing when, in the words of Monty Python, I am about to shuffle off my “mortal coil, ring down the curtain and join the bleedin’ choir invisible.”
If I have to pick one it would have to be “Well I Wonder”. For me it features all of my favorite Smiths elements: melancholic yet hopeful chord structures, a bass that makes you groove and hum along, a walking beat that accompanies you while walking down the street, and the words that you know by heart the first time you hear them. Together, it’s the sublime soundtrack to the adolescent condition.
“How Soon is Now” – Perhaps an obvious choice but the first Smiths song I ever heard way back in ’86 and I’ve always been amused at how consistently it was played – and worked – at goth/industrial clubs in the early 90s.
“There is a Light That Never Goes Out” – lyrically my favorite song ever. It pretty much perfectly sums up what it feels like to be a teenager/young adult feeling hopelessly alienated and in love at the same time.
Sweet and Tender Hooligan – This has always been high on my list of favorites, but I now often find myself singing it every time my 3yr son and his 3 yr cousin, who lives right behind me, get into mischief. So I am signing it every day. I have made it their theme song.
My favorite is I Won’t Share You. My teenage crush gave the song to me, then shared himself with someone else saying “I want the freedom and I want the guile.”
Well I was going to say “I Know it’s Over,” but that one seems to have been taken. There’s something about Marr’s guitar in that song; it’s so simple but evokes the most complicated feeling. So I think all go with “Reel Around the Fountain” (from “The Smiths” not “Hatful”). “I dreamt of you last night, and I fell out of bed twice.” Best line ever.
“Headmaster Ritual” – I just love the sound and feel of that song.
“Big Mouth Strikes Again”… and now I know how Joan of Arc felt! Any song that dates itself by mentioning the Walkman is OK in my book. :)
RUBBER RING my absolute favorite I love the melody and the line “and when you’re dancing and laughing and finally living, hear my voice in your head and think of me kindly” ahh!
One song that was a source of support for me and my then girlfriend (now wife) is “There is a Light That Never Goes Out.” We have different backgrounds and religions and despite living in NYC, a melting pot, our families made it hard for us and the lyrics made us feel like we weren’t the only ones alone in a world not accepting of our relationship. When we got married our friends, who stuck by us, cheered as we walked down the aisle! I still listen to This is one of those rare songs that transcends vinyl (now MP3 -yuck!) and became the fabric of our lives in accepting and embracing what brings people together as “There is a Light That Never Goes Out.”
“Cemetery Gates” just because I like to play Andy Rourke’s bassline.
‘Back to the old house’
So beautiful the guitars and that voice
Even though ‘How Soon Is Now’ (on WLIR), prompted me to purchase the import ‘Hatful of Hollow’ CD (from Johnny’s in Darien, CT), it was the driving opener ‘William, It Was Really Nothing’ that hooked and reeled in this listener for years and years to come.
Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now – Just like Marr’s guitar and the melancholy feel of the track…
“Half A Person” – a beautiful melody with autobiographical lyrics that suggest Morrissey has being rejected by someone for becoming more famous. It’s not the most musically complex Smiths song, but may be their most poetic.
“There Is A Light That Never Goes Out”. Absolutely beautiful, perfect song.
“I Know It’s Over” is my favorite Smiths song, because it encapsulates everything I love about the band; Moz’s dramatic and depressing (but relatable when you’re a teenager) lyrics and Marr’s knack for perfect arrangements. To say nothing of their underrated rhythm section of Mike Joyce and Andy Rourke. Beautiful string section, too!
“Reel Around The Fountain” – because falling out of bed twice from dreaming about someone is genius.
“Rusholme Ruffians” is my choice. It’s perhaps the best display of the Smiths’ ability to effortlessly update rock while respecting it’s past. The rockabilly bass and guitar reach back across decades while Morrissey’s evocative lyrics convey an atmosphere fraught with danger, disappointment, excitement and hope, ultimately embossing the music with a bruised romanticism. “My faith in love is still devout,” indeed.
Probably ‘Cemetry Gates.’ The song reminds me of when I was younger. My parents and I used to walk through a local cemetery all the time and “gravely read the stones,” so the song has a special meaning for me. I also love the chord sequence, I think it’s beautiful music.
Unhappy Birthday – When I first started dating XXXX in high school, it was an amazing awakening. New depths of emotion I wasn’t prepared for. This was the beginning of what I knew was going to be the best part, of the rest of my life. All the while, awaiting the darkness I knew would come. I liked The Smiths, but never really ‘listened’ to them. As the darkness crept in to our relationship, I started really relating to the sorrow and hope The Smiths relayed. Unhappy Birthday came to symbolize my growing bad feelings. All the while knowing she was evil, and lying, she was being honest in her way. This is exactly the same sentiment in the song, “and if you should die…” It was my truth, my consolation, but I was deceiving myself in my own way. My darkest hours I realized my most precious gifts, and what I had in life. Some years later, she died. Now Unhappy Birthday, stands as a memorial, a reminder, that these things can and will be commemorated. Her Unhappy Birthdays, are my remembrances, the last things I have to cling to. I will always hear this song, and lover her more. Though a memory, she will never truly die, as long as I have The SMiths to comfort me…
This Night Has Opened My Eyes. It always represented how amazing The Smiths are as a four piece band. And the lyrical content is ball out courage on Morrissey’s part. AMAZING!
“Please, Please, Please Let Met Get What I Want” — because it doesn’t mess around with a lot of choruses that would just get in the way.
“Ask” because it’s the bomb that will bring us together.
This Charming Man. That guitar intro is perfect.
Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now… because the contest isn’t open to Canadians. :(
How Soon is Now.
It puts me right back at the hole-in-the-wall club that I (illegally) went to all through high school, where I’d dance barefoot to this song almost every weekend night. The first few notes are like sense memory for me.
I think I would have to go with “Hand in Glove”, if pressed for my favorite. It’s the first song that comes to mind when I think of the Smiths and was one of the first Smiths’ songs I learned on guitar.
Ask is my favorite Smiths song.
It reminds me of a very good friend of mine that started school mid-year and was the odd man out bc he he was a bit unusual and horribly shy. I “adopted” him and he became such a great friend and one of the only people I still talk to from high school.
“Ask” is my favorite song. I just like what Morrisey does with his vocals on this song in particular.
This Charming Man —- excellent bass / guitar rifs. The New York version rocks!
The Queen is dead… ‘I know you and you cannot sing”
I said, “That’s nothing – you should hear me play piano” People should focus more on the funny than the dour. The music is note perfect, as always
Easy: Reel Around the Fountain. The song made run out and buy a guitar. Changed everything for me….
What difference does it make? – first smiths song I ever heard (thanks 91X)and I was hooked.
“Cemetery Gates” I love Oscar Wilde, Keats and Yeats! My husband teaches literature and this was one of the songs we’ve always loved…our love of The Smiths brought us together in the first place…we named our son Jack Morrissey…
The Headmaster Ritual. Superb guitar work. Great lyrical content for someone in high school in ’85.
Cemetary Gates – Listening to shameless name dropping of dead poets makes me feel extra literate!
“Girlfriend in a Coma” – great song to bounce along to.
Barbarism Begins At Home…my favorite bass line!
“How Soon is Now” – huge song for them but the first introduction I had to “alternative” music and really met me where I was at emotionally in life at the time – changed my musical awareness and approach to life entirely. Amazing and haunting.
“I know it’s over” – I heard the Jeff Buckley version first. His cover and the original are so heartfelt and sad I simply cannot listen with out tearing up. That song breaks my heart every time.
“Ask”. The song that started it all for me. “Ask” proposes such optomism to its listeners all the while mentioning the Atomic bomb! The music is catchy with its lazy bassline and jangly, rhythmic guitar. This song forced me to delve deeper into the Smiths’ catalog and become a fan for life.
One favorite Smiths song is impossible for me- but the one that brings up the most intense feelings for me is “There Is A Light” because it is a song that I listened to repeatedly through my years of teen angst…feelings of being misunderstood, on the outside, out of place, and longing to feel at home and at peace all come back to me when I hear it. The music, as in every Smiths song, is genius too. Johnny Marr’s phenomenal creativity combined with Morrissey’s haunting lyrics are paradoxical and the highest art!
If I can only pick one, I’ll go with “That Joke Isn’t Funny Anymore.” Brilliantly sad lyrics coupled with a beautiful sound. The repetition of “I’ve seen this happen in other people’s lives and now it’s happening in mine” over Johnny’s crying guitar at the end gets me every time.
“Reel Around The Fountain”…. Gives me the feeling of a young relationship on the brink of extinction, and the melancholy feeling of days past that can never be re-lived.
While I would normally pick “How Soon Is Now?” as my favorite, I’m in a “Sheila Take A Bow” mode lately, probably because it displays more of the Smiths’ sense of humor.
I love “What She Said”.
What she said:
“How come someone hasn’t noticed
That I’m dead
And decided to bury me?
God knows, I’m ready!
La la la laaa la la.”
Great hook, perfect teenage angst and ennui, and it always makes me smile.
What Difference Does It Make! My favorite because, not to be cliche, what difference does it make in what song you pick for this contest. All The Smith songs are great. Thanks.
That Joke Isn’t Funny Anymore. Not their prettiest and not their most rocking, but such a great arrangement and amazing lyrics that only resonated with me as I got older once “I’ve seen this happen in other people’s live, and now it’s happening in mine.” What a great hook for a chorus and awesome sentiment. Gotta love that fake fade out too.
“There is a Light That Never Goes Out…” is by far the best Smiths song. It has all the elements of lonliness, heartbreak, and love, which personifies all great Smith songs. Its the secret track on my wedding CD.
“And if a double decker bus…kills the both of us…to die by your side, the pleasure, the priviledge is mine…”
Thats why. ‘Nuff said. I want this box Baaaaaaaaaaddddd…
“How Soon Is Now?” – I’ve chosen this song because I made a promise to an old friend that it would always be my favorite. And it remained my favorite for years and years after I made that promise. But I’ve grown up a lot since then; my tastes have certainly changed, and my friend and I haven’t spoken to each other in years. And even though, deep down, I realize it’s probably not my favorite song anymore and I know that my old friend rarely ever thinks about me, I *always* keep my promises.
There is a light that never goes out- I played the shit out of my brother’s ex girlfriend’s cassettes. Reminds me of my high school days. When I felt awkward, The Smith’s made it better.
The Draize Train – while I’ve love all of The Smiths tunes since back in the day, this instrumental b-side still blows me away a quarter of a century later because of Johnny Marr’s amazing guitar work. A photo finish second would be “Rubber Ring”, thanks to the lyrics, Moz’s voice, the groove, Johnny Marr, etc.
The Headmaster Ritual – no song better describes the dark & secluded isolationist existence of a child in dreary Victorian Northern England & the fear they have of the authoritarian rule of the head of school. Brilliant song among a stable of brilliant songs.
Well I Wonder
Incredible mix. Love the rich tapestry of jangling guitars, a bold bassline and the smoothest Moz vocals. The pouring rain towards the end really finishes this track up nicely. And the lyrics – they’re just home for me.
It has to be “This Charming Man”. It is THE perfect song. No one can listen to it without dancing, and every version is amazing.
“I Know It’s Over” This was my absolute favorite song as a teen. I couldn’t explain it. I knew nothing about what he was feeling. something about it always spoke to me. It made me so sad. Now here i am so many years later & i know..I know now what he was speaking of. And it makes me so sad.
“Though she needs you
More than she loves you”
“And it never really began
But in my heart it was so real”
“And I know it’s over – still I cling
I don’t know where else I can go”
It’s almost as if the heart can feel the heartbreak coming before you do.
The Queen is Dead. I’ve heard it hundreds of times and still get excited every time it comes on. It is perfection!
“Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others” is by far my favorite Smiths song. It is a perfect balance of Morrissey’s lyrical wit with Johnny Marr’s stunning guitar playing. The most beautiful guitar line I’ve ever heard slowly fades out as the outro to my favorite album of all time…
“Asleep” Enough said. Can you get more final?
