We were in a bar in Sale recently, early evening, fairly quiet, one of those new type of bars set up in a former shop unit. There were a few customers/ drinkers scattered round the edges of the bar, couples and a small group of friends. The bar staff (all ridiculously young) were busying themselves and selecting songs from an iPad. One of them cued up this song and as Johnny Marr, Andy Rourke and Mike Joyce crashed in, building to that micro- second pause before Morrissey starts singing it seemed to inject a jolt of electricity into everyone in the room. At several tables people were singing along or mouthing the words.
Stop Me If You Think That You've Heard This One Before
Johnny's guitar playing is immense, clanging and melodic, indie- glam played on a twelves string Gibson which gives it that huge sound and Morrissey, well, we don't like to talk about him any more do we but the lyrics are among his best, witty and clever, memorable and tailor made for singalongs. Famously it was lined up to be a summer 1987 single but the Hungerford massacre and the song's line about a 'shy, bald Buddhist' reflecting and planning a mass murder jinxed it- the BBC said they wouldn't play it and Rough Trade went for I Started Something I Couldn't Finish instead. Johnny also nails a guitar solo, something not many Smiths songs contain.
Johnny is a big fan of the song, playing it live with his band- he did it when I saw him at The Ritz a few years ago. This clip is from The Tonight Show.
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