To some extent the lyrics of “Half a Person” don’t make chronological sense, as they jump from the vocalist, who is “16, clumsy and shy” as well as seemingly impoverished in the chorus, to...
“Rubber Ring” is a humbling Smiths’ experience, as the addressee would apparently be someone who has grown so successful or wise in their own eyes that they have forgotten their sentimental roots. So Morrissey’s...
The phrase which makes up the title of this song (“Stop Me If You Think You’ve Heard This One Before”) is another way of letting someone know that you’re about to tell a story,...
Sometimes a person’s life can be met with so much misfortune that they may feel that the universe itself is against them. Some of us also have a tendency to blow bad luck, if...
The story behind The Smiths’ “Panic” is that its writing was spurred by what is commonly known as the Chernobyl disaster, i.e. that harrowing nuclear accident which occurred in the Soviet Union in 1986. Said...
The “Shelia” referred to in the Smiths’ “Sheila Take a Bow” is actually Shelagh Delaney (1938-2011), a notable mid-20th century English writer. Her signature work is a well-known play titled A Taste of Honey (1958), and it...
From the onset of “Life is a Pigsty”, we find Morrissey talking to someone whose identity we don’t know. But in the first verse, we get to know that he is actually making a...
The Smiths were only around for a short time during the 1980s but left a lasting impression on the British music scene especially. It can be said that their heyday was during an era when...
“Girl Afraid” happens to be one of my favorite songs by The Smiths. The lyrics are about a person whose insecurities prevent them from really knowing that the person they love loves them back....
“Back to the Old House” is undoubtedly one of The Smiths’ most melancholic tracks. The band’s discography is rife with melancholic songs but this one takes the melancholy a notch higher. Morrissey is able...