“Barbarism Begins At Home”
‘Cause it’s a great song…
Frank
The Smiths are definitely my favorite band of all time. It’s hard to pick out a favorite out of so many amazing songs. However, the song “Asleep” off of “Louder Than Bombs” may be one of the most original songs that describes what the Smiths music was all about. Morrissey definitely did not hold anything back! Most of The Smiths music had a punk and very dark imagery to it…..I love this band!
“This Charming Man”. I think it encapsulates everything that is great about The Smiths. Johnny Marr belongs in any discussion of greatest guitarists of all-time.
My favorite Smiths song is “The Headmaster Ritual” — so beautiful, so dark and poetic, classic Smiths. But I love everything they’ve done!
It’s very difficult to choose, but I’d have to say “Stop Me If You Think You’ve Heard This One Before”. It’s everything I love about The Smiths. The spry jingle-jangle music seems to combine effortlessly with Morrissey’s dry wit. It’s simply wonderful, and uniquely The Smiths.
Favorite song – “There is a Light That Never Goes Out.” I was actually involved in an accident in the UK. Was in a taxi that was hit by a double-decker bus. As a Smiths fan, was a great ironic moment.
“There Is A Light That Never Goes Out,” for upping the ante from a double decker bus to more tonnage in truckage.
Miserable Lie because it represents every break-up!
Asleep – because it is beautiful
Shoplifters Of The World Unite. Bigmouth Strikes Again is another favorite. Death Of A Disco Dancer is great, love the lyrics and the arrangement is wonderul.
“Still Ill” because I was then and I am now.
“There Is A Light That Never Goes Out”–The greatest. Ever. It’s romantically morbid, but so strong and poetic. Reminds me of being an angsty rebellious teenager. Also, what a great video! I can go on…stop me if you think that you’ve heard this one before…
“The Headmaster Ritual” Radiohead did a great cover of this song. CLASSIC!
“Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want” is my absolute favorite Smith’s song. I discovered it in my wildly punky friends record collection. Apparently it was a “B-side” song to “William, It Was Really Nothing”. I think I put “Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want” on every single compilation tape I made! And then John Hughes put it in “Pretty in Pink” and I died for it all over again. Still do.
This is such a hard choice. Do you go by what you think is the “best” song, or a sentimental favorite. “How Soon is Now” is probably my favorite for the simple reason that when I first got “Meat is Murder” (US) version I would drop the needle on that song repeatedly listening to it on my headphones all night.
I’ve always been partial to “Panic”
How Soon Is Now? I’ve loved the music in the song and Morrissey had some of the best lyrics. Just a great classic!
“Suffer Little Childeren” – This song gives me goose bumps on every listen. I had read about the Moors Murders before even hearing this song and it struck a nerve with me even then as a 25 year old kid from Indiana, so to hear someone write a song not only describing what happened while using the actual names of the children who were killed and Myra Hindley’s, but then seems to change to the children singing to Myra. The fact that this song was so personal to Morrissey and that it was his and Marr’s first song they wrote together also adds to the mystique as well. But the haunting melody and guitar is what really makes it so great!
“Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now” because I simply can’t get it out of my head today; sadly, I identify with the lyrics. I have to be nice to people all day, even though I don’t wish to.
“Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me.”
Because I said so.
“Some Girls are Bigger and Others” – cause I like my women with a little junk in the trunk.
Ask.
So if there’s something you’d like to try……..
“I Don’t Owe You Anything” is the greatest! This overlooked gem always puts me in a good mood. It’s heartbreakingly melodic and features some of Johnny’s most beautiful guitar playing. Paul Carrack’s organ track swelling in the background pitches this song beyond pure bliss.
First Smith’s song I ever knew and still the best, Please, Please, Please… such a gut-wrenching tune that I had to seek out more from this band to see what they were all about.
Good times for a change!
there is a light that never goes out because it sums up how i felt when i met my husband.
“Ask”, This song was blaring on my stereo when I had my first car accident back in high school. I was trying to impress a girl and totally rear ended someone during the break down. Luckily no one got hurt and to this day (15 years later), she and I are still good friends. Every time I hear this song I just smile and start laughing! Oh the good old days!
“The Headmaster Ritual”
That was the first Smiths song I ever heard. I hated it and the entire “Meat is Murder” LP! I bought it because the student newspaper said the album was great and “unnecessarily depressing.” Well, that was right up my alley, I thought. Johnny Marr’s upbeat guitar work really threw me for a loop. I couldn’t wrap my head around the juxtaposition of his guitar work with Morrissey’s lyrics. After a few listens and several months later, I grew to really love the album. It was then that when I heard the opening notes to it, I would feel a calm wash over my body and all the cares of the world would instantaneously disappear. Pure bliss. I can also say that it made me want to throw myself in front of a train…
And another thing…
I saw the Smiths in Chicago in 1986 at the Aragon Ballroom for “The Queen is Dead” tour. It was literally a religious experience. At one point, Morrissey took off his yellow shirt and threw it into the crowd – directly at me! I grabbed it and was instantaneously mobbed. I knew I wouldn’t be able to reatain the shirt in its entirety, so I tried to at least rip off a button as a memento, but to no avail. Several people passed out due to the extreme heat at the show. I would have been among them, due to my manicness, if they hadn’t stopped when they did.
I’ve seen many great acts and other musical heroes in my life, but this was, by far, the best. As I said, it was a religious experience!
“There’s a light that never goes out”
Simply the best love song ever written.
“Bigmouth Strikes Again” — When I was first introduced to The Smiths by my dad, he would always talk about how he loved when his radio station (he was a d.j. in his college days during his and The Smiths’ prime ;)) played this song. He forgot the name at the time until he rebought the cd, and would always talk about the song about Joan of Arc. So it’s the first Smiths’ song I have a memory of and every time I hear it I think of my father and how we bond with our love of The Smiths.
“How soon is Now?” – For sure a high vote count on this one, but for good reason. So unique in sound and unmatched in the emotional delivery of the vocal. Hard to touch this one.
My favorite track would have to be “Well I Wonder”. It’s a haunting and beautiful tune that I discovered while driving my car on a lonely Saturday night in the middle of a blizzard. I had just finished an argument with a girl I really liked, and knew I would never speak to her again. I remember Morrissey’s ethereal vocals during the outro of the song hit me like a brick wall. I try not to listen to this song too often because I try to preserve the high emotional impact I get every chance I do hear it. Simply amazing.
“Oscillate Wildly”
As a musician I loved the smiths. My primary instrument being the piano, I enjoyed playing along to the Smiths on this track.
“I Want the One I Can’t Have”
I first heard the Smiths when I was 8 years old. I went vegetarian for the ‘Meat is Murder’ album when I was 9. This is my favorite song off the album. I’m now 15. I’ve seen Morrissey and I’m about to see him again. I worship him. I’ll always love the Smiths more though. Because Johnny Marr was fantastic as well. I feel very cheated that I was born in the 90s and never got to expirience going to a Smiths concert. But winning this would make up for that.
My favorite song is “half a person”. My parents were both old school punks and I grew up listening to my dad’s cassette tapes, most of them were mixed tapes he made and when he would play them I would always hope he played the one with that song on it.
My girlfriend patsy is the biggest smiths and morrisey fan you will ever meet. She has bright pink hair and she’s gorgeous, she went vegetarian for meat is murder and has been listening to the smiths an morrisey since she was eight, her favorite smiths song is I want the one I can’t have because its “the best” off of the meat is murder album, this girl needs to win this
What Difference Does it Make. The quintessential Smiths song-lyrics at once desperate and humorous, music that just misses mass appeal and becomes all the more appealing for its distinctiveness.
Very tough question to narrow it down to just one. Since I have to choose one I would say definitely Cemetry Gates would be my favorite. I like how they found ways to put happy music to not happy lyrics. Great song to dance to. :)
Just 1 song? Ouch, that’s a tough one, but if I have to pick just 1 I choose “These Things Take Time”. Ah, the alcoholic afternoons … fond memories of a different place and time.
my all time favorite Smiths song is “Sweet & Tender Hooligan”…I hate when people say the Smiths are miserable, they obviously never listen to the words…Morrissey’s lyrics are very clever and quite funny.
My favorite Smiths song is “There Is A Light That Never Goes Out.” I have such fond memories of hanging out with my best friend and playing the track over and over again. The sound of the is so ethereal making it quite possibly one of the most haunting songs ever recorded.
“Jeane” is my favorite Smiths song. “How could you call this a home, when you know it’s a grave” is such a badass lyric. It does such a good job of representing a lower class couple and how they cope with their surroundings that I did a documentary project on it for a photo class and ever since I’ve appreciated it so much for its frankness and visual imagery.
“This Charming Man” has always been my favorite Smiths track. The lyric “I would go out tonight but I haven’t got a stitch to wear” is not only the quintessential Morrissey lyric, but I think a typical excuse of most long-time Smiths fans.
I still don’t know what “a jumped up pantry boy” means, however.
“I Know It’s Over” because it’s just absolutely beautiful and it’s my favorite smiths song to sing
“There is a light that never goes out” – haunting and beautiful.
“the hand that rocks the cradle” because it brings me to tears every time I listen to it! Does anyone else wonder what they are going to do with their record collections? Can’t take it with you, and I’m certainly not selling mine….so (sonny boy). Guess what? This will be all yours one day and maybe when you’re older you’ll have a child to pass all this on to too!
Heaven knows I’m miserable now. It just sums up how people just really care (or lack there of) for others, and yet we still continue to give them more of us to take.
There Is a Light That Never Goes Out.
“Still Ill” I love this song because my best friend who I’ve always been secretly in love with first introduced me to the Smiths with this song and I want to win this so I can give it to her and finally tell her how I feel. I hope it will help me win her over.
Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want. It captures the essence of one who dreams for more, and doesn’t have it yet.
Wow Tough one there are so many but I have to say “There’s a light that never goes out it reminds me of a sad time in my life.
“There Is A Light That Never Goes Out” has to be the greatest Smith’s song ever because it has all of best qualities of a Smith song. The desperate longing. The alienation. The sadness and melancholy. The dark twisted humorous lyrics. The angst. Lush melodies. Great guitar-work. The pop sensibilities. It encapsulates their entire body of work in one track. Brilliant.
“Jeane” is my fav because it was a b-side. I hadn’t heard a lot of the b-sides before buying the 7″ box a few years ago and it instantly became my favorite. It’s quite infectious. I actually am surprised it wasn’t on a full length. Brutal relationship truths laid bare. Brilliant!
My favorite would have to be Is it Really so Strange? This song was the first one I ever heard from The Smiths and the hilarity of the lyrics got me hooked.
There is a light that never goes out
This is my favorite Smiths song because it is the most romantic song ever written said only how Morrisey could word it, it makes me nostalgic for that teenager feeling wanting to get out there and see life, running wild living to the fullest even if you own nothing but to be near the one you love
My favorite song – both by the Smiths as well as by any other artist ever – is “There Is A Light That Never Goes Out.” In fairness, it’s been my favorite Smiths song since the first time I heard it, but it secured the spot as my favorite by anyone ever when my wife and I were on our honeymoon in the UK, and she sang the chorus to me as we sat together on the top level of a double-decker bus. We’re celebrating our 10-year anniversary on Oct. 13th. I don’t know if I officially owe that to the Smiths or not, but their presence in our lives certainly hasn’t hurt.
‘The Queen is Dead”. Why? It was the first Smiths song I heard, and it was an introduction to a band and singer that would ultimately influence my young adult life.
