Contests — September 12, 2011 at 3:01 pm

Contest: Win The Smiths ‘Complete’ box set — 8 CDs, 8 LPs, 25 7-inches, 1 DVD and more

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.

 

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1,039 Comments

  1. “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”.

  2. Amanda Mitchell

    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

  3. Drew Stapelkamp

    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.

  4. There Is A Light That Never Goes Out. It saved my life. It’s also the only tattoo I have.

  5. Kenn Durrence

    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.

  6. 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.

  7. “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…

  8. MY FAVORITE SMITHS SONG IS “LONDON”, CAUSE i LOVE THE RHYTYM ON THAT ONE..

  9. Simply for the irony..

    “Re-package ! Re-package ! Re-evaluate the songs. Double-pack with a photograph. Extra Track (and a tacky badge)”..

  10. David Atteberry

    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.

  11. Maxxwell McGuire

    “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.

  12. “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.

  13. 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 :)

  14. This Charming Man – great guitar riff by Johnny Marr

  15. There’s A Light That Never Goes Out – I love that song, mostly due to the lyrics and the excellent melody!

  16. Eric Benjamin

    What Difference Does It Make? Very first Smiths song I ever heard. Still love it.

  17. The INCREDIBLE HULK

    Girlfriend in a coma, because sometimes I wish mine was. jk

  18. 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!

  19. Dara Giannotti

    “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 :)

  20. 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!

  21. “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!

  22. 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!

  23. “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.

  24. 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.

  25. “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?”

  26. 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.

  27. 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.

  28. Hand in Glove. Just because of the line “the sun shines out of our behinds.”

  29. “Asleep.” Reminds me of late nights at the college radio station, circa 1988/1989…

  30. HANDS DOWN: There’s A Light That Never Goes Out. Life changing when I heard Morrissey sing it live.

  31. “Oscillating Wildly”, actually. I love B-Sides.

  32. John Melandro

    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!

  33. “Girl Afraid” – It’s a fast, compact, dark tune with an amazing guitar riff.

  34. “How Soon Is Now” is still my favorite: the hypnotic Bo Diddley influence wedded to Moz’ pale croon is the quintessential Smiths track.

  35. “Girlfriend In A Coma”. For me, that song perfectly encapsulates the band’s mordant sense of humor and theatricality.

  36. 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

  37. 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!

  38. George Flanagan

    “This Night Has Opened My Eyes” is an underrated gem. Beautiful melody, heartbreaking lyrics, and an undeniable ambiance.

  39. Stop Me If You Think That You’ve Heard This One Before because it has a great intro.

  40. Panic because it was the first Smiths song I remember hearing and obsessing over.

  41. Sweet And Tender Hooligan – Nothing beats the feeling of singing “Ecetera” at the top of your lungs while driving!

  42. 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!

  43. 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.

  44. 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…

  45. ‘Unlovable’ – I wear black on the outside because black is how I feel in the inside…

  46. “Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now”

  47. “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…

  48. Rushholme Ruffians – because after listening to this song with a girl I was in love with, she wrote my name on her arm.

  49. For today, GF in a COMA. This will change daily. Love the vocals, harmonies, and the length.

  50. I know It’s Over. It’s my show stopper on the Queen is Dead.

  51. 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?!

  52. “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!

  53. It’s a dead tie between Hand in Glove and The Boy with the Thorn in His Side.

  54. “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.

  55. “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”?

  56. “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.

  57. A Rush and A Push holds a special place. It’s the first Smiths I was really aware of.

  58. “There Is A Light That Never Goes Out,” because the chorus is heaven.

  59. I always loved This Charming Man. The guitar intro is incredibly fun to play, and i love how slyly self-deprecating the song is.

  60. Scott Hamilton

    “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.

  61. 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.

  62. 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.”

  63. elizabeth powell

    “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.

  64. 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.”

  65. 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.

  66. John Washburne

    “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.

