The Smiths
They were four young men from Manchester, a band that hid the most sensitive of voices behind the most ordinary of surnames.
At a glance 🔭💭
Some coordinates adapted from GeoNames (CC BY 4.0) · Pleiades (CC BY 3.0)
Members and companions ⏳🌊
- MemberMorrissey
He handled vocals and lyrics, growing from an introverted, bookish boy into the band's iconic voice.
- MemberJohnny Marr
He handled guitar and songwriting, designing the band's sound with layer upon layer of guitar riffs.
- MemberAndy Rourke
He played bass and, as Marr's childhood friend, held up the band's rhythm. He died in 2023.
- MemberMike Joyce
He played drums, completing the band's rhythm section.
- LabelGeoff Travis
As head of the independent label Rough Trade, he discovered the band and supported its early career.
- InfluenceNoel Gallagher
As the leader of Oasis, he was given a Les Paul guitar by Johnny Marr around 1994, just as the band was beginning to make its name.
I. The Manchester boys · 1959–1982
(Steven) In May 1959, Steven Patrick Morrissey was born in Davyhulme, on the outskirts of Manchester, England. The son of an Irish working-class family, he grew up in Stretford with his older sister, Jacqueline. He was an introverted, bookish boy who spent his teens devouring the sentences of Oscar Wilde and the stagecraft of the New York Dolls, and firing off impassioned letters to the music papers. His gift showed itself first not in singing but in writing about music. (Johnny) In October 1963, in Ardwick, in the same city of Manchester, John Martin Maher, the future Johnny Marr, was born. He too came from an Irish family, and from childhood a guitar was never far from his hands. Teaching himself by copying the playing of Rory Gallagher, Bert Jansch and Chic's Nile Rodgers, he was already a guitarist of local renown by his mid-teens. (Friends) Andy Rourke, born in Manchester in 1964, was a childhood friend who had grown up in the same neighborhood and gone to the same school as Marr. Bass in hand, he followed Marr from band to band. Drummer Mike Joyce, born in 1963, came to music by a different route and would join around the time the band was formed. All four grew up amid the rain-soaked streets and working-class air of postindustrial Manchester.
II. Formation and first steps · 1982–1983
(The visit) In May 1982, Marr got Morrissey's address through an acquaintance, Steven Pomfret, and turned up at his house unannounced. Leafing through records together, within a few hours the two had agreed to write songs together. The division of labor settled that day — Marr writing the music, Morrissey the words — held unchanged until the band's end. (The name) They called the band “the Smiths.” In an era of flamboyant names, putting forward the most common of English surnames was a statement: they would make ordinariness their banner. With Rourke and Joyce joining as the rhythm section, the four-piece lineup was complete. Marr took the guitar, Morrissey the voice and lyrics, Rourke the bass and Joyce the drums. (Rough Trade) After only a handful of club gigs, the band signed with the independent label Rough Trade. Choosing the independent path over a major label would later safeguard their creative freedom, but it also sowed the seeds of royalty disputes that would drag on for years. In 1983 their debut single came out into the world.
Their debut single and the band's first declaration. With John Peel's backing, word of mouth spread and the band's name was heard for the first time.
- The harmonica in the opening gives off a homespun folk feel at odds with the band's later image.
- Rather than pressing and strumming chords hard, Marr's guitar scrapes them thinly to produce a ringing sound (jangle guitar).
- Rather than tracking the melody precisely, Morrissey's voice pushes and pulls slightly against it to lay bare its emotion.
- A short phrase repeated in the chorus wraps around the whole song, creating the desperation peculiar to a debut.
III. First success · 1983–1984
(First single) “Hand in Glove” was an audacious debut single, its sleeve bearing not a photo of the band but a black-and-white portrait. BBC radio presenter John Peel championed it, playing it again and again, and word of mouth began to spread among a small band of fans. (This Charming Man) Released in late 1983, “This Charming Man” catapulted the band to national fame in one stroke. The glittering riff Marr built by layering guitar upon guitar became a template for British guitar pop, and Morrissey caused a stir by appearing on the television music show “Top of the Pops” waving a bunch of gladioli. (First album) The debut album The Smiths, released in early 1984, climbed high on the UK albums chart. Lyrics that confronted loneliness, school violence and working-class life head-on stood in stark contrast to the glitz of the pop music of the day. From their very debut, the band began to be called the voice of a generation.
The song that lifted the band to national fame; Marr's layered guitar riff became a template for British guitar pop.
- The riff that opens the song is a glittering sound Marr made by stacking several guitar tracks (overdubbing).
- Rourke's bass moves as if leaping between the riffs, lending the song a buoyant spring.
- Joyce's drums hold up the song simply and firmly, without showy fills.