Ask. The first time I remember hearing it I was driving to my wedding on Saturday, July 15th 1989…I was listening to 91X, about to make the biggest decision in my young life at 18!…nervous as hell. The weather couldn’t have been more perfect…then…that up beat catchy opening guitar riff filled the air…time practically stood still…I got instant goose bumps and they haven’t stopped for 22 years. I tell this story all the time but that song at that moment was and still is the best Smiths song memory for me. For us it was love and the bomb of having two children that has kept us together. All Smith’s fans will agree It’s hard to choose a favorite song…we remember when and where we were the first time we heard most Smiths songs, but none more than “Ask” for me. Our 2 kids have since been raised on The Smiths and Morrissey…so I’ve had the opportunity to hear the songs again for the first time through them. If I win the box set, I will be giving it to our daughter Brittany, who say’s she wants my Smith’s collection one day. Brittany, who turned 20 this year, loves The Smiths and Morrissey as much as I do. She has excellent taste. We have been lucky to see Morrissey together many times. Winning this Smiths collection would be to good to be true. Wow I’ve written enough so “Stop me if you think you’ve heard this one before”…but you “paint a vulgar picture”! Good luck choosing from all the deserving fans. I hope just as much as the next…that I’ve made your decision easier. Jerome.
“There Is a Light That Never Goes Out.” One of the best songs ever, by anyone, period.
“The Boy With the Thorn in His Side”. I love this song and the cover art with a photo of a young Truman Capote.
There is a light that never goes out…takes me on journey somewhere new every time I hear it…simply elegant…
This Charming Man because, well, why pamper life’s complexities….
I know its over as is a beautiful song filled with touching words, and johnny’s rhythmic guitar. one of the songs that got me through a torturous teen age !!
There is a light that never goes out
There are so many – but I agree with many comments before me: “There is a light that never goes out”, because it is one of the greatest singles ever.
“Reel Around the Fountain” what a stunning introduction from their debut…the song still gives me chills…”it’s time that the tale were told…”
“That Joke Isn’t Funny Anymore”. I was a Mormon missionary serving in Spain during the early 90’s, and listening to “Gentile” music was forbidden. I discovered that my companion had ‘The World Won’t Listen’, and I listened to it every chance I got. “That Joke Isn’t Funny Anymore” was the gem that resonated with my every being. During my mission, I was starting to accept that I was gay, and it felt like God was playing a joke on me. And all the gay missionary jokes that others would tell were starting to be very unfunny. The lines “I’ve seen this happen in other peoples lives, and now it’s happening in mine”, was a great source of commiseration. I just wanted the spellbinding ending to go on forever.
Panic, because I cannot resist singing along to its sing-songy, lynch-mobby, bloodthirsty lyrics.
There are very few Smiths songs I wouldn’t list among my all-time favorites, but I’ll go with “This Charming Man” since it’s one of the most brilliant pop songs ever written.
This Night Has Opened My Eyes. Not many songs have affected me quite the way this one has. It’s just too beautiful. When I listen to it, I truly am without words.
“I Know It’s Over” – In spite of the song’s crushing despair, what I always remember about it is these lines: “It’s so easy to laugh/ It’s so easy to hate/ It takes strength to be gentle and kind.” When I was about 15 and my mom was driving me to school one day, I had this song playing on the tape deck. My mom doesn’t usually like my music, but she really appreciated those words and wanted to emphasize to me that their meaning was very true. Twenty-three years have passed since that moment and my mom now has Alzheimer’s. In many ways “I Know It’s Over” has grown dearer to me than any other Smiths song, but it’s not one that I can listen to often because its bittersweetness is too fragile.
For an openly gay boy growing up in rural Arkansas in the early 1980s, gonna have to say “How Soon is Now?”
“There Is A Light That Never Goes Out” It was one of the first Smiths’ songs I ever heard, and it is a relevant and precious as ever. “How Soon Is Now?” is a close second. I love the swirly reverb intro and the lyrics.
STILL iLL…..because i want soreness
“How Soon Is Now” would have to be my favorite, though it is probably many peoples’ favorite. Though I enjoy the lyrics of almosty all the Smith’s songs, it’s the music (the guitar in particular) that brings me back to this one track. Haunting, yet grinding and forever etched into my memory.
Shoplifters of the World Unite
My favorite The Smiths song is There Is A Light That Never Goes Out. This song means a lot to me because the first time I heard it was during a very pivotal moment in my life. This song helped me during this very dark period. I will always be thankful for it’s creation.
Meat is Murder. The first song I ever heard by The Smiths 1985. It made me rethink my choices in life. The flesh you so fancifully fry….
“Ask” is my favourite. It reminds me of all the trials and tribulations I went through when I was young.
Big Mouth STrikes Again – Because it was the first song I heard by them – was an instant love affair!
“Paint a Vulgar Picture” – I love this poetic glimpse into the music business and the juxtaposition between the fan, the (dead) star himself and the people who just want to make more money. The song is way ahead of its time and can be applied alike to dead stars, alive stars, stars with dead contracts, & the dead industry itself. It’s even ironic considering this contest and Rhino records’ mission. Reissue! Repackage! I will still dance my legs down to the knees…
“HOW SOON IS NOW” has to be 1 of the most brilliant songs written in the 80’s…or ever but thats just MY point of view.
very complex song recording by johnny marr = guitar god!
Bigmouth Strikes Again … because of my tendency to speak without thinking first.
I’d vote for “Accept Yourself”. That song came about at a time of great confusion in my life and helped me deal with the conflicting emotions I was having at the time. “Others conquered love but I ran”. “time is against me now”. That song is as relevant to me now as it was then. Morrissey had and still has great insight into the human condition.
“There is a Light That Never Goes Out.” No one has ever captured the combination of desperation and infatuation as well as they did in that song — and musically, it’s simply beautiful.
Favorite Track: “Ask” because Shyness is nice and shyness can stop you from doing all the things in life you’d like to.
Most of us live lives of quiet desperation. If we allowed it to make a racket, it would sound something like “How Soon Is Now?”
“How Soon Is Now” – Fantastic riff, couldn’t believe it when I first heard it as a B-SIDE of a 12″!
So difficult to pick just one but I’d have to say: Please, please, please, let me get what I want. So simple, so lovely, and still speaks to me.
My favoite Smiths song changes all the time, but today it is “Bigmouth Stikes Again” — Johnny Marr has said he tried to write his own “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” which makes me laugh (and he totally did, too!) and because I think the reference to the Walkman melting is just absolutely perfect because only us “original” Smiths fans even know what a Walkman is these days. Also, saw them live in 1986 and the version they played is with me to this day.
I saw Morrissey live about 5 years ago and he replaced ‘Walkman’ with ‘Ipod’ lol! :)
There is a light that never goes out. My future husband made me a “mix tape” of his fave songs when we were dating in the early 90s. This was the first song on the tape. I loved the Smiths and since we had not really discussed our musical likings in length, I knew it was meant to be! We were married a few years later and have 2 beautiful girls and I like to think that tape had something to do with it! :)
Unloveable – “I wear black on the outside cause’ black is how I feel on the inside”. This defined me in the 80’s. Such a sad state I was in >:-) Thank you Steven Patrick Morrissey for connecting with my blackened soul.
There’s a light that never goes out – For me it’s about being stuck and trying to change.
Barbarism Begins at home… because you can’t beat that bass line… ass kicker all around…
Bigmouth strikes again: because now I know how Joan of Arc felt.
my favorite is Sweet and Tender Hooligan..for its up beat properties, the coda at the end is the best…side note Meat is Murder was a large factor in my converstion to vegetarianism.. in 1986 ..The Smiths have always blended power and crooning perfectly
the headmaster ritual – because johnny marr absolutely OWNS the guitar on that track!
“Is It Really So Strange” will always turn my head. I got confused, I killed a horse… Unparalleld genius.
This Night Has Opened My Eyes – because of Johnny’s guitar riff.
It’s nearly impossible to choose one favorite but I will go with “Rusholme Ruffians” for the imagery and the feeling it perfectly captures.
“Cemetary Gates” This track is just the perfect track for a rainy day in Portland
Still Ill
There is a light that never goes out, definitely. I was homeless and crashing at friends apartments, etc and I was almost asleep one night when I heard this for the first time in 1986. I thought I was dreaming because it fit my life at the time. How did someone know what I was going through? It seemed like a song written for me when I was at my lowest. Awesome. It inspired me to hang on a little longer. Priceless.
There a bunch of great ones…this is my fave.
“How Soon is Now?” – now is never to soon…<3 this song!!!
Cemetry Gates. It is beautiful, melodic, lilting, haunting…all at the same time.
Stop Me If You Think You’ve Heard This One Before. This song makes me feel at home in my nostalgia. More importantly it is the perfect blend of Morrissey and Marr’s lyrical and musical genius. “And so I drank one it became four, and when I fell on the floor I drank more.”
“Ask” speaks to me. Shyness has crippled me at times in my life.
To be honest, I’ve never listened to the Smiths, so I can’t name a favorite. This box set would be a great introduction to a band that I’ve always heard about but never actually listened to.
“Paint A Vulgar Picture.” Not only is it lyrical and catchy, it has me thinking of the recent death of Amy Winehouse and how record companies may try to cash-in on her passing. Re-issue, re-package!! All in the name of GREED.
How Soon Is Now is probably the most amazingly pieced together song since The Beatles discovered drugs and George Martin. When I first heard it I thought, “This is Smiths? … like it? no, LOVE IT!!!” :)
“So I broke into the palace, with a sponge and a rusty spanner. She said, eh…I know you and you cannot sing. I said that’s nothing, you should hear me play pi..a..no” (makes me chuckle a little every time I hear that lyric)
Oscillate Wildly. Simply beautiful. Brings back memories of times when I didn’t have a care in the world.
My favorite Smiths song is probably Still Ill, because it combines all my favorite things about the band: gorgeous, shimmery Johnny Marr guitar, wondeful Moz couplets (“I decree today that life is simply taking and not giving / England is mine and it owes me a living”), and a nice, propulsive beat. Angst, romance, literary allusions, all in one tidy, lovely package. But Cemetery Gates is a close second.
How Soon is Now, Always Reminds of college and the long road trip back to Iowa City with my friend Ellie who loved, loved, loved the Smiths and would narrate the story and be so involved she would almost run us off the road… good times.
Panic – “Hang the DJ” is one of my favorite lyrics ever.
“JEANE” takes me back to college life in the 80’s, living in a bit of squalor in an off-campus apartment with the guy who was, at the time, the love of my life.
“Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now.” Perfect representation of how every attempt at attaining some contentment can be totally useless. I often find myself speaking even to strangers to fulfill my need to for connection, and albeit sometimes being brutally rebuffed, sometimes you can be surprised. In any case, this Smiths tune, like most, make me happy despite the morbidity of the lyrics.
“Sheila Take A Bow” was my first favorite because it was the first song I heard from them when my sister made me a mix tape when I was in middle school. After meeting my husband, we kind of established “There Is A Light” is our song because we always think of each other when we hear it.
“Ask” is so beautiful. Marr’s guitar is especially brilliant here, and there isn’t anyone else who plays like Johnny does. The cherry on top is Kirsty MacColl on backing vocals. I cried when I heard she was killed. She sung on many songs by many of her contemporaries, and this is a shining example of what she was best at. Her harmonies with Morrissey are a pleasure to listen to. I love how the band found inspiration and cheeriness in something as gloomy as the Cold War.
“A Light That Never Goes Out…” oddly enough it really pumps me up to go out for an evening of fun, friends, and revelry.
The Queen is Dead — If only for the “Eh, I know you and you cannot sing” line.
How Soon is Now – the sounds are amazing – the opening wobble, the 2 descending note accent – brilliant!
Half A Person – Who hasn’t been “16 clumsy and shy” ?
Bigmouth Strikes Again, because of Johnny Marr’s guitar and because the lyric “I’ve got no right to take my place with the human race” so perfectly sums up the Smiths’ and Morrissey’s world view.
The Hand That Rocks The Cradle. The combination of repetitiously beautiful guitar work, a perfectly complimentary bass line, Morrissey’s vocals, and haunting yet comforting lyrics put this one at the top of my list.
“Please don’t cry…… For the ghost and the storm outside.”
Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now
“Why do I give valuable time to people who don’t care if I live or die”
The absolute sentiment required after a really long day where everyone wants and takes a piece of your *ss.”
“You Just Haven’t Earned It Yet, Baby” Because no one has earned it yet!
