Throwback Thursday--The Smiths

Today, I'm writing about a band that was seriously underrated and never achieved the wide recognition in the United States that they deserved.


The Smiths came out of the British punk rock scene it the 80's and turned the genre upside down. The lead singer went by the singular name, Morrissey. Morrissey had a beautiful and unusual singing voice that was not easily forgotten. He also was an incredible lyricist--Noel Gallagher of Oasis called Morrissey "the most literate songwriter of all time." 


Morrissey has been described as a "mope poet"--a depressed guy who spent all his time writing poetry in his bedroom. This depiction is quite accurate. The Smiths were born when guitarist Johnny Marr knocked on Morrissey's door and suggested they start a band. The two had met several months earlier. Marr needed a lyricist and Morrissey needed someone to write music.


The Smiths are known for weaving together lyrics that combine hopelessness, anger and humor. The word sardonic fits. Depressing lyrics were paired with pleasant, even fun, melodies.


Some examples of lyrics:

• "I was looking for a job and then I found a job...Heaven knows I'm miserable now..."
• "If a ten ton truck crashes into us, to die by your side, is such a heavenly way to die."
• "I decree today that life is simply taking and not giving...England is mine, it owes me a living."
• "Spending warm summer days indoors, writing frightening verse to a buck-toothed girl in Luxembourg..."
• "Burn down the disco, hang the blessed DJ, because the music they constantly play says nothing to me about my life..."

Surprisingly, they also had an occasional pleasantly optimistic song. One of those was Ask.





Johnny Marr powered the group with his guitar, and Morrissey had a histrionic and flamboyant presence on the stage.


The Smiths did not last long--they recorded together for only about 5 years. But their influence was immense. In the 80's, there was a broad divide between punk and dance (usually involving synthetic drumbeats). The Smiths brought melody and sophistication to the punk, and meaningful lyrics to dance tunes.


As a testament to their influence, consider this--a precursor to today's popular band, The Gaslight Anthem, was a band called This Charming Man. Where did Brian Fallon get that name? From a Smiths' song.


Morrissey continues to perform as a solo artist. Until recently, Johnny Marr was part of the alternative band, Modest Mouse.


One more note--last summer, 500 Days of Summer was one of the top films of the season. The premise--a young man grew up depressed and hopeless, listening to The Smiths during his formative years. Then, he happens to meet a woman who loves The Smiths. In the film, Zooey Deschanel (of the movie, Elf, and of the musical duo, She and Him) covers The Smiths.