  67. The Queen is Dead. The outro on the title track is sheer heaven.

  68. “That Joke Isn’t Funny Anymore” because it wasn’t. Such a stark and beautiful song.

  69. “Cemetry Gates” Pure poetry with classic references combined with a sublime guitar line. This is Morrissey/Marr at their peak.

  70. 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.

  71. I’m going to have to go with “I Know It’s Over”. My favorite mopey song from high school.

  72. I Know It’s Over

  73. …”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.

  74. 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.

  75. “how soon is now” because it is timeless.

  76. “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.

  77. I Know It’s Over
    It expresses heartbreak the way no one ever wants to admit it to themselves

  78. Cemetry Gates. What other band can pack that much funny/sad/clever into less than 3 minutes of musical perfection?

  79. 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. …

  80. Cemetery Gates
    Fav & Great song!

  81. ‘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?

  82. 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.

  83. “Bigmouth Strikes Again” always instantly takes me back to the club at which i was djing in 1986…

  84. “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.

  85. 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.

  86. “The Boy With a Thorn in His Side”, it just feels like it was written about me, cause no one ever believed me. ;)

  87. 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.

  88. 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.

  89. “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.

  90. Brian Bourguignon

    “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……….

  91. 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!

  92. 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.

  93. Meat Is Murder lead-off track, “The Headmaster Ritual”. The first Smiths album I owed – and still my favorite!

  94. “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.

  95. “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.

  96. 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.

  97. Robert Airoldi

    “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.

  98. Bigmouth Strikes Again: My sister used to give me tapes when I was younger and this was the first Smiths track I heard.

  99. So many to choose from, so many favorites, but if I must choose one it is “Girl Afraid”.

  100. “Oscillate Wildly” Great guitar work by Marr. A wonderful instrumental.

  101. Edward Edwards

    “Unloveable” as it was first dedicated to me by a drug addled boyfriend in my teens. Awww…

  102. Charlie warren

    There is a light (and it never goes out)

  103. 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!

  104. 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.”

  105. Anthony Lovato

    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!

  106. Sweet and Tender Hooligan, raucous guitar and great lyrics like “in the midst of life we are in death etc”

  107. “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.

  108. “Handsome Devil” because it’s so goddamn sexy.

  109. “This Charming Man,” wherein Morrissey and Marr reinvent the guitar pop single for a new generation.

  110. 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.

  111. Always loved ‘The Queen is Dead’, especially for its humor and irony.

  112. Bigmouth Strikes Again-Is full of energy and makes me want to spin in my black trench coat and beret.

  113. 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. : )

  114. christina laramee

    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.

  115. Michael Fellows

    Death At One’s Elbow. Because everyone hates it & a songs needs a Glen every now and then!

  116. “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.

  117. Joy LeMasters

    “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?

  118. 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.

  119. Golden Lights, totally unique sounds.

  120. 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. :-)

  121. “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.”

  122. 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.”

  123. “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?

  124. Panic! Love that song so much.

  125. How Soon is Now?

  126. “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.

  127. 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 !!!!!

  128. 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.

  129. 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.

  130. “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.

  131. Michael Toland

    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.

  132. My favorite is “Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want” because it reminds me of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off!

  133. “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.

  134. Joan Hutchings

    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.

  135. 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.

  136. “Unloveable” – Spoke volumes to me then, and still does.

  137. ‘How Soon Is Now’ – because it’s one of the songs i remember was playing when I lost my virginity. Oh the irony.

  138. ‘Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now’. It is the life-theme song for me and my wife. We know it well.

  139. 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.

  140. Girlfriend in a coma.
    It’s serious ;}

  141. 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.

  142. Chris Underwood

    “Unlovable” because it spoke to me at the time.

  143. 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.

  144. Favorite Smiths’ song: This Charming Man

    Will forever remind me of my teenage years, where I fancied myself as a bit of a charmer :)

  145. 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.

  146. 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…

  147. “Cemetry Gates”. Not only is it just a lovely song, but the lyrics are wonderful. How could you not love how Morrissey says “Wilde”?