Brian Kelly: “I Know it’s Over”
“Meat is Murder”. I became a vegetarian in the mid 80’s & this song really drew me in…I’d say it was my anthem. I suppose that sounds a bit silly, but I was young.
My favorite song is probably either “Is It Really So Strange” or “These Things Take Time”. I love the verses of both of these songs probably more than any other songs I’ve ever heard. This is stuff that I’ll be showing my kids and grandkids one day.
I wish we could just all win.
How I Wonder. Any song that ends and begins with rain is epic.
Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want is my favorite song because I’ve never really had anything. I’ve watched friends run around with their iphones and whatnot while my family has barely managed to keep a home phone. If my friend liked the same girl I liked I’d back off. I grew out of that and matured into a much more confident and secure man, but this song has always been kind of like an anthem for me.
Still Ill – The live “Rank” version
“Barbarism Begins At Home.” It showcases everything that is wonderful about The Smiths, from the sardonic lyricism of Moz to the driving and melodic Rourke basslines to the open and inventive guitar stylings of Marr.
“Half a Person”. That song perfectly captured how I was feeling inside during my high school years while using humor and pain in only the way Mossissey could.
“The Queen Is Dead”
Because I can play that song when I’m DJ-ing even for people who have never heard of The Smiths and still get them to dance.
Also, Joyce’s drums are flippin’ amazing.
How many times can we enter?
Because “The Headmaster Ritual” is ALSO my favorite song.
And I’m pretty sure I could could keep going……
“The Boy with a Thorn in His Side” – And if you don’t believe me now, will you ever believe me?
It’s probably uncool to say it because it was such a big hit, but I’m going with “How Soon Is Now?”. I had never heard anything like it before and only pale imitations since.
“That Joke Isn’t Funny Anymore” because the painful truth of “times tide will smother you” becomes more evident with each passing year.
“How Soon Is Now”
I don’t care if it may be their most popular, that guitar tone and texture gets me going every time. I always dismissed the Smiths as another Europop band until this blew me away one morning on WXRT (Chicago, IL).
I was entirely wrong about the Europop thing…
“I don’t owe you anything”
The lyrics feel like something i’d bet most people have have said to themselves probably more than once.
Did I really walk all this way? For nothing, for someone to just argue with me, for me to have to leave and go out on my own again.
With a very strong attempt at self reassurance at the end. It’s almost effortlessly bleak, without being about anything specifically tragic, other than the everyday pain that goes along with loving another person and the crippling hurt of it never going right.
There are other songs… but this one makes me feel empathy mixed with an understanding that expecting pain is the best way to go about life.
Asleep- It reminds me of a friend I lost back when we were in high school, she was actually listening to the song when she passed. I don’t listen to it much, but when I do I think of her.
What She Said…because I’m hoping for an early death…good bye.
It may sound a bit cliche, but How Soon is Now? is my favorite Smiths song of all time. Meat is Murder was the 1st CD I ever purchased. I have/had all recordings on vinyl or cassette, but popping that disc in and getting Johnny jangling, WOW! It also was a club favorite back in the late ’80s/early ’90s, which they’d play the video along above the dancefloor.
There is a Light That Never Goes Out…My inner goth loves this song! It is the ULTIMATE macabre love song. “And if a 10-ton truck kills the both of us, To die by your side, well, the pleasure, the privilege is mine.” To be THAT in love is a blessing most people will never experience, let alone repeat in one’s life time…especially, if you get by a bus or truck in the process.
“Back to the Old House.” Because it speaks so simply, yet profoundly, of loss and longing.
“A Rush And A Push And The Land Is Ours”… there are two reasons really. The first is the most obvious; it was the first Smiths song I ever heard, when I found Strangeways while sorting through my parents’ old cassette tapes… sadly, I am not old enough to have known the group in their prime. The second reason is because it makes me think of the collapse of the group, and gives hope for a future return, no matter how unlikely: “A rush and a push and the land that we stand on is ours. It has been before, so it shall be again.” All of the old members are still alive, and all it would take is a push past old hurt to reclaim the world and any stage they stand on. We’re all waiting for that, especially fans like me who never even got the chance at seeing the Smiths exist in real time… I’d say that is reason enough to declare this my favorite song, no?
You win.
Give the young’un the prize…so he can experience The Smiths in their prime over and over.
“What Difference Does It Make?”
It’s a jingle jangle masterpiece of self loathing.
Rubber Ring: I always love songs about the healing power of music, in most cases uplifting and celebratory. Rubber Ring, however, reminds me of just how sad and pathetic a lonely life can be. So much that one can only, in the end, relate to a handful of melodramatic lyrics repeated over and over again. Brilliant. I also love the strings in the background. Very sad.
Heaven Knows Im Miserable Now – one of the best songs of the 80s, heaing this brings bak memories of high school and how i was in a perpetually grumpy mode. In my life, why do i smile at people i’d much rather kick in the eye. True then, true now!
“Half a Person” because quite simply it was the first Smiths song I ever heard and I immediately loved it; now it takes me back to that moment and is a reminder of a time of discovery and revelation…
Oh, so hard to choose but Cemetry Gates has to be it. I could always picture the maze-like victorian cemetry on a “dreaded sunny day” (I love dreary rainy days best) running around, relaxing in the grass, exchanging literary banter with a friend to pass the time. A very romantic scene. I still laugh everytime I hear him sing about from whence the text was ripped. Too short, sure, but every second pure brilliance!
“Talent borrows, genius steals” -Wilde, Oscar
My favorite Smiths song: “How Soon Is Now”
The reason:
I consider it as an essential ’80s alternative/indie song, as well as their “signature song”.
E-mail Address: DJKaito@comcast.net
I’ve always really liked “Handsome Devil” off of Hateful Of Hollow for a couple of reasons. First, it is one of the more aggressive songs by The Smiths, which makes it stand out a bit. Second, and probably most importantly, I’m a big John Peel fan, and the fact that the version on Hateful Of Hollow is from one of their Peel Sessions makes it that much more special. Not sure if it is the production, or the fact that bands tended to put their best foot forward when they recorded for Mr. Peel, but I often prefer Peel Sessions versions by any artist to their recorded versions.
Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want is my favorite by a nose over about 40 other songs. I think what I love the about this song is that it was originally issued as a B-side to William, It Was Really Nothing. A B-SIDE! So this song that takes all of 1:50 (with the last 40 seconds being an instrumental) just turns on the emotional tap and at the end leaves you knowing. It needs no more. As Moz said, “It’s like a very brief punch in the face.”
Rubber Ring. Because I’m FINALLY dancing and laughing and finally living still think of them kindly.
“Paint A Vulgar Picture”. Re-issue ! Re-package ! Re-package !
There is a light that never goes out.
“There Is A Light That Will Never Go Out.” It’s the first song of theirs I remember hearing as a child. I saw the video and it has never left me.
“You Just Haven’t Earned It Yet Baby” – For personal reasons.
My favorite song has to be ” I Keep Mine Hidden “. I found the song/cd single AFTER The Smiths disbanded (that cd single also contains “Work is a Four-Letter Word”). I thought I’d never, ever hear anything new from them again…and I had just found TWO new songs. Paid a pretty penny for the disc but it was worth it. That cd single is my prized SMITHS item.
“A Rush and a Push and the Land Is Ours” the band elevating their songwriting, experimenting creating a perfect album opener, complete with one of the best lines ever “There’s too much caffeine in your bloodstream…”
Still Ill – huge smiths fan – and this song never, ever gets old. if i ever need a quick pick me up, this is it (especially the hatful of hollow version – harmonica opening).
This Charming Man- obvious choice, I know. Marr’s guitar work is too brilliant to choose anything else.
The Boy with the Thorn in his Side.
The consumate smiths song.
Beautiful melody, wonderful lyrics. The mixture of confidence and hopelessness that is so much of adolescent life. We were all that boy.
Girlfriend in a Coma – Johnny Mars guitar playing was beautiful
“Golden Lights” because of the great effects on His voice!
Unloveable
Perfect heart-broken ballad disguised as tossed-off b-side. Morrissey & Marr did not write one mediocre song.
“How Soon Is Now”…because it hurts.
“Asleep” – I was in my freshman year of high school, I was reading “The Perks of Being a Wallflower.”. They mention the names of some songs, one that stuck out to me was “Asleep”. I went and searched for this song, and when I found it, the power of the song hit me like a ton of bricks, like a hundred foot wall of water collapsing over me. I then realized how important music was, and how incredibly beautiful and meaningful it could be. Thus began my journey through music, which, daily, I continue to navigate it’s choppy waters.
“There Is A Light”, because even The Master Of Morose himself can’t hide the love and tenderness in that song.
Well I Wonder.
The wordless chorus. The rain.
Death of a disco dancer.
Love the Johnny Marr’s guitar on that song.
“There Is a Light That Never Goes Out” – first song I heard where what the Smiths were doing fell into place for me. Immediately loved it, and then everything after that, their songs that I had no time for previously appealed to me.
Pretty Girls Make Graves.
I love the story it tells. I think it’s Morrissey’s best lyrics. The phrasing on ‘delicate’ encapsulates everything the whole Smiths world.
LOL It’s so embarrassing to say now but “There is a light that never goes out” was written for the 13 year old me. Growing up in Anchorage Alaska in the 80’s was like what I imagine growing up on earth’s 1st lunar colony would be like. You were aware of a world out there through records and tapes and magazines (what’s the internet?) but it was still millions of miles away. I would listen to that song while looking out at the moose in my backyard and the endless snowbound world of my lunar colony.
Asleep
It is so beautiful and sad and universal.
Shoplifters of the world unite
Never mind the lyrics
Johnny Marr solo after hand it over is a thing of beauty.
I know it’s over
Morrissey’s crooning of “Mother, I can feel the soil falling over my head” is such an elequant way “I fell like I’m dying”
Reel Around The Fountain
Because I never tire of hearing it.
What She Said, because I never get tired hearing it
Heaven knows I’m miserable now
Those who label the Smiths as depressive completely missed the wit and comedy in Morrissey’s lyrics.
“How Soon is Now”. Quite simply, I love the power of the melody.
“There Is A Light That Never Goes Out” – the single most romantic song ever.
Girl Afraid may be the hookiest guitar line ever written. I can’t believe that song was a B-Side – I know it from Louder than Bombs, an album that for the longest time I thought was a proper album and not a collection. I discovered the song in college and it was on heavy rotation, most especially as I walked around Boston. Having that tune come up always added an extra hop to my step and to this day there is no other guitar based song I wish i’d written more than Girl Afraid.
Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me – Using reverse psychology upon myself with this song got me through two years of college life. Looking back, things aren’t really so world ending as they seemed.
“This Charming Man” The song makes me smile every time I listen to it, I made it my ringtone and will be for life. Makes me want to dance. They are my favorite band.
Please please please pick me pick me pick me to win this, Lord knows I could never in a million years afford it.
I swear I’ll carry it around with me everywhere, and it can sleep on my pillow at night.
Please PICK ME!!, our lord Morrissey would want me to have it the most…I imagine.
“Well I Wonder” – It’s an amazing arrangement all the way around… from the bass line and acoustic guitar beginning to fully-layered orchestration of strings at the end. I LOVE when the guitar swells enter in the bridge… truly moves me. Please keep me in mind.
The Boy with the Thorn In His Side – less because of the song and more cause of this girl that had the huge poster up in her dorm room. We’d hit the Pepe Lopez hard and I’d stare at the poster while waiting for the room to quit spinning. A few months later, I found out she didn’t know it was a song. She had bought the poster for the picture of Truman Capote.
Girlfriend in a coma. Despite the lyrics, the melody is very soothing and makes me feel like a baby drifting off to sleep while his mother sings to him. I could say that about a couple of their songs, but I also like the almost reggae like beat. And the song was so good that even Mojo Nixon recorded it. Some may say he disrespected the song, but if you were Mojo Nixon and had his fan base, how would you record the song. I think Mojo is probably a fan. How could you not be?
