Quotes From The Smiths
The soundtrack of my teenage angst
As a teenager in the eighties, the music of The Smiths perfectly encapsulated my adolescent angst. The gloomy lyrics, moody melodies, and lead singer Morrissey’s desperate whining were the perfect storm for a teen that felt misunderstood and isolated. And as an adult who still sometimes feels misunderstood and isolated, the band has a heavy rotation on my iPod during days I need a little doom and gloom. Here are some quotes from the band’s music, but be warned — much of this will be heavy reading.
1. “I dreamt about you last night And I fell out of bed twice.” -Reel Around The Fountain
2. “Fresh lilaced moorland fields Cannot hide the stolid stench of death.” -Suffer Little Children
3. “The devil will find work for idle hands to do I stole and I lied, and why? Because you asked me to! But now you make me feel so ashamed Because I’ve only got two hands Well, I’m still fond of you.” -What Difference Does It Make? 4. “Hand in glove We can go wherever we please And everything depends upon How near you stand to me.” -Hand In Glove 5. “I am the son And the heir Of a shyness that is criminally vulgar I am the son and heir Of nothing in particular.” -How Soon Is Now?
6. “What she asked of me at the end of the day Caligula would have blushed.” -Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now
7. “In a river the colour of lead Immerse the baby’s head Wrap her up in the News of the World Dump her on a doorstep, girl This night has opened my eyes And I will never sleep again.” -This Night Has Opened My Eyes 8. “Good times for a change See, the luck I’ve had Can make a good man Turn bad.” -Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want 9. “It was dark as I drove the point home And on cold leather seats Well, it suddenly struck me I just might die with a smile on my Face after all.” -That Joke Isn’t Funny Anymore 10. “Belligerent ghouls Run Manchester schools Spineless swines Cemented minds.” -The Headmaster Ritual 11. “We can go for a walk where it’s quiet and dry And talk about precious things But when you’re tied to your mother’s apron No one talks about castration.” -The Queen Is Dead
12. “And if a double-decker bus Crashes into us To die by your side Is such a heavenly way to die And if a ten ton truck Kills the both of us To die by your side Well, the pleasure — the privilege is mine.” -There Is a Light That Never Goes Out
13. “A heartless hand on my shoulder A push — and it’s over.” -Shoplifters of the World Unite 14. “Shyness is nice, and Shyness can stop you From doing all the things in life You’d like to.” -Ask
15. “Sweetness, sweetness I was only joking When I said I’d like to Smash every tooth In your head.” -Bigmouth Strikes Again 16. “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.” -Unloveable
17. “Call me morbid, call me pale I’ve spent six years on your trail Six long years On your trail.” -Half a Person
18. “You left Your tired family grieving And you think they’re sad because you’re leaving But did you see jealousy in the eyes Of the ones who had to stay behind?” -London
19. “Poor old man He had an ‘accident’ with a three-bar fire But that’s okay Because he wasn’t very happy anyway Poor woman Strangled in her very own bed as she read But that’s okay Because she was old and she would have died anyway.” -Sweet and Tender Hooligan
20. “They said, ‘There’s too much caffeine In your bloodstream And a lack of real spice In your life.’” -Rush And A Push And The Land Is Ours
21. “The death of a disco dancer Well, it happens a lot ‘round here And if you think peace Is a common goal That goes to show How little you know.” -Death of a Disco Dancer
22. “I crashed down on the crossbar And the pain was enough to make A shy, bald, Buddhist reflect And plan a mass murder.” -Stop Me If You Think You’ve Heard This One Before 23. “I’ve come to wish you an unhappy birthday ‘Cause you’re evil And you lie And if you should die I may feel slightly sad (But I won’t cry).” -Unhappy Birthday
24. “Last night I dreamt That somebody loved me No hope, no harm Just another false alarm.” -Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me
25. “Oh yes, you can punch me And you can butt me And you can break my spine But you won’t change the way I feel ‘Cause I love you.” -Is It Really So Strange?
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