Favourite Smiths lyric - and why.....
Posted by: hungryhalibut on 25 November 2014
I'm sure there are many fans of the best band ever, who would like to contribute their favourite lyrics. Mine is a section from How Soon Is Now:
There's a club if you'd like to go
You might meet somebody who really loves you
So you go, and you stand on your own
And you leave on your own
And you go home
And you cry
And you want to die
It sums up perfectly a time in my life when I was always hoping to meet that somebody. And the person who I thought was that somebody never was. It all worked out wonderfully in the end, but I still love those lines.
What are yours?
"Its gruesome that someone so handsome should care"
"Punctured bicycle on a hillside, desolate" - that has to be one of the most evocative opening lines ever.
But I haven't got a stitch to wear...'
+1, reminds me of being 15 yo.
HDTracks has "The Smiths Complete" -- sounds like a good place to start.
I remember starting with a copy of a compilation, and then just bought everything I could find. once I had all the cds I bought everything in vinyl, then started buying singles, then 12" singles.
As mentioned, there really isn't a bad song. People will disagree about which is the best album, but in fairness thay are all superb. I go through phases of preferring earlier stuff, then the later albums.
Once you have listened to the Smiths, then you can buy Morrisseys solo efforts. Although not as universally great, he has made somer terrific albums. And then you can look for, Johnny Marr's post Smiths work.
"Hand in glove
The sun shines out of our behinds...."
For all it's rawness, I love the first album.
It brings back great memories of going to see them at the Tower Ballroom, Birmingham in 1983.
(the same tour as you, HH)
The floor was a proper sprung dance floor and a real weird feeling being in a mass of people bouncing up and down at the gig.
Hand In Glove was my fave track at the time.
I've just looked that up. It only has 40 tracks, so is far from complete. It's the box set of 2011 remasters that you want, which contains 8 albums in replica sleeves, with great sound quality. If you want just one album, start with The Queen is Dead, which is widely acknowledged by Smiths fans as their best. Rank, a recording of one of their very last concerts, will give you an idea of the live experience, albeit without the stage invasions.
Ahh -- HDTracks "Complete" is just the first 4 studio albums of 2011 remasters. The "Complete" box set on Amazon is 8 cd's, 2011 remasters, with the replica sleeves. Only $66.00 for the box set on Amazon.
"Hand in glove
The sun shines out of our behinds...."
For all it's rawness, I love the first album.
It brings back great memories of going to see them at the Tower Ballroom, Birmingham in 1983.
(the same tour as you, HH)
The floor was a proper sprung dance floor and a real weird feeling being in a mass of people bouncing up and down at the gig.
Hand In Glove was my fave track at the time.
The good life is out there somewhere
so stay on my arm, you little charmer.
But I haven't got a stitch to wear...'
+1, reminds me of being 15 yo.
Reminds me of being 45 yo
too many to choose but these lines always gets a smile from the queen is dead
I know you and you cannot sing, thats nothing you should hear me play the paino !
or , Charles dont you ever crave to apear on the front of the daily mail dressed in your mothers bridal veil,,
I have been giving this some thought since Nigel started the thread.
Its to hard to pick a favourite.
Far to many classics to choose from.
I just wish they would bring out the vinyl box set again for normal money.
no bad ones really …with Johnnys guitar work all very lovely . i loved photographing them live and did the Queen is dead sleeve - 29 years ago this week
sjw,
Do you know Roger S Atkins from those early Smiths days ?
It's time the tale were told
Of how you took a child
And you made him old
You made him old
Reel around the fountain
Slap me on the patio....
It was Xmas 1983 and I was listening to John Peels Festive Fifty when the above came on and it was my first acquaintance with the Smiths.
Ray