  148. 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.

  149. Death Of A Disco Dancer. Smiths at their peak. It sounds like nothing else. And Morrissey plays pianer.

  150. stop me if you’ve heard this one before because the video is awesome.

  151. “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.”

  152. “how soon is now” because it was the soundtrack to my youth!

  153. “Oscillate Wildly,” a Smiths instrumental!

  154. Rubber Ring. Because songs about songs seem to make Morrissey happy — and a happy Moz is such a rare thing.

  155. 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.

  156. 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.

  157. Rodney Wilhite

    “This Night Has Opened My Eyes”

  158. Matthew Crocker

    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.

  159. “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!

  160. 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.

  161. Christian Solorzano

    Unloveable, because it’s simple and straight to the point.

  162. shoplifters of the world unite because if i don’t win, i will be forced to steal.

  163. “Some girls are bigger than others” Brings back so many college memories!

  164. “Cemetry Gates”…because it reminds of those terrible/wonderful teenage years.

  165. 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.

  166. 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.

  167. 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..

  168. 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.

  169. Felicia Blankenship

    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.

  170. 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.

  171. “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!)

  172. “I want the one I can’t have” -This song was the story of my life. I was very mad for a long time.

  173. “This Charming Man” if for nothing more than that opening riff…brilliance.

  174. There’s a light that never goes out

  175. “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…=)

  176. Jessica Orlandi

    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!

  177. “Still Ill” because it says a lot to and about me.

  178. Please please please, let me get what i want (like a boxed set of Smiths albums)/Lord knows it would be the first time…

  179. “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!

  180. Sarah Souders

    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.

  181. 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.

  182. 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”!)

  183. Crystal Jillson

    Big Mouth Strikes Again (love it because i have such a big mouth lol ) and it strikes quiet often =]

  184. James Williams

    Boy with the thorn is his side, because it is the perfect example of teen love awkwardness

  185. 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.

  186. “Sweet and Tender Hooligan” For my two year old daughter, Penelope Switchblade (real name!). She is my sweet little hooligan and always will be!

  187. “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.

  188. 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.

  189. 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.

  190. This charming man, reminds me of love and my bf

  191. Mozzie Starlet

    “There is a light that never goes out” because whether you’re 15 or 40, the lyrics still strike at the heart of you.

  192. 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)..

  193. Kelly McElroy

    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.

  194. reel around the fountain –
    slap me on the patio
    I’ll take it now
    Fifteen minutes with you
    well, I wouldn’t say no

  195. 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.

  196. Kristin Hopkins

    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.

  197. 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.

  198. have to pick “How Soon Is Now”, just sounds so much more badass than anything else they recorded.

  199. Martin Castro

    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.

  200. “Frankly, Mr. Shankley” – the most funny, true, and polite way to summarize my academic and professional life experiences through my 20’s…

  201. “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.

  202. “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.

  203. the hand that rocks the cradle, this song reminds me of my son who i rarely see, word i wish i could tell him….

  204. “Well I Wonder”, because it was always there for me when I needed it from High School all the way till now. . .

  205. “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.

  206. Teresa McGinnis

    “Big Mouth Strikes Again” Brilliant lyrics and music. Wonderfully fantastic track.

  207. 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.

  208. 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.

  209. Ian Christensen

    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!

  210. Miss Unloveable

    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..

  211. steven savage

    “Stretch out and wait” You have no idea how interesting it is to hear Moz sing the line, “God how sex implores you…”

  212. “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.

  213. 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.

  214. Jesse Bartmess

    “Miserable Lie” is by far my favorite song by The Smiths!

  215. “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.

  216. “hand in glove” being content with who and what you have, not worrying about what others feel or think about you.

  217. Raymond Sarinana

    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.

  218. “rusholme ruffians,” because the music and lyrics combine to make you FEEL the atmosphere of that wonderful and terrible night at the fair.

  219. 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…

  220. sergio mayorga

    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.

