The 15 best Smiths lyrics

1 July 2023, 15:00

Morrissey in his days with The Smiths, 1984
Morrissey in his days with The Smiths, 1984. Picture: Steve Orobec / Alamy Stock Photo

Rick Astley and Blossoms paid tribute to Manchester legends The Smiths at Glastonbury this year - here are some of Morrissey's finest words of wisdom.

  1. "Punctured bicycle… on a hillside desolate."

    This Charming Man, 1983

    The Smiths - This Charming Man (Official Music Video)

  2. "Heavy words are so lightly thrown / But still I'd leap in front of a flying bullet for you."

    What Difference Does It Make? 1984

    The Smiths - What Difference Does It Make? (Official Music Video)

  3. "The music that they constantly play / IT SAYS NOTHING TO ME ABOUT MY LIFE"

    Panic, 1986

    The Smiths - Panic (Official Music Video)

  4. "And when you want to live / How do you start? / Where do you go? / Who do you need to know?"

    The Boy With The Thorn In His Side, 1985

    The Smiths - The Boy With The Thorn In His Side (Official Music Video)

  5. "Life is very long, when you're lonely."

    The Queen Is Dead, 1986

    The Smiths - The Queen Is Dead - A Film By Derek Jarman (Official Music Video)

  6. "Now I know how Joan Of Arc felt… as the flames rose to her Roman nose and her Walkman started to melt."

    Bigmouth Strikes Again, 1986

    The Smiths - Bigmouth Strikes Again

  7. "No, it's NOT like any other love / This one is different - because it's us."

    Hand In Glove, 1983

    The Smiths - Hand In Glove (Album Version)

  8. “The rain falls hard on a humdrum town / This town will drag you down"

    William It Was Really Nothing, 1984

    The Smiths - William, It Was Really Nothing

  9. "I decree today that life is simply taking and not giving / England is mine - and it owes me a living."

    Still Ill, 1984

    The Smiths - Still Ill

  10. "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, 1984

    The Smiths - Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want

  11. "Belligerent ghouls run Manchester schools"

    The Headmaster Ritual, 1985

    The Smiths - The Headmaster Ritual

  12. "I am the son / And the heir / Of a shyness that is criminally vulgar"

    How Soon Is Now? 1984

    The Smiths - How Soon Is Now? (Official Music Video)

  13. "In my life / Why do I give valuable time / To people who don't care /if I live or die?”

    Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now, 1984

    The Smiths - Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now (Official Music Video)

  14. "To die by your side / Is such a heavenly way to die.”

    There Is A Light That Never Goes Out, 1986

    The Smiths - There Is A Light That Never Goes Out

  15. "Oh Manchester… So much to answer for"

    Suffer Little Children, 1984

    The Smiths - Suffer Little Children (Official Audio)

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Morrissey of The Smiths performs on stage at Brixton Academy in 1986

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Morrissey performing live with The Smiths, 1985

Who was The Smiths' The Boy With The Thorn In His Side about?