- The moment in the bridge when the guitar briefly recedes and then surges back is worth listening for.
A single released just after the debut album; the contrast between its dark title and bright melody showed the band's character clearly.
- Unlike the gloomy mood of the title, the melody itself flows brightly and briskly.
- Marr's guitar fills the whole song with a clear, ringing sound made by plucking several strings together (jangle guitar).
- Morrissey's vocal is sung in a flat, matter-of-fact tone, almost spoken, underscoring the lyrics' cynicism.
- The rhythmic shift going into the chorus gives the song room to breathe.
IV. Vegetarianism and rock 'n' roll · 1984–1985
(Vegetarianism) Released in 1985, the second album, Meat Is Murder, went to number 1 on the UK albums chart in its first week. Its title track squarely indicts factory farming, and on later tours the band demanded meat-free catering. A vegetarian manifesto, rare in rock music, came as a fresh shock to the young audiences of the day. (The sound) The album carried rougher arrangements, closer to rock 'n' roll, than the debut. “The Headmaster Ritual” took aim at corporal punishment in schools, and Marr's guitar, in a thicker tone than before, drove the band toward a tougher rock sound. The groove spun from Joyce's drums intertwining with Rourke's bass is counted the most accomplished rhythm section of the period. (How Soon) That same year, the single “How Soon Is Now?” was completed by an unusual method: Marr recorded the same tremolo guitar part four separate times and stacked the takes. Originally a mere B-side to a single, it later established itself as one of the band's signature songs.
Originally a B-side, it became one of the band's best-known songs thanks to its distinctive guitar tone.
- The shuddering guitar tone that envelops the whole song is a tremolo effect made by Marr recording the same part four separate times and layering them.
- A slide guitar laid on top adds a parched, distant air to the song.
- Its length of more than 5 minutes and its repetitive structure stand in sharp contrast to the band's short singles of the time.
- Toward the end, the accompaniment grows steadily thicker, amplifying the sense of isolation.
The second album, with vegetarianism front and center; it went to number 1 on the UK albums chart in its first week.
- The title track “Meat Is Murder” opens with sound effects evoking a slaughterhouse, putting the listener on edge.
- On “The Headmaster Ritual,” Marr's guitar, thicker and rougher in tone than before, drives the band toward a tougher rock sound.
- On “That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore,” chosen as the standout track, Morrissey's vocal sounds especially fragile against the slow tempo.
- Across the whole album, you can feel how much sturdier the rhythm section of Joyce's drums and Rourke's bass has grown since the debut.
V. The queen and the cracks · 1986
(The queen) Released in 1986, their third album, The Queen Is Dead, would come to be counted among the greatest records in the history of British popular music. The title track opens with a long instrumental passage of repetitive texture before turning into a satire aimed at the British monarchy, while “There Is a Light That Never Goes Out,” a lyrical song enriched by a string arrangement, became the band’s most beloved song. (Cracks) At the height of their success, cracks were widening inside the band. In 1986 Rourke was briefly fired over his drug problems before quickly returning, and to fill the gap guitarist Craig Gannon joined, making them a five-piece for a time. Grievances over contracts and royalties also began to surface around this time. (Panic) The single “Panic” drew attention with its stomping glam-rock rhythm and a chorus that children shouted along to. A song steeped in cynicism toward radio broadcasting, it showed that the band still meant to speak directly to the public.
The third album, counted as the band’s greatest masterpiece. It holds both the moment of their peak and the cracks growing beneath it.
- The title track lays a long instrumental passage over a repeating rhythm, a structure that hints at the influence of German experimental rock (krautrock).
- “There Is a Light That Never Goes Out,” chosen as the signature track, gains a string arrangement that creates the most lyrical moment in the band’s catalog.
- On “Cemetry Gates,” Morrissey shows off his knack for wittily mixing literary quotations.
- Across the album, the production places many instruments with more care than before, giving the sound a new sense of depth.
A single that borrowed glam rock’s stomping rhythm — a moment when the band still sought to speak directly to the public.
- Glam rock’s signature stomping rhythm (the stomp beat) and Marr’s simple, forceful riff drive the song.
- The chorus, where children’s voices join in as if shouting, often turned into an audience sing-along at live shows.
- Short in length and simple in structure, the song comes across far more bluntly than their earlier work.
VI. The breakup · 1987
(The last) Released in 1987, their final studio album, Strangeways, Here We Come, featured more polished production along with keyboards and orchestral arrangements. The short, unadorned structure of “Girlfriend in a Coma” and the grand finale of “Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me” showed a band still broadening its sound. (Departure) But before the album was even released, Marr announced he was leaving the band. Worn out by years of grueling tours and recording sessions, and by conflicts over contracts, he later said he simply could not take it any longer. Morrissey tried to carry on with a new guitarist, but it came to nothing, and in the summer of 1987 the Smiths officially announced their breakup. (The reckoning) After the breakup, the four members’ fortunes were divided with extreme inequality. Most of the songwriting income went to Marr and Morrissey, who had written the songs, while Rourke and Joyce, under their contracts, received far smaller shares. This imbalance would end up in court a few years later.