  221. 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

  222. There is a Light that Never Goes Out..the ultimate love song

  223. Steve Marauder

    ‘Stop me if you think that you’ve heard this one before’ because “nothing’s changed, I still love you….”

  224. ‘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.

  225. “This Charming Man”…Love the haunting Morrissey vocals!

  226. Katherine luttrell

    I am a HUGE fan of both The Smiths and Oscar Wilde, thus my favorite song is Cemetary Gates.

  227. “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”?

  228. “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.

  229. 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.

  230. “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.

  231. “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!

  232. 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.

  233. “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.

  234. “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!

  235. “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.

  236. Dolores garcia

    Sing your life… it reminds me of my brother when we were younger n used to dance to it now he’s far away

  237. “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”

  238. 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.

  239. 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. :)

  240. 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

  241. James Byron Wood

    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.

  242. 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

  243. 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.

  244. 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!

  245. 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.

  246. “The Headmaster ritual” is my favorite! Amazing jam with poinant lyrics and one of the most soulfull choruses in music! Love it!

  247. 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…

  248. “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.

  249. 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.

  250. Jennifer Garcia

    “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.

  251. 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.

  252. “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.

  253. 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.

  254. 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.

  255. “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.

  256. “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.

  257. Panic. A brilliant statement on pop culture and those who consume it. Becomes ever more true as time goes by.

  258. “Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me” – Haven’t we all, really?

  259. 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.

  260. Gabriela Marin

    “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! >.<

  261. Gabriela Marin

    “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! >.<

  262. 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.

  263. “This Charming Man”- one of the greatest opening guitar runs EVER.

  264. Barbarism Begins At Home for the bass jam.

  265. “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.

  266. “Asleep.” Nothing like the uplifting words of the Smiths!

  267. “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…

  268. “Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now.” So many wonderful little jokes, and a heartbreaking Marr melody.

  269. I Know It’s Over

    It touches on the loneliness that is deep in my heart.

  270. 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.

  271. “Unloveable” because I used to wear black on the outside because black was how I felt on the inside.

  272. 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.”

  273. “What She Said”…I love how raw the version on “Rank” is.

  274. Michelina Kimmel

    My favorite song is Cemetery Gates, I love the line “all those people, all those lives, where are they now?”. I wonder the same.

  275. 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.

  276. Death of a Disco Dancer. BOOM

  277. “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 ;-)

  278. “I Know It’s Over” The first song I can remember listening to and thinking, “Holy shit I finally get it.”

  279. 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.

  280. David Errington

    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.

  281. “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.

  282. 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.

  283. 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.

  284. there is a light that never goes out…. i think it relates to everyone who has found that special someone in their life.

  285. Stop Me If You Think You’ve Heard This One Before. Because I never, I never.

  286. 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

  287. “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.

  288. “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.

  289. ‘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.

  290. “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.

  291. There is a light that never goes out – most romantic song ever written

  292. 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.

  293. 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.

  294. “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.

  295. “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.)

  296. AndyTheCureFan

    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.

  297. THIS CHARMING MAN
    Just because that’s the story of my life…

  298. 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

  299. “The Hand That Rocks The Cradle” because it is scary and sweet and the sound of meloncholy incarnate. A beautifully performed piece of music.

  300. 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.

  301. “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.

    • Ray Shackleford

      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.

  302. ASK because if it’s not love then it’s the bomb that will bring us together.

  303. “That Joke Isn’t Funny Anymore” is my favorite, such great lyrics!

  304. 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.

  305. “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

  306. Ask, always been the best. Epic

  307. Steve Poholski

    Golden Lights. Love the Interplay between Morrissey and Kirsty

  308. “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.

  309. 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.

  310. 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

  311. Asleep has always been a favorite.

  312. …”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.

  313. Ramon Bonales

    ‘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!

  314. There is a light that Never Goes Out….

    Makes me feel at peace….

  315. 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.

  316. 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

  317. Michael Schlomer

    “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?’

