Love him or loathe him , the man is a genius

I played this at work at our animation studio and the look on one innocent animator's face of "please turn that off right now". was unforgettable. Like a "smith" from the trades, The Smiths honed melancholy with precision.

Morrissey said this track was about a man coming to the end of his life reflecting on the chances and mistakes he had made in his life

I put the smiths alongside the Beatles in greatness. Morrissey alongside Dylan, absolutely astounding band. Thank you for making my life make sense. I won't share you.

You'd have to be a monster to not be moved by this song.

Oh mother I can feel... the soil falling over my head. Enough said.

This song will save your life at your lowest point.

"Well I Wonder" would be a good one to do

Greatest band ever I recommend “What Difference does it make” by the smiths

I really wish I could have the pleasure of listening to ‘The Smiths’ for very first time again; hearing them for the first time is an incredibly special experience- but saying that, every time I listen to them, it feels like the very first time, all over again. I’m so glad that new people are still discovering, and appreciating them, and their genius; they weren’t around long, but my god, they made a lasting impression on music that many, more well known bands, only wish they could achieve. They also have probably the greatest B-Side catalogues of any band in the history of music; seriously, listen to ‘Louder Than Bombs’, which is compilation of singles and most of the B-Sides that had been released up until that point (but not in the US, I think), and you’ll see what I mean. I have many favourites on ‘Louder than Bombs’, but if you want sadness akin to ‘I know it’s over’, listen to ‘Asleep’; it’s one of their greatest songs- and one of the greatest songs of all time, in my humble opinion, and absolutely heartbreakingly beautiful. They have a lot of lighter, more upbeat, funny songs too, aren’t just a band that are sad, or “miserable”, as some people have characterised ‘The Smiths’ as being; there is also a lot of tongue in cheek humour to them too, which they fuse brilliantly with some of their more pop-infused songs. I mean, in their third studio album, which is both called ‘The Queen is Dead’, and also begins with a song which has that title, features the lines: “So, I broke into the palace With a sponge and a rusty spanner She said : "Eh, I know you, and you cannot sing" I said : "That's nothing - you should hear me play piano" ‘The Queen is Dead’ also features songs with titles such as: ‘Vicar in a Tutu’, and ‘Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others’, as well one called ‘Frankly, Mr. Shankly’, which is also more upbeat, and funny. So it’s not all doom and gloom, as some would have you believe...though, I must say, I really do love their sad, maudlin, introspective songs haha. But, to be honest, when it comes to ‘The Smiths’, you can’t go wrong with any of their songs; the ones I’ve mentioned here are just to give you a taster of a fraction of their greatness. I haven’t even mentioned the majesty of: ‘There is a Light That Never Goes Out’, and ‘How Soon Is Now’, which are two of their most well known, and beloved songs, that most people have heard of, even if they don’t know who ‘The Smiths’ are. Particularly ‘How Soon Is Now’, which you might know as the intro to the TV show ‘Charmed’- well the original series anyway- I don’t know if they kept it for the reboot; it’s an ok cover of song, but the original by Then Smiths’ just blows it out of the water, in my opinion- other opinions are available, but in this instance, they’d be wrong haha. Anyway, I best leave it there, before this actually becomes the length of ‘War and Peace’- though that ship probably sailed several paragraphs ago haha. As anyone who reads this can probably tell, I could talk ‘The Smiths’ for days, without getting bored; there is just something amazing about them- an undefinable feeling, which hooks you when you first listen to them, and doesn’t let you go...not that you would ever want to go. Not only is it great that people are still discovering them, but I love the fact that they are passing it on to people who may not have heard of them; or people who have heard a bit about them, but only know ‘The Smiths’ as that “miserable band from Manchester”- which is lies and slander haha. Keep up the good work; in my opinion, the world can never have enough fans of ‘The Smiths’. 😀👍

“It takes strength to be gentle and kind”

Gorgeous gorgeous song

A time when artists used real human emotion in songs. RIP the 80' and 90s.