“How Soon Is Now” — It was the first Smiths song I ever heard, and the sound of that oscillating guitar chord immediately conjures up memories of the ’80s.
“Death of a Disco Dancer.” Cause peace is not a common goal in shady neighborhoods where “disco dancers” get killed. Hate crimes alive and well in a song blessed with Morrissey’s manic piano work. And in a very “oh well” kind of way reminding us it’s not going away. Very nice, but maybe in the next world.
How soon is now. Never felt more disconnected in a song, ever.
“Stop Me If You Think You’ve Heard This One Before” – Such vivid lyrics. ” … I crashed down on the crossbar, and the pain was enough to make a shy, bald Buddhist reflect and plan a mass murder.”
my favorite smiths song would have to be “big mouth strikes again” the line “i’ve got no right to take my place in the human race” really was my creed when i was younger. i didnt think i would ever find people who were like me. but lo and behold morrissey spoke to me and johnny marr made me want to play guitar.
my favourite Smiths song is Rubber Ring. No reason, just love the lyrics, and the sentiment.
“Rubber Ring” -because I won’t forget that the Smiths’ songs saved my life.
“Back to the Old House”, from the 83 John Peel Session, is ultimately my favorite Smiths song. An acoustic guitar has never sounded more beautiful. Nostalgia has never been better expressed in a pop song.
Half a Person
“Asleep” – beautiful, haunting…. throughout high school the song made me feel awake, while I was socially inept, before I went to bed, I would look out my window up the sky splashed with stars, and eventually falling asleep.
some girls are bigger than others
“Wonderful Woman”, because while both versions of the song are haunting, the two different sets of lyrics from the studio version and the early live version give the track two entirely seperate meanings. Great tune
Cemetary Gates – catchy, awesome, and on their best album!
“This Charming Man” was the first Smiths song I’d heard around 1984 or ’85, and from the opening guitar riff I was hooked! Great lyrics and the upbeat, bouncy 2 1/2-plus minutes led me next to “How Soon Is Now”: ’nuff said. The Smiths were the “gateway band” (for me) leading to The Cure, Echo & The Bunnymen and others which sent me on a path of (at worst) fashion and (at best) liberal views & lifestyle choices that shape who I am today. I can thank The Smiths for that, and specifically “This Charming Man”. Thanks guys!
Rusholme Ruffians is the Smiths song that I adore most (although I’m loath to find one I don’t love.) The Peel Session is slightly (only slightly) better than the studio version.
This Charming Man because I haven’t got a stitch to wear.
“I Know It’s Over”
For my entire life, people have told me to “just wait, the right one will come along, there is someone special for everyone.” In this song, Morrissey’s caressing vocals dare speak the painful truth, that some are meant to be alone, that love is not man’s natural inheritance. I fell in love with his empathetic honesty in this song when I was 14, and have been in love ever since.
Fav Smiths Song: “Well I Wonder”
Reason Bass line is fantastic and there is a fantastic mood to the track
William It Was Really Nothing is the happiest sounding sad song ever. It is also one of the shortest Smiths songs, and I wish it was longer. Instead I just play it all over again.
“There Is A Light That Never Goes Out” – The twisted side of me loves when this one comes up on random on the iPod when I’m driving at night with my wife.
Panic because they want to hang DJ’s :0
Girlfriend In A Coma because I think it comes together so well. Lyrics, music, and vocals are all perfect.
There is a Light That Never Goes Out – Heartbreakingly haunting.
Back to the Old House – haunting and lovely.
“Asleep”-This song speaks to me personally on many many levels, but the main reason why it’s my favorite Smiths track is that Morrissey has never sounded more honest and real than he does on this track. His lyrics, accompanied by a soft piano, harrow the listener and the culmination of “there is another world/there is a better world/well, there must be” is both heartbreaking and inspiring. In addition to that, the piano part for this song never fails to fascinate me, and the sound effects in the background are an interesting addition.
There is a Light That Never Goes Out.
It was the song of our relationship in that spring/summer of 87.
So romantic and melacholy,
it felt so good,
and so right in that moment in time.
Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others; Its a fun song!
I’ll probably change my mind 3 or 4 times before I even click “add comment” as there are so many contenders, but I’m going to go with Girl Afraid, as I think it sums up desperate teenage longing and romantic anxiety more succinctly than just about anything else out there.
To pick a favorite piece of music by a musician I believe is impossible. There is just too much goodness emanating from The Smiths, but one piece that stands out for me is “How Soon Is Now?”. It is an absolutely brilliant track, hearing so many intricate guitar parts blended together so perfectly with themselves, and the bass, drums, and vocals is an amazing feat for a musician. Being a guitarist myself it really makes me appreciate the instrument even more, and what I can do with it. Feeding the rhythm track through the vibrato channel of four Fender twin reverbs just has to be the coolest idea I have ever heard! Listening to this track with headphones is mental, the song is so ambient! The song sounds so original, you know it is The Smiths as soon as the song starts.
“Frankly, Mr. Shankly” is my absolute favorite. It reminds me a time before cds, when I would sit on my red shag carpet with my cheapie record player and spin this one out.
Cheers!
The Headmaster Ritual: brings back the wonderful memories of the “church of god” school i attended in south florida. the teachers, principal, and gym coach seemed to relish whacking us with pieces of wood that came in various shapes and sizes. then we would pray of course. glad i can laugh about it now. i really like johnny’s guitar playing on the track and the way morrissey la la la’s into the ending.
Girl Afraid,
What a kick ass song, how was that a b-side? Song always made sense to me, and still does…
Hatful of Hollow was my first Smiths album to buy (still gets alot of spins) and I remember first hearing this song, wow!
I NEED this set!!
“Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now.”
In the 9th grade (1986), the teacher asked–as an introductory exercise–for our favorite quote. I wrote down, “In my life, why do I give valuable time to people who don’t care if I live or die.” She returned the paper with a frowny face.
I know It’s Over. I was in my junior year of college. A Smiths fan for years. The year before I was utterly heartbroken, and I made a shrine to Morrissey in my room. The centerpiece was the Morrissey 1992 Details Cover, the Shoplifter’s 7 inch, Strangeways cassette, a postcard of the Smiths, Jesus, The Virgin Mary, and St. Anthony. Decked with beads, scarf, and dried flowers. My shrine to get my over the heartbreak. The boy, unceremoniously dumped me while he was doing a student abroad in Germany. Over a long distance phone call. I couldn’t believe it, though it was doomed from the start. Well, the year past, and he came home. Ignored all we had gone through and it was over. One day out of nowhere he invited me over to his house for a party. Thrilled at the prospect of a second chance, I bicycled over there. I entered scanned the room, and saw the boy playing cribbage with the girl he had dumped me for, who was visiting him that weekend. If the blood didn’t drop from my head to my feet, with my heart simultaneously stopping, then I don’t know what happened to me at that instant. Destroyed. Crushed. I couldn’t not be there another minute. I shut the door to the house, got on my bicycle, looked at the moon, cursed the sky, and cried. Cried while locking the bike, cried while slamming my font door, and cried has a collapsed in front of my shrine,begging for help to ease this pain. The only song I could possibly play was I Know It’s Over, over and over again. I was 20, stupid, and dramatic. In many ways at 37 I still am, but when that song comes on today, a peace always befalls me, and calms me down. It was not the end of the world, just that chapter finished.
Big Mouth Strikes Again
Are you referring to your favorite song, or the long-winded comment above?
Joe, the Earth is humbled at your deep thoughts. Asshole.
This Charming Man – The first Smiths song I ever heard, so it has that special place in my heart – kind of like how the first child is always the parents favorite. That’s true, you know, no matter what your mom said.
The Queen is Dead is a truly great rockin’ song. Great
This Charming Man
because it perfectly describes my first sexual experience…..
“Half A Person”
Call me morbid, call me pale… Haha! Love it! Sets the tone right off the bat!
Girlfriend in a Coma – first Smiths song I heard on a mixtape my friend gave me in 1988
My favorite Smiths song is There Is A Light That Never Goes Out. I feel it’s the perfect meshing of Marr’s musical ability with Morrissey’s lyrics. The melody is perfect, the strings are a gorgeous touch, and Morrissey captures the ache of a first crush, when teenage love feels like life and death – while also displaying the tinist hint of his sense of humor. It never fails to choke me up.
There Is A Light That Never Goes Out sums up my teenage angst and thoughts very well, and is one of my favorite Smiths songs.
Unloveable. Because it sums it all up, and is a crystalline distillation of adolescent angst siply and clearly delivered.
reel around the fountain–first smiths song i heard.
how soon is now. 1st heard at a high school dance. wow!
i know its over
the beauty of it!
Asleep
This is the song that consoled me during the 5 hour drive back home after my grandmother died, on reapeat the whole way.
There Is A Light That Never Goes Out is my favorite Smiths song. I saw The Ocean Blue perform it live when I was in college and went back and re-explored the original.
Half A Person is the first track by The Smiths that intrigued me.
A friend let me borrow the cassette tape of Louder Than Bombs when I was 17 (1987). I’d never listened to The Smiths before, and I popped the tape in my Walkman. The cassette played almost continuously for an entire weekend, but I didn’t listen–I mean really LISTEN–to the lyrics the initial few passes through the tape. The fourth time I re-listened to it, Half A Person started and specific lyrics began to jump out at me.
A shy, awkward teen with low self esteem (if you have five seconds to spare, I’ll tell you the story of my life), the song seemed to be an odd, displaced autobiography of my brief life–despite never having been to London–and I connected with Morrissey’s message immediately and intimately.
I still remember 24 years later with vivid, near-perfect clarity where I was, what was going on at the time, and who was in my life when I heard that song on my Walkman headphones.
There Is A Light That Never Goes Out
The way the strings weave in out out with Marr’s unique chord progressions topped with Morrissey’s perfect vocals. It doesn’t get any better this this.
Almost every single song by The Smiths is enmeshed in a ridiculously complex tie for pole position as my favorite. My top 3 are There is A Light That Never Goes Out (for it’s sheer beauty and heartbreak), Handsome Devil (it’s insanely erotic), and Girlfriend In A Coma (for it’s hilarity and story telling). Best-Band-Ever!!!
Well I Wonder
It’s such a beautiful song. Johnny Marr’s guitar work is classic. Moz’z inflections beyond his lyrics evokes his passion. From my understanding, his longing for someone’s love who doesn’t notice you. The waterfall at the end makes it magical.
there is a light that never goes out is one of my faves. it reminds me of being in high school and driving home with my best friend and us signing it to each other at the top of our lungs :D
“Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now” sums it all up nicely. ‘And then I found a job…’
“Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me”. Beautiful. Heartbreaking. Cathartic. It will always haunt me.
“What Difference Does it Make” from the “Survival Sampler” V/A cassette circa 1984. The song blew me away and the packaging – a water rationing can – only cemented the coolness of the band. Still have the can and the cassette!
Panic. We have all wanted to hang the DJ at one time or another
it has to Be “There Is A Light That Never Goes Out”. Morrissey’s voice is hauntingly beautiful. i will *always* love that song.
What She Said
Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now – cheery guitar with some incredibly depressing but easy to relate to lyrics… classic Smiths!
Suffer Little Children because of the haunting lyrics and historical significance. I definitely felt a sense of lost innocence listening to this song for the first time. You’re never quite the same after. Otherwise, a classic Morrissey/Marr composition. Memorable lyrics, standout guitar.
I was happy in the haze of a drunken hour but…Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now
The Queen is Dead. The first Smiths song I heard and it completely hooked me in.
The Queen Is Dead. One of my first cassettes, played over and over and over….
Favorite song is “I Won’t Share You” off the under-appreciated Strangeways, Here We Come album. It’s beautiful, sexy and witty all at the same time.
“Well I Wonder”, I believe it is the most sincere song, SPM has ever sang! Melancholy at its finest! Love the Smiths.
“Rubber Ring” I can’t imagine what sort of person I would have become without The Smiths.
How soon is now. Just awesome!