The band’s final studio album. Marr’s departure was announced before it was even released, and the album emerged in the shadow of the breakup.
- “Girlfriend in a Coma,” chosen as the signature track, sets a piano accompaniment within a running time of just over two minutes and closes plainly.
- “Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me” adds strings and keyboards for a grander finale than anything on the earlier albums.
- Throughout, keyboards and orchestral arrangements stand out more than guitar, revealing a band trying to broaden its sound.
- On “Paint a Vulgar Picture,” Morrissey pours his cynicism toward the music industry into the lyrics.
VII. Separate ways and legacy · 1987–2026
(The lawsuit) Claiming that the band’s income had been divided unfairly, Joyce sued Marr and Morrissey, and in 1996 the court ruled in his favor. The court ordered that Joyce be paid a quarter of past and future royalties, while Rourke had already stepped aside after accepting a small sum in a settlement before the suit. The ruling is often cited as a case study in fairness in dividing a band’s income. (Separate ways) Marr went on to pass through many bands, including The The, Modest Mouse and the Cribs, working widely as a session and collaborating guitarist. Morrissey built an independent career as a solo singer and is still releasing records today. The two never shared a stage again after the breakup, and a reunion never came. (Rourke’s death) Andy Rourke died in May 2023 after a battle with cancer. His melodic bass playing had long been regarded as the hidden backbone of the band’s sound, and after his death many musicians, including Marr and Morrissey, paid tribute to him. (Influence) The Smiths’ guitar sound left a deep mark on the generations that followed. Oasis’s Noel Gallagher received a Les Paul guitar as a gift from Marr around 1994, just as his band was making its name, and many British bands, Radiohead among them, have pointed to the Smiths as the starting point of British guitar pop.
Lesser-known stories
(The myth of the meeting) Marr and Morrissey’s first meeting is said to have been brokered by a mutual acquaintance named Pomfret. (How they wrote) Marr and Morrissey are said to have written songs mainly by Marr passing his demos to Morrissey. Marr would hand over a demo tape, and Morrissey would shut himself away alone in his room to set lyrics to it; because of this, biographers note, the time the two actually spent working together was far shorter than is widely believed. (The band name) Several interviews have revealed that the plain name “the Smiths” was a reaction against the era’s fashion for flamboyant band names, yet it is often noted as an irony that this very plainness hardened into a powerful identity.
Notes on terms 📚🔎
Jangle guitar
Jangle is an English onomatopoeic word for a jingling, clinking sound. In rock: it refers to a bright, ringing guitar sound made by striking several strings at once, usually produced with a 12-string guitar or a chorus effect. Like a classroom full of people shaking triangles at the same time, it is a clear sound that spreads as many strings ring together.
Overdubbing
In rock: a recording technique in which new performances are layered on top of a track that has already been recorded, letting a single person stack instrument upon instrument to build a thick sound. It is like layering color over a sketch in art class to make the picture thicker and richer.
Tremolo
It comes from the Italian tremolare, meaning “to tremble.” In rock: an effect that makes the volume of a sound pulse rapidly, as if trembling, produced by a guitar amp or pedal. Just as light flickers and quivers when you switch a flashlight on and off quickly, the sound’s intensity rises and falls rapidly, giving a trembling feel. Elsewhere: in classical music, it can also refer to the technique of bowing a string in rapid repetition.
Krautrock
Kraut is English slang for Germans, taken from the German cabbage dish; with rock attached, it became the name for the experimental rock music of 1970s Germany. In rock: it refers to a current of 1970s German rock that emphasized repetitive rhythms and hypnotic textures. Like a march that keeps stepping to the same beat, it is music that repeats short rhythmic patterns to draw the listener steadily deeper in.
Royalty
From a word that originally meant the royal household, the meaning broadened to the fee a king received for the use of mines or land. In rock: a share of income paid, according to contract, to songwriters and performers every time a record sells or a song is broadcast. It is like a group project you made with friends winning a prize, and dividing the credit according to who came up with the idea and who gave the presentation. Elsewhere: in everyday use, it still refers to members of a royal family.
B-side
The name comes from the old vinyl records, which had a front (side A) and a back (side B): the featured song went on side A and a secondary song on side B. In rock: it refers to the song on the back of a single — not the title track. Like the small side dish that comes along with the main dish in a lunchbox, a B-side sits beside the star song, yet it is often loved in its own right.