  318. 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…

  319. “Unloveable” – Because I am. You don’t have to tell me.

  320. Headmaster’s ritual – Marr’s best playing.

  321. “There Is A Light That Never Goes Out”. A song that expresses in the darkest but strongest way how much I love my wife.

  322. Cemetery Gates!

  323. 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.

  324. 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.

  325. 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”.

  326. “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.

  327. Cary Christopher

    “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!

  328. “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…

  329. Handsome Devil—”There’s more to life than books, you know, but not much more”, after all.

  330. “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.

  331. 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.

  332. “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.

  333. Panic – every time this song comes on, we shake it down real good.

  334. “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.

  335. “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.

  336. 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.

  337. Asleep – Eerily beautiful!

  338. 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*

  339. London – Because it showed the band could slice into Punk just as easily as Indie Pop.

  340. 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.

  341. “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!

  342. Michael Wooley

    “Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want” why is it my favorite?: because Lord knows it would be the first time. :)

  343. Michael Wooley

    … winning a contest that is. ;)

  344. “How Soon Is Now” because it brings you to a certain place and time – like a time machine.

  345. the oscillating guitar effect!

  346. 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.

  347. “there is a light that never goes out” Johnny Marr’s songwriting on this one is sublime

  348. Sheila Take a Bow….”Boot the grime of this world in the crotch, dear” ….Because We Must!

  349. 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.

  350. “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.

  351. “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.

  352. “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.

  353. ‘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

  354. terry skarbalus

    unhappy birthday – it really spoke to me after a break-up

  355. “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!

  356. “Please please please let me get what I want”. The Smiths were great stripped down, too.

  357. 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.

  358. “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.

  359. 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.

  360. 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…

  361. kathleine gavin

    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!

  362. “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

  363. “Panic” because I used to DJ and I’m a masochist (:

  364. “Everyday is Like Sunday” bc no matter who sings it, whether it is Morrissey or someone covering it, it is gorgeous.

  365. “I Know it’s Over” because no other song to date has ever fueled my melancholy more than that one.

  366. 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.

  367. 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.

  368. You Just Haven’t Earned It Yet, Baby – One of my favs because of the fantastic guest vocals from Kirsty MacColl.

  369. 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.

  370. “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

  371. “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.

  372. “What Difference Does It Make” – Great lyrics, Great memories of a wonderful time in my life. Thank you Morrissey and Marr!

  373. well i wonder

  374. 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.

  375. Girlfriend in a Coma because it just brings back so many fond memories.

  376. “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.

  377. 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.

  378. 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.

  379. “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.

  380. 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.

  381. 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!!!

  382. “Stop Me If You Think…” because of the brilliant lyrics.

  383. ‘Vicar in a tutu’. I love every component of this song and it’s off of the wonderful The Queen Is Dead.

  384. 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

  385. 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.

  386. andrew hapeman

    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”…

  387. ‘Cemetery Gates’. Probably the first song from them i was exposed to. Loved the literary references, the sense of humour.

    -G.

  388. “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!

  389. 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.

  390. ” 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.

  391. 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??

  392. 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.

  393. 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.

  394. 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.

  395. 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.

  396. 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”

  397. 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..

  398. and i just realized my lack of coffee made me mispell Morrissey. I am shamed.

  399. LonnieAfterMidnight

    Half A Person … no, London … no, Panic … er … far too many to choose! :)

  400. ‘This Charming Man” because it helped me come to terms with who I am at a very turbulent time in my teenage years

  401. 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.

  402. 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.

  403. Eric Greenwood

    “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.

  404. jeanieforever

    “What difference does it make?” all time fave – it brings the best of each member of the smiths together perfectly.

  405. 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!

  406. I really enjoying getting ready for an evening and listening to “This Charming Man.” There’s just something apropos about it.

  407. 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…

  408. “Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others” taught me everything I needed to know about women.

  409. “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.

  410. “How Soon is Now” — one of the few songs by anyone I will probably never get tired of hearing.