Rubber Ring. Why? Because of the line “and don’t forget the songs that made you cry, and the songs that saved your life”. I haven’t after 25 years.
“The Queen Is Dead” for being the greatest in a string of excellent opening tracks on Smiths records.
“Headmaster Ritual” for the million layered guitars, popping bassline, Morrissey yelps, and phrases like “belligerent ghouls” and “military two-step down the nape of my neck.”
Half a Person. Although I never checked myself into the Y (WCA), I was certainly 16, clumsy and shy.
“Bigmouth Strikes Again” I took a class trip from NJ to DC and all I had with me the entire ride there and back was my Walkman and The Queen Is Dead cassette. I listened to the entire album over and over and couldn’t listen to any other band during my entire high school experience. Fortunately for me, my Walkman did not melt and survived the trip to DC and high school.
Unloveable cuz ‘I wear black on the outside, cause black is how I feel on the inside’.
How soon is now – it has, since I was 16, become a song that encapsulates the alienation I feel on a day to day basis. I have suffered from OCD and acute social anxiety disorder( diagnosed at 13) .It’s about someone who wants to be loved, someone who feels they have nothing going for them, someone who feels as though they are are unwelcome.
After living through almost twenty years of my life despising the idea of a tattoo, I went ahead and got
“I am the son and the heir of a shyness that is criminally vulgar.” tattooed on my arm.
It means the world to me. A song about alienation led me to feel like SOMEONE got me.
“I am Human and I need to be loved
Just like everybody else does”
“I Know it’s Over” Wow, way back in high school I used to think breaking up with (or getting dumped by) a girl was pretty much the end of the world and this song pretty much encapsulated it all.
The Boy With The Thorn In His Side
Bigmouth Strikes Again, it always reminds me of high school.
How Soon is Now?
When I was a child I used to go to a friends house and we would play board games while listening to the radio. Her boom box had a function that would let you record yourself while listening to the radio (karaoke, I guess). We must have played a ton of games and sang along to this track over & over. I still have cassette tapes of us singing along to it.
Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want. Why? I guess part of me might be a sucker for melodramatics because before I ever heard the song I liked it when I read the title on the back of the cd. But mainly because of the mandolin. The last 30 seconds or so at the end, that brief mandolin solo, is one of the most beautiful pieces of music I’ve ever heard.
I’d say Half a Person. It’s sooo sad but pretty.
Bigmouth Strikes Again – the lyrics kill me and the guitar slays me. Impossible to ignore.
This Night Has Opened My Eyes. Sad & tragic lyrics set against an absolutely beautiful musical background (although the same could be said about so many Morrissey/Marr tunes).
Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now
How Soon Is Now?
First it was the girl in the video, then it was making out with a girl with asymmetrical hair. The Smiths are imprinted on me for life.
“You Just Haven’t Earned It Yet, Baby.” I was a holdout on the Smiths until I heard this song – and then I GOT it. I understood why everyone loves them so much. Morrisey’s vocal is great – very lyrical, very theatrical, and delivered in a way that no one else can. Johnny Marr’s guitar work compliments the melody so well, with its intricate arpeggios and shiny chords. Plus, Andy Rourke and Mike Joyce are locked into a groove that seems intent on hammering home Morrisey’s point throughout the whole song – although for me, after hearing it, they definitely earned it, baby!
“Well I Wonder”
Morrissey’s lyrics paired w/ Marr’s guitar make it incredibly sad, yet it’s still so beautiful.
my favorite song is probably This Charming Man. it may not be the most original choice, but the bouncy nature of the song, with the interesting lyrics/story, the amazing vocal melody, marr’s consistently good guitar work and layering. it really is one of the best pop songs of the modern age and showcases most everything that is great about this band.
This Charming Man… for the pure and simple reason that it was the song I chose to dance to at a charity bachelor auction that caught the attentions of a beautiful girl in the crowd that within the year would be my beautiful wife.
Will nature make a man of me yet? I don’t know, but this song has. Cheers!
The Boy With the Thorn in His Side …. I am that guy. I have always put up a front of nihilism, even when I didn’t know what it meant, but all that I’ve ever wanted was to love and be loved. That’s all that we humans have at the end of the day.
The very first Smiths song I heard was “How Soon Is Now”. I had a friend with a foot high blue mohawk who snuck me into my first gay bar at age 18. She requested this song from the DJ, who was playing all high-energy. DJ said that as much as he loved the song, he couldn’t play it, it was too slow. At the very end of the night, he put it on, and by the end of the song I was dancing AND crying. You never forget your first time.
Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me——-The song was still pretty new in 87, the summer I graduated high school. I traveled to my boyhood home of Maryland and spent what I thought was a meaningful night with an old girlfriend, and the next night found her shagging some other guy. I was distraught and wandered the streets for hours drunk on vodka & peach soda, feeling used, listening to this song over & over on my Walkman.
“Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now.” Cuz I’ve been happy in the haze of many a drunken hour, but I know all too well what follows. Now please send me my Smiths albums. Thank you.
“Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now.” The line “I was looking for a job and then I found a job, and heaven knows…” sums up the the inherent sadness of responsibility and adulthood better than anything else before or since.
Shoplifters of the World. Somewhat of a droney track from the usually bouncy band. An old Dallas band, Funland would cover it from time to time and pull one of our friends, a vocalist in another smaller Dallas band called Earl, to sing lead. John (from Earl) always tried to channel Morrissey as much as possible, making the song even more fun.
What Difference Does It Make – The Peel session version from Hatful. A perfect performance, Johnny’s guitar sound cuts through the song like a knife. A great example of why they were so important and powerful, even as a young band. Heavy words are so lightly thrown.
The first song I ever heard was What difference does it make on college radio. Didn’t know who sang it at first but I was hooked. The words just hit me, never heard lyrics like that before. It was an instant connection and I’ve been a fan ever since. It’s the soundtrack to my life.
Unlovable – “I wear black on the outside, cos black is how I feel on the inside” Nuff said.
Please, please, please let me get what I want.
Cos it’s an amazingly cool song. I think everyone can relate to it.
Frankly, Mr. Shankley. Perfect summary of working at a dead-end job. “It pays my way and it corrodes my soul”
“That Joke Isn’t Funny Anymore” is the ultimate in “sad bastard” music. Whining & self-loathing – I LOVE IT!
“What Difference Does It Make?” It starts with great energy and keeps it going through out the entire song. Plus I love how his anger comes through the simple lyrics. He loves his partner but is sick of not being good enough…no matter what he does he just can’t get the same love in return. My favorite line in the song is: “But now you make me feel so ashamed because I’ve only got two hands”. A beautiful illustration of how wrapped up in other people we can be. To the point that we can’t even accept ourselves for who we are.
“Girlfriend In A Coma”
It’s the first Smiths song I ever heard. In seventh grade we had “radio day” where students could bring radios to school and listen to them between classes. I was walking through the hall and heard this song coming from a guy’s boombox…it was unlike anything anybody else was playing, unlike anything I’d really heard in my eleven years…and it called to me. He told me it was “Girlfriend In A Coma” by The Smiths. I bought the cassette as soon as I could. My love affair with this band started right there and then and has continued for the last 24 years. They’re still my favorite band.
“This Charming Man.” Andy Rourke’s bass line made me want to become a bass player.
So hard to choose! But at this very moment I’m feeling “Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want.” I love the original and I have a soft spot for the instrumental version that’s featured in Ferris Bueller’s Day off, even though it’s kind of the muzak version of the Smiths.
“Unloveable”—not my favorite, perhaps, but the one the sums up my angsty high school years the best.
“The Queen Is Dead” is one of The Smiths’ most perfect songs- always been a favorite
There Is a Light That Never Goes Out.
Love the guitars in all the Smiths work, but they really stand out in this one. It came out when I was in high school and I was able to see them on the US tour. Fantastic stuff.
Unhappy birthday – I will always remember a college friend singing this to me right before we made out on my 21st birthday. We were laughing so hard we couldn’t even see, or was it from the tequila, hmmm.
There is a Light That Never Goes Out
This song captures the essence of The Smiths….classic depressing lyrics, haunting but upbeat music and Morrissey does a great job with it playing solo.
the queen is dead
this album and this song really got me into the smiths. every time i listen it takes me back to a certain time in my life.
Reel Around the Fountain. For no other reason than it was the first Smiths song I ever heard (courtesy of a mixtape from an older, cooler friend) and it BLEW MY MIND. Honestly, I don’t think the band has a bad song in their entire catalog…
The Queen is Dead just because it was the first Smiths album I heard. After going back and getting all of their material, it still is my favorite!
Some Girls are Bigger Than Others … Great song, love the lyrics!
“Please please please Let me get what I want tonight.” The song at the end of a John Hughes movie changed my musical life
Thanks
Brian
“This Charming Man” because it described exactly what my feelings were when I was coming out and felt unloved and unworthy, it helped me feel better about myself and help me sort out my feelings. It would be real cool if I win as that is one day after my birthday! :)
Bigmouth Strikes Again, listening from BFE Oklahoma to someone singing “Bludgeoned in your bed” to jangy music was too much
Panic. It was the first Smiths song I heard and I was blown away by the sound. My friend played Louder Than Bombs for me and I was amazed.
“Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want” – I never realized that repeated viewings of Ferris Bueller as a child would lead me to find the art museum song which would lead me to The Smiths. What a wonderful trip it has been.
Stop Me If You’ve Heard This One Before. First heard this song and The Smiths on KROQ in junior high in 1987. Two albums released that year introduced me to a form of music which allowed for complete freedom of musical expression; Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me and Strangeways, Here We Come. As a young adult, this influenced my own guitar playing and ability to take chances in my musical direction.
“How Soon Is Now” – When I was a child I was bullied. When I was a teen I had a cruel stepfather, didn’t feel wanted at home, and felt alienated from my peers. When I heard the words “I am human and I need to be loved” I cried, because it’s true. I AM human and I DO need to be loved. Everybody can go to hell because I’m claiming my humanity, assholes! I now have those words tattooed on my arm, written by Morrissey himself, so that nobody ever forgets that it’s true — especially me.
The Headmaster Ritual
I don;t believe in corporal punishment either -to not win this would seem like that to me!
How Soon Is Now – why? that guitar sound!
How Soon Is Now because it rocks!
‘i know it’s over’ – for the beautiful mixture of marr’s guitar work + morrissey’s voice cracking with emotion that happens at 5:11 into the track.
Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want. Because listening to this song on repeat is what got me through high school. And because 15 years after first hearing it, I’m still not sick of it.
The Boy With The Thorn In His Side — the heartfeltness (if that’s a word) just floors you in the lines “How can they look into my eyes And still they don’t believe me ? How can they hear me say those words Still they don’t believe me ? And if they don’t believe me now Will they ever believe me ?”
uncommon and so great
Girlfriend in a Coma – I used to sing it to a girlfriend, and it was hilarious. That was the first thing that popped into my head.
My favorite Smiths song is Handsome Devil, because I love the lyric so much “There’s more to life than books, you know. But not much more.”
Paint a Vulgar Picture – Reissue, Repackage, Repackage and despite knowing that I still can’t help myself!
“How Soon Is Now?”
It’s the “All Tomorrow’s Parties” of the ’80s, bar none.
‘I Know It’s Over’ – the live version from Rank. Just a great performance musically, operatic yet so naked. And the lyrics really meant a lot to me as a teen; rarely was Morrissey so direct – Setting you up with ‘And if you’re so clever/ Then why are you on your own tonight?’ before pulling the rug out with ‘Because tonight is just like any other night…with your triumphs and your charms/while they’re in each others’ arms’. And ‘It’s so easy to laugh, so easy to hate/ It takes guts to be gentle & kind’, a sentiment rarely expressed with such elegance in pop music.
There is a light that never goes out. Not original, but fantastic none the less :)
“Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want” is one of my favorites. It was on the Pretty in Pink Soundtrack, which came at a time when Morrissey’s jangly angst matched perfectly with me being a floppy-haired teenager. That soundtrack and subsequently The Smiths entire catalog defined my musical tastes.