Amazing to see people react to a song I've been familiar with for ages...please explore all their catalogue includ ing Moz solo. It's fantastic. No, it's not all depressing. You chose to hear their most depressing one!!! Way to go!

Sometimes we want to be someone we are not. Sometimes anxiety and depression can make us feel like we are drowning. Sometimes our egos are bigger than us. When you are young 13-18 back in the 80’s this song meant a lot more to people than it does now. It was a song for that generation.

One of the best bands ever! Try rubber ring, you just haven’t earned it yet baby, rusholme ruffians, bigmouth strikes again, please please let me get what I want, this charming man, stop me if you’ve heard this one before, there is s light that never goes out, all great songs.... so many more!!!

Funny comments. I was 17/18 when The Smiths started off, and took me a year back then to get into them. The running joke were that they were depressing even in the UK. Superb band.

I used to cry to this song about twenty years ago, had a Spanish 'friend' and despite her flirtyness, it was not reciprocated when I fancied the hell out of her. I would spend night after night at her place - invited to do so, and I would drive back from her place only to stop at "Bargain Booze" to pick up a 24 pack of Kroonenberg with tears rolling down my face. Anyway, lovely stuff.

"Please please please let let let me get what i want" and "I started something i couldn't finish".

This is a heavy Smiths song for the first one you've heard

The live version of this on RANK is even better, you can here him bleeding when hes singing it, very powerful stuff.

Best band ever!

Fucking amazing song

The Smiths is not ALL depressing. But there are a lot of songs that are pretty depressing. And in fact, most of the songs cover this same feeling of isolation and lack of love. Theyre not all in first person. And in many cases the music is more upbeat despite the truly depressing lyrics.

this is the one... when you say you've never listened to the smiths before. I dunno but I think you really like the band now haha :) this is, probably, their most intense ballad, devastantingly beautiful, to his mom and to himself, obviously. and the lyrics... oh lord. on the album, the queen is dead, this song is followed by "had never one ever". for years and years that was like "the story of my life" ;) and then I got very very old. and married :D

Most influential band of the 80s alongside Joy Division/New Order ... add Depeche Mode, the Jam/Style Council and the Cure and you have a pantheon of alt music from Britain right there !

brilliant Nick, Brilliant

3:10 it always hit me :-(

For a completely different feeling try listening to “London” or “Sweet and Tender Hooligan” which both show their much harder edge.

Weird Smiths song to start with. Try: There Is A Light That Never Goes Out, This Charming Man, How Soon Is Now, Half a Person, Bigmouth Strikes Again or (very underrated I think:) Cemetry Gates. Will watch, good start.

Combined with the next track, "Never Loved No One Ever", I defy anyone to listen to Side A of "The Queen Is Dead" and come out in a cheerful mood. Just can't be done. Another dimension of The Smiths is that Morrissey gives equal time to lampooning his own melodrama and depression. It's an interesting exercise to tell which songs are which.

This song on the live album rank is just to good to believe

Its not desperate and lonely listen to the few lines of enlightenment ...."love is natural and real" ... "its so easy to laugh its so easy to hate it takes strengh to gentle and kind ....when youre lost in hell this is all you need to know to keep swallowing shit ...somewhere love is real ... greatness and strength are the meek the gentle and kind ...no matter what tale horror and fear try to spin us .... love is natural ...love is real ... just cause its not for us we cant not stop being the strength and the kindness even if we are being buried by hate and fear ... there is a light that never goes out !

"Ask" and "This Charming Man" are much more upbeat songs that are also two of The Smiths' classics.

It's dry wit thats whats makes the smiths great.

I think you would like Lovelyhead by Goldfrapp

"Half a person"

I have never interpreted The Smiths as depressing, introspective & sometimes despondent yes but never depressive, I hear a lot of self deprecation & humour

Please react to The Cure - Lament.

Você curte música gótica e darkwave? ouça a dupla italiana The Frozen Autumn, donos de um estilo tão peculiar que adjetivaram o proprio nome para o estilo " frozen wave"

Morrissey has identified as Asexual his entire life, I imagine that's contributed to his struggle to form relationships