  411. Fav Song is “Ask” still laugh at the line “…writing frightening verse to a buck-tooth girl in Luxemburg…”
    Just a great image!

  412. The Queen is Dead – Opening drums and guitar are just killer.

  413. Suffer little children, this song still brings tears to my eyes

  414. 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.

  415. 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.

  416. 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.

  417. 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…

  418. 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…

  419. 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.

  420. 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”.

  421. 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.

  422. “This Charming Man” – the way the guitars shimmer and jangle at the beginning kills me every time.

  423. “Ask” – fond memories of dancing to that at the ‘alternative’ dance night in town.

  424. 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”!!!!

  425. Big Mouth Strikes Again…love the guitar and the lyrics.

  426. “Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others”!

  427. 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.

  428. 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

  429. 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.

  430. “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.

  431. 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.

  432. 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.

  433. By far “I know its over” Greaty lyrics, greatest guitar riff and definitly one of the longest Smith songs. Please, Please, Please pick me.

  434. 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!

  435. 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.

  436. Sometimes…when I’m washing the dishes…Death Of A Disco Dancer creeps upon me unawares. That’s the one.

  437. 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.

  438. “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…”

  439. 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.

  440. “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.

  441. “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.

  442. Sing your life…………..the music, the lyrics, is such a feel so good about your self song.

  443. “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.

  444. “This Charming Man”, Marr’s perfect guitars with Morrissey’s perfect voice = PERFECTION

  445. 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?”

  446. 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!

  447. 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

  448. “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!!!

  449. “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.

  450. 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.

  451. 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!

  452. “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.

  453. Matthew Castaldo

    “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.

  454. Only one? The Hand That Rocks The Cradle. It’s the story inside the music or is it vice-versa?

  455. 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.

  456. 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.

  457. Jesus Gaxiola

    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…

  458. “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.

  459. “I Know It’s Over”. Brilliant, quintessial Smiths moment of capturing personal doom in a simple, beautiful song.

  460. 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.

  461. Chris Goodwin

    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.

  462. ‘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….

  463. “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!

  464. “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.

  465. 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_

  466. “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.

  467. George Hixson

    “William, It Was Really Nothing,” I just love the sound of all those layered guitar parts.

  468. Hampton Mills

    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.

  469. “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

  470. “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.

  471. “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.

  472. “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.

  473. 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.

  474. “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.

  475. The Hand that Rocks the Cradle-haunting and beautiful and perfect.

  476. Hand In Glove

  477. 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…

  478. 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.

  479. 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).

  480. 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.

  481. Christopher Flagg

    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.

  482. 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.

  483. 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.

  484. “Bigmouth Strikes Again”–stand out guitar work alongside that irresistible, self – loathing croon

  485. James Mondragon

    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.

  486. 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.

  487. Mark Dominesey

    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!

  488. Chester Wallaboo

    “There is a Light That Never Goes Out”
    The melancholic optimism slays me–and the tune is unbeatable!

  489. Jason Slatton

    “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.

  490. “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.

  491. 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!

  492. “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.

  493. 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.

  494. Bigmouth Strikes again….for the tempo, great guitar work and the just wonderful mix.

  495. “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.

  496. “Big Mouth Strikes Again” because it describes so many that “I’ve known.

  497. Jeff Pelletier

    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 .

  498. Eric Alcantara

    There is a Light that never goes out – because my friend Shari and I would sing it to each other at various moments randomly.

  499. Ask. With a little imagination it can be quite a dirty song :)

  500. 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.

  501. 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.

  502. some girls are bigger than others… great song with crazy lyrics

  503. Naomi Gallego

    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.

  504. “Half A Person” – helped me through a time when I felt just like the song’s protagonist.

  505. “asleep” – hauntingly beautiful. Love the piano.

  506. “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 :)

  507. 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.

  508. “There is a Light That Never Goes Out” — Memories of being with a certain boy and never wanting the moment to end.

  509. “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.

  510. 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)