The Headmaster Ritual – I can get lost in that song. It’s like a drug – the hypnotic beat, Morrissey’s vocals and it’s so damn fun to sing along with…
“Stop Me If You Think You’ve Heard This One Before”. I love this song. I think the whole arrangement is perfect and Morrissey’s voice is amazing.
Death of a Disco Dancer. Marr’s guitar is amazing in this one.
Chris Beidler
Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me is the perfect Smiths song. If I had to pick one song to illustrate what The Smiths were all about, this would be the one. The ultimate blend of Marr’s music and Morrissey’s lyrics.
I love “Stop Me If You Think You’ve Heard This One Before”. That song has the perfect combination of Morrissey and 80’s goodness that is makes me feel awesome. I love the lyrics and it was a great note for the Smiths to go out on, since its on their last album.
“There is a Light that Never Goes Out”is a beautiful song and I love the lyrics. It reminds me of when I met my husband.
“The Death of a Disco Dancer”
The one-finger piano, the majestic repetitive grind of the music, like the coda to “That Joke Isn’t Funny Any More” extended to song length: the closest the Smiths got to krautrock, kind of. Funny too, in a bleak sort of way.
Ask
I consider Ask to be the “gateway” song that got me into The Smiths. Sometime in the late 80’s, I was in a car with some friends and we were listening to 91X (in San Diego, CA). Ask started playing as we arrived at our destination. I asked the driver to leave the car on, so I could finish listening to the song and find out the name of the track. Thus began my obsession with The Smiths…
Miserable Lie – I taped the whole first album stream on “Live from London” on CFNY in Toronto (radio to cassette LOL).
“Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now”
-A song so true to the human condition, always wanting something more, but finding that what we thought would satisfy us ultimately does not. Set to some of the most beautiful and evocative music I’ve ever heard-showcasing this great band. :)
The title track from the masterpiece studio release ‘The Queen is Dead’ entitled “The Queen is Dead”. This has everything and more that signified these four talented musicians coming together to create their signature sound. Morrissey showing his humorous side with his lyrics “I know you, and you cannot sing” , I said “That’s nothing – you should hear me play piano”. Johnny’s wrenching guitar work, Andy’s thunderous bass lines and Mike’s always steady drumming. The perfect song to play for someone who thinks the Smiths always wrote slow and depressing songs. When I hear that I know right away that the person has never listened to The Smiths before.
Ask. I met my wife while that song was playing. I didn’t know her, but just the sight of her and that song combined, made my eyes get all watery.
Fast forward 3 years, at our wedding…it was the first song that played after we were officially wed. Talk about water on the eyes.
Reel Around the Fountain. That song is tied to some of the happiest memories and saddest times for me.
“How Soon Is Now?” It’s not just fantastic single, but an incredible soundscape that defines an era the way New Order’s “Blue Monday” did just a few short years before (and My Bloody Valentine’s “Soon” did later on). I didn’t get into the Smiths until late in college and remember hearing “How Soon Is Now” — the pulsing rush of the guitars, the tension between the music and the tormented vocals and lyrics — and being thunderstruck. Why hadn’t I properly heard this before? How could I have been so oblivious to its hypnotic, sensual pull? I get a shiver down my spine every time I hear it.
as cliche as it is, There Is A Light is The Smiths masterpiece. I first heard the song when I was 14 years old and now, 14 years and over a dozen Moz shows later, I still worship the man and the song.
How can I pick just one?
“Everyday Is Like Sunday” is my favorite Smiths song. The bassline is infectious, and Morrissey is such a chipper little fella (as always).
How Soon Is Now. It reminds me of a time in my life when it was actually an adventure to find new music… listening to college radio, visiting record stores, buying Trouser Press and reading about new bands… it’s almost too easy nowadays and far less exciting. I’m glad that I grew up when I did and connected with people face to face through music.
Big Mouth Strikes Again – because I do have a big mouth, and because I can dance to it, and because I know how Joan of Arc felt ;)
“Gettin’ Smithy Wit It” cuz I wanna WIN!
Stop Me If You’ve Heard This One Before
I think maybe because by the time Strangeways was released, the Smiths were pretty much done. The video came out, and it’s Morrissey riding around on his bicycle, no other band members around. Some people felt Strangeways was not as good as other Smiths albums, but for a lot of people, it was bittersweet and beautiful.
“Hand In Glove,” because my best friend says the line “so stay on my arm you little charmer” reminds him of me. I have such a great friend! Aside from that, perfect lyrics, perfect guitar work, perfect rhythm section…this band is the only one I can think of that never released any song less than a perfect 10.0
The Headmaster Ritual.
The Queen Is Dead (Take Me Back to Dear Old Blighty): I was in high school when this album came out. When we were in photography class, we would use this song to gauge how long from exposure to rinse a picture would take. We would sit in the dark room singing along for hours to this album.
“William , It Was Really Nothing”- It is a masterpiece and so confident sounding. Marr’s playing is stunning and at its nimblest, the rhythm section is a tight as can be, and Morrissey’s vocal is uniquely great. The lyric reminds me of some brilliant scene written by Evelyn Waugh.
“Well I Wonder”, probably their most underrated song. Andy Rourke’s bass line drives me in every time.
This a really hard task to accomplish. Name my favorite Smiths track? Are you serious?!?!?! Close to impossible but I would have to say “What Difference Does It Make?”. The guitar riffs combined with Morrissey’s singing just make me stop what I am doing and listen. Also, the lyrics describe a situation we have all been in where we want to impress someone so much we do things we are ashamed of and it doesn’t make any difference in the long run.
What Difference Does It Make comes to mind, but too many great Smith’s songs to list. One of my all time favorite bands :)
Cemetry Gates. A gorgeous song with quintessential Morrissey lyrics and Johnny Marr’s signature guitar. I hear this song and I’m 15 years old again! Of course choosing a favorite Smiths song is like choosing a favorite child (hrmm, I guess that can be done)…
“Some girls mothers…” Hilarious, and introduced to me to the world of the Smiths. I’ve never looked back.
How Soon Is Now. It was my introduction to The Smiths and still my favorite. However, The Queen is Dead is a close second.
How Soon is Now-their definitive song as far as I am concerned-I remember getting the promo 12″ white cover single from Sire to play when I was in college radio-the searing guitars were unlike anything I had ever heard. Best of all, the song was originally a b-side!
“This Charming Man”. I would like to think that I influenced my Son’s musical taste by giving him my cassettes to listen to when he was a teen. This is the song he picked to be his ringtone on my phone. He is now in Grad school in Boston and when I here those first notes from that song, I know it’s him calling or texting! I miss him!
“Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now” always does it for me. Nothing frees one’s soul from anguish and torment quite like the juxtaposition of pleasant singsongy melody and lyrical misery. I wish the prize was actually to get Morrissey to cover “It’s Not Easy Being Green” but i’d more than happily settle for Smithsonian completion.
“Ask”–Because I really believe that if love can’t bring us together, it’ll be the Bomb that will.
Stop Me If You Think You’ve Heard This One Before – a classic inside and out, and was also covered wonderfully by Mark Ronson and Daniel Merriwether. : )
How Soon Is Now? It is Johnny Marr’s masterpiece. The oscillating guitar effect is unique and haunting. There is nothing else like it.
“London”
I love the guitar sound on this one.
“Ask” off of Louder than Bombs i just love that one
There Is a Light That Never Goes Out. From what I remember this is the first Smiths song I ever heard. It was in the back of my cool older sister’s boyfriend’s car. I remember it as clear as day, lying in the backseat as he drove us through the night city lights of Atlanta. I was a 13 year old emerging artist, it was 1987.
Well I Wonder. It is really beautiful.
My favorite is “I Know It’s Over”, however one of my strongest memories is “How Soon Is Now”. I remember being a weird, gay kid in rural Kansas. I went to visit my friend Danny, who was 4 years older, in a band, and the coolest guy I had ever met in the cool college town 70 miles away from where I was living. We were in his car and “How Soon Is Now” came on. We weird, outcast kids from the middle of nowhere Kansas were all singing along and it was one of those defining moments where I realized that being different was a great thing and that I wasn’t completely alone. Hence, that song will ALWAYS have a very very special place in my heart.
“Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me” False hope of love.
how soon is now…it had just been released as a single. i was at a winery and some small minded people were ridiculing my appearance, so i granted them a performance and sang a few lyrics, danced a bit and stared back at them for the finale.
Cemetry Gates, for its great hooks
“Bigmouth Strikes Again” is a terrific song – from an amazing album (“The Queen is Dead”), the lyrics are among their best.
“Half a Person” it just tells a tale so well. Great melody and understated vocals from Morrissey. The Smiths are among the few bands (The Beatles and The Jam being other examples) that could afford to tuck away such a great song as a b-side.
“There Is A Light That Never Goes Out”–essential listening for the 17-year old version of me that drove around at night incessantly in a beat up Honda Prelude. Neil Finn covered this one with much grace and aplomb, as well. I’m going to go put it on right now.
I love many Smiths songs, including many named before. But I think the one I turn up the most consistently is “Oscillate Wildly,” since it reminds me of driving with my wife when we were first married … it’s an amazing “driving around” song, and because it’s played less than many other Smiths tracks it always sounds fresh to me.
Enjoyed reading everyone else’s comments too!
I chose “Unloveable@ as my favorite song from The Smiths. I chose it because it perfectly describes how many people felt as a teenager, as a young adult, and through their entire lives.
It brings comfort to me always.
I chose “Unloveable” as my favorite song from The Smiths. I chose it because it perfectly describes how many people felt as a teenager, as a young adult, and through their entire lives.
It brings comfort to me always.
My favorite for the moment is Ask. Who doesn’t love bucktoothed girls from Luxembourg?
“Miserable Lie” is the first song I heard that wasn’t one that was getting air time on college radio. “I look at yours, You laugh at mine and love is just a miserable lie”…love it! After that, I was hooked.
“What Difference Does It Make?” simply because it was my introduction to the band.
“Ask”. This would DEFINITELY be on my “early years” soundtrack. It had a way of making me feel like I wasn’t alone.
Panic! Used to sing it loudly when I had to mow the lawn.
I have to pick one? So many to choose from. I will have to go with “Asleep”… it is one of the most simplest, saddest, melancholic songs out there. And it’s a masterpiece. The closing chimes of Auld Lang Syne at the end is chilling and beautiful. But most importantly, it sends us off with that small glimmer of hope.
A most difficult question, as I could pick a couple dozen, but I must say “I Know It’s Over.” I have never felt as empowered by any other lyric as much as the line “It takes strength to be gentle and kind.”
“I Know It’s Over” because it just might be the mopiest.
How soon is now? so many great times dancing to this in so many clubs. still love it!
Let’s go with “What Difference Does It Make?” It was the first Smiths song I ever heard – introduced to me by the Sire Records Survival Sampler (on cassette, of course). The drive of the music and Morrissey’s almost dangerous vocal grabbed me immediately.
What She Said, simply a relentless tune…
“How Soon Is Now” It reminds me of the girl I love and have always loved.
Panic. It is my go to song for going out dancing. Because I will undoubtedly insist at some point in the evening that one should “Hang the DJ”….
it would be Rusholme Ruffians, had my first real kiss with that track on .. my relationship with that girl didn’t last, but my love affair w/ The Smiths still endures :-)
“There Is A Light That Never Goes Out” After seeing Morrissey in 2002, I found myself stranded at the venue. The three hour walk home was worth it, as Moz closed with this song. It was all I could think of for the rest of the night.
My fave song by The Smiths would have to be “Stop Me If You Think That You’ve Heard This One Before.” The main reason this is a fave is because it is one of the best 80’s Alternative songs I have ever heard, and after all this time it still makes me feel the way it did way back then when I was just 15. Nothing’s changed… I still love U, only slightly less than I used to, my love;P
Suffer Little Children. It’s such a haunting song and a classic from their debut album.
I would probably say “Panic” as well. I used to hang out at a club in my early 20’s that would play this song to end the night. It is always a reminder of amazing memories.
So many to choose from, but it has to be “There Is A Light That Never Goes Out.” It was a mix tape fave. It was also playing during my first kiss from my first girlfriend ever. Brings back memories of good times and young stupid fun…when I didn’t have care a world.
‘The Queen is Dead’ off, you guessed it, ‘The Queen is Dead’. A former girlfriend of mine gave me this album and got me into the Smiths (this fact is very Smiths, don’tchya think?).
This one is my favorite because of the subtle guitar work, the bass line is killer, and I love the line, “and the church, all they want is your money.” Killer song!
“Shoplifters of the world unite” I chose this song because it’s simply brilliant and it takes me to another place.
“There Is A Light That Never Goes Out” Poignant love song with a “Smiths-cum-Shakespearean” twist. The song has inspired countless covers and tributes including a folk version in Spanish.
The boy with the thorn in his side just because I remember exactly where I was when it was released. I was there at Northern Lights for every release, coveting each 12 inch….studying each cover star and their relevance and holding each vinyl to the light to read the cryptic messages inscribed around each of the round labels. No other band has meant as much to me as The Smiths.
“This Charming Man” for me. From the African-styled happy guitar lick intro by Johnny Marr to Andy Rourke’s snaking bass line that locks in with Mike Joyce’s driving beat, this song just screams “hit single.” In reality it probably never came close given that the mainstream charts at least in the US were littered with the likes of Hall and Oates, Michael Jackson and Madonna. You’ve got to love Morrissey’s gender-bending lines like “I would go out tonight, but I haven’t got a stitch to wear” and the song’s opener “Punctured bicycle on a hillside, desolate – will nature make a man of me yet?” And the best line of all as Moz the protagonist gives in to the gentleman’s seduction, “Why pamper life’s complexities when the leather runs smooth on the passenger’s seat?” Brilliance.
Stop me if you think you’ve heard this one before, this song was playing on my cassette walkman back in the day when I was young, I was playing it over and over when I found out about the death of a close friend of mine, we discovered the smiths together and this song was the song that pulled us both into loving them, so this song brings happiness and sadness, but started me on the path to great music!
I love There is a Light and it Never Goes Out, because it has violins.
Seriously, it is the romantic song I have ever heard.
“That Joke Isn’t Funny Anymore” is my favorite song by The Smiths. Lyrically, it is one of Morrissey’s best (read “mopiest”) songs, and I think the heavy reverb on the vocal makes him sound distant and isolated–appropriate for the song’s theme. Johnny Marr’s acoustic guitar work is technically rather basic and uncharacteristically repetitive but sets the perfect mood for Moz’s tone.
Shit! I was going to say “Oscillate Wildly” too, and I guess I’ll stick with it now anyway. It’s just such a beautiful song. It seems a little odd that their best song is absent the Smiths’ most defining feature (i.e., Moz), but it’s still my favorite. “Rubber Ring” is likely second.
There are very few songs on a bar jukebox/playlist for which I will stop a conversation and require some silence while it plays. “Well I Wonder” happens to be one of those.
There are so many great tracks, but my favorite is “Accept Yourself.” I remember hearing
It for the first time on a mistake a friend’s older brother had and just being transfixed. I was 12, maybe 13, and upon hearing Morrissey crooning, “I am sick and I am dull and I am plain..” I somehow felt more connected and less out of place. It was a humdrum town, after all.
Mixtape! Autocorrect fail.
I have a lot of favorites. But the one that means most to me is “Asleep.” When I was on my own for the first time, I was going through a depression. I used to play that song before going to bed at night, through little speakers that were embedded in my pillow, in a black room with a poster of Moz on the ceiling (I have a pic if you want to see. I loved that room.) Anyway, it helped that someone was singing about how you feel.
“The Queen is Dead” – just an epic guitar sound, when the band kick in after the tinny opening recording (“take me back to dear old Blighty”) and the song levitates….
I know this may sound crazy, but I love ‘A Rush and a Push and This Land Will be Ours.” from Strangeways Here We Come. It is the perfect album opener, with a galloping rythym and shimmering sense of optimism. And of course, the rediculously long title on an album of great titles including “Stop Me if You’ve Heard This On Before” and “Girlfriend in a Coma.”
“London” would have to be my favorite for the perfect way the insane drums, clapping, and guitar all combine. Just amazing.
“Miserable Lie” is definitely one of my favorites! i love how the music just picks up & goes crazy after such a slow and soothing introduction!! :)
My favorite is “Bigmouth Strikes Again”. Everyone in the group was showcased, and Johnny Marr KILLED on that track. Also, the lyrics were hilarious, as always!
“The Queen Is Dead”–an epic digression with the most aggressive, tribal, percussive start the Smiths have ever employed. Morrissey’s acrobatic wordplay and delivery gives the track angular dexterity, and Marr’s guitar lines weave, scratch, and jar to perfection.
“How Soon Is Now?” is my favorite. It’s Swamp Bo Diddley guitar riff with its massive tremolo effect is mesmerizing and the lyrics is something most at that age could identify with – alienation, social shyness, but Morrissey elevates it to high drama. Marr and the rest of the band creates the atmosphere to their perhaps most memorable riff.
“This Charming Man” simply because I would go out tonight
But I haven’t got a stitch to wear!
Favorite song: Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me because… like me,
“the story is old-I KNOW But it goes on…And on”
Sweet & Tender Holligan – I find myself whistling this song whenever my 3 yr old son and his 3 yr old cousin, are running around the house getting in trouble.
‘hand in glove’:
London, 1983…i went to see the go-betweens with a little known support group called the smiths…’hand in glove’ was a phenom and a revelation…the rest is history!
Definitely “Cemetery Gates”. It showcased the clever-yet-meaningful lyricism that Morrissey was so good at penning and singing.
Only The Smiths could have made such a catchy and memorable tune about life and death, and philosophy come out of such an odd juxtaposition of ideas and pop music idioms.
“Death of a disco dancer” I could laugh and cry at the beauty of that song. I never want it to end when I play it.
My favorite Smiths song (at the moment) would be “Half a Person”. I love the melody, the lyrics, the arrangement, etc. Morrissey sucks you in with the story and the music is perfection. A great example of a band even greater than the sum of it’s amazingly talented parts. “Headmaster Ritual” would maybe be second. They just have so many to love!
I’ll take “Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want,” a B-side Morrissey once called “the quintessential Smiths’ song.” Under most circumstances, a twenty five-year old pleading “For once in my life, let me get what I want/Lord knows, it would be the first time” would be an exercise in spoiled, pretentious self-pity. Yet Morrissey’s earnest delivery sells his missive completely. He’s the poet laureate of every insecure narcissist who wallowed in melancholy, who went out to clubs but always went home alone, who cried and wanted to die, who nonetheless insisted that “my faith in love was still devout” — in a phrase, a typical teenager.
“What She Said”. Why? Basically because in 1990 I was a pretty typical- yet completely awesome nerd.. rebelling against the world.. I claimed Meat to be Murder (and became a vegan), dressed all in black (luckily never joined a cult- although that was the prediction of many), and started smoking (not so proud of that one)- when anyone asked why I smoked, I’d simply say, “cuz I’m hoping for an early death and I need to cling to something”…sometimes I would also add- “The devil will find work for idle hands to do” for giggles (mine). (Praise The Smiths -for helping a little Camus carrying nerd become a hot Camus carrying bad ass b.) ;)
“Stop Me If You Think You’ve Heard This One Before”. This is the only one I request at the clubs. I just love to sing it out loud, with drink in hand, where one usually becomes four & then I drink some more.
My favorite is Reel Around the Fountain, the original Troy Tate session version. Lyrically its his closest moment to being Tennessee Williams.
There is a Light That Never Goes Out – it’s taken several meanings over my life and the last one was by far the most heart-wrenching episode of my life. Yes, my heart was broken and this song rang true once again..
My favorite is “How Soon Is Now”. You’ve got to crank that guitar riff!
Half a Person – “And if you have five seconds to spare/Then I’ll tell you the story of my life/Sixteen, clumsy and shy…”, *was* the story of my life.
“Paint a Vulgar Picture”. This song is just a small defining of what the Smiths are all about…
Shoplifters of the World Unite – There is a haunting feel to it. It sounds like a call to arms for those who feel disenfranchised by the world.
While it’s difficult to pick just one, I have to go with “London.” Its aggressive, driving beat showcases the musical complexity of the Smiths, something that Morrissey’s (often very good) solo work has never matched. The narrative also reflects the band’s northern/Manchester roots and taps into the universal feelings of uncertainty and conflicting desires.
All right, time’s up. Contest is now closed and winner will be notified via e-mail. But most importantly, thank you all for entering and sharing your Smiths memories and stories…
Who won the Smiths box set???
I selected a winner last week and have messaged that person multiple times. Still haven’t heard back, and, at a certain point in the future, if haven’t heard back, I will pick a different winner…
“Vicar in a Tutu” Whenever anyone mocks Morrissey as being mopey and humorless, I always point them to this song, which was one of the first Smiths songs I’d ever heard (so I always thought they were a pretty funny band).
“As Rose collects the money in the canister/
Who comes sliding down the banister”….
“some girls are bigger than others” maybe johnny’s best guitar work, that outro is probably my favorite minute in all music.
Please please let me get what I want. Heard it at the end if a John Hughes movie . It changed my life. Still does today
The boy with a thorn in his side is one of my favorites.Just has a good over all riff and reminded me of a few pains in my sides growing up
My favorite Smith’s song is “Asleep”, although, funny thing is, I don’t listen to it very often…
“Asleep” was included on the first Smiths album I owned, “Louder Than Bombs”. My Mom bought me that album on request for Christmas one year and it had always been a favorite. I loved that song. There were nights where I would listen to it over and over. As time went on, and my Smiths collection grew, “Asleep” kind of fell of my heavy rotation of Smith’s tracks.
Fast forward to four years later. My musical tastes had grown and there was less emphasis on The Smiths and my attention went to Morrissey’s solo career. At the time I was a senior in high school. It was early November and my best friend, Chris, had just passed away unexpectedly.
On the way to Chris’ memorial service I was riding with a two friends to see Chris for the last time and pay our respects. I was sitting in the back seat of my friend’s red Jeep Cherokee, by myself, and one of my other friends had put on a mix tape (remember those?!) of songs and “Asleep” came on just as we rode up to the cemetery where the memorial service was being held. I had almost forgotten about “Asleep”. Instead of “falling apart” and crying my eyes out, I felt peace and comfort. I just sat there and listened to the song – and it was almost like it was the first time I had heard ever it. It was strange, a song like that and it actually made me feel better. It made me reflect on the time I had spent with my best friend. I was able to really appreciate the time we had together and realize that sometimes it’s just time for someone “to go” for whatever reason.
To this day I don’t listen to “Asleep” very often. It isn’t because it makes me sad or drudges up bad memories; though it does take me right back to that moment in the back seat of my friend’s car driving through the cemetery from time to time (it’s funny how a memory of a moment in time can imprint itself on a song so clearly that you can see it in you mind like you’re there, in that moment again). For me, “Asleep” is a song that’s always been reserved for certain times in my life. Somehow, it always seems to be played at just the right moment, when I need a little peace and comfort.
…And it’s a pretty song ;-)
last night i dreamt that somebody loved me is my favorite smiths song. it rips my heart out every time i listen to it. moz is a poet.
I love them all but since I can only pick one, I’ll say Half A Person.
Out of more than 1,000 entries, the randomly selected winner of The Smiths’ Complete box set is… Jerome Stockham. Thank you all so much for entering, and, most importantly, sharing your great stories about The Smiths. They’ve been a blast to read.
Without a doubt my favorite all time Smiths single would have to be Bigmouth Strikes Again !!!! “And now I know how Joan of Arc felt…”
MY FAVORITE SONG IS MEAT IS MURDER FOR IT LYRICS & HAUNTING MUSIC
Headmaster Ritual-The sound, the lyrics, it’s the whole package. One of the best.
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