The album was conceived as a collection of the singles and their B-sides from 1985 and 1986. Additionally, the scrapped single "You Just Haven’t Earned It Yet, Baby" (which was passed over for "Shoplifters of the World Unite") and the near-single "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out" (a single candidate from The Queen is Dead that was passed over in favour of "Bigmouth Strikes Again") were included.
The title reflects Morrissey's frustration with the fact that mainstream radio and record buyers still weren't paying attention to the band. As the album included many non-album cuts and single versions, it remains a fan favourite. The music press was critical, however, labelling the album "inessential."
The compilation was rendered largely superfluous only three months after its release when Rough Trade decided to release the similar but extended US-intended compilation Louder Than Bombs domestically. This was primarily done to save the consumer from paying ridiculous import prices. However, The World Won't Listen has some songs (or different versions of songs) that do not appear on Louder Than Bombs: "The Boy with the Thorn in His Side", "Stretch Out and Wait" (different version), "That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore", and "You Just Haven't Earned It Yet, Baby" (different version).
After WEA acquired the Smiths back catalogue in 1992, all Smiths albums were re-released at mid price, including The World Won't Listen, which was expanded to include a cover of "Golden Lights" and the original Rough Trade cassette edition bonus track "Money Changes Everything" (another track exclusive to this compilation, though it was later released on the deluxe edition of The Sound of The Smiths).
Cover
The CD sleeve for The World Won't Listen is based on the cassette version of the sleeve layout; the original album featured a larger picture of a Fifties fairground scene, of which this is a crop. The sleeve was designed by Morrissey, using a photo by Jurgen Vollmer from the book Rock 'N' Roll Times: The Style and Spirit of the Early Beatles and Their First Fans.
Track listing
"Panic" - 2:21
"Ask" - 3:15
"London" - 2:07
"Bigmouth Strikes Again" - 3:13
"Shakespeare's Sister" - 2:08
"There Is a Light That Never Goes Out" - 4:05
"Shoplifters of the World Unite" - 2:58
"The Boy with the Thorn in His Side" (single version) - 3:16
"Asleep" - 4:10
"Unloveable" - 3:56
"Half a Person" - 3:36
"Stretch Out and Wait" (alternate vocal) - 2:45
"That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore" (single version) * - 3:49
"Oscillate Wildly" - 3:26
"You Just Haven't Earned It Yet, Baby" (UK mix) - 3:32
"Rubber Ring" - 3:48
"Golden Lights" - 2:41
Tracks marked "*" are exclusive to this compilation.
All tracks written by Morrissey and Johnny Marr (including "Money Changes Everything"), except "Golden Lights," written by Twinkle.
"Money Changes Everything" was used by Marr while playing guitar for Bryan Ferry on his "Bête Noire" album. The track is almost an identical blueprint for the song "The Right Stuff," which is credited to Bryan Ferry and Johnny Marr.
The alternate vocal take of "Stretch Out and Wait" is slightly different from the one that was first released in March of 1985 and widely available on the American Louder than Bombs compilation. It has a re-recorded vocal with some melodic variations throughout and lyrical variations in the first verse. It also has an extended ending.
This alternate mix of "You Just Haven't Earned It Yet, Baby" is approximately nine seconds longer than the mix that appears on Louder Than Bombs and features some other minor mixing differences.
Musicassette
Same as LP plus "Money Changes Everything"* - 4:43 slotted in as track #9
Compact disc
Rough Trade original issue: same as LP. WEA re-issue: same as musicassette plus "Golden Lights" - 2:40 at the end as track #18.
Personnel
Band
Morrissey – vocals
Johnny Marr – guitars, keyboard instruments, bass guitar on "Golden Lights"
Andy Rourke – bass guitar, cello on "Shakespeare's Sister" and "Oscillate Wildly"
Mike Joyce – drums
Craig Gannon – guitar on "Panic", "Ask", "London", "Half a Person", "You Just Haven't Earned It Yet, Baby" and "Golden Lights"
Additional musicians
Kirsty MacColl – backing vocals on "Ask" and "Golden Lights"
John Porter – drum machine on "Golden Lights"
Stephen Street – additional drum machine programming on "London"
Technical staff
Johnny Marr – producer (A7)
Johnny Marr, Morrissey and Stephen Street – producers (A3, B3)
Morrissey and Marr – producers (A4, A6, B1-2, B8)
John Porter – producer (A1-2, A9, B7, B9)
The Smiths – producers (A5, A8, B4-6)
Panic
The Smiths Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Where there's nothing but silence
In an ideal world am I perfect?
Am I perfect?
That feeling when you're so alone
That feeling when you're on your own
My chest tight, my chest tight
Just hold tight, just hold tight
Just hold tight, just hold tight, just hold tight
I can't breathe, I can't breathe
But I see, but I see
Is it me?
Ohh
Silence in the attics of my eyelids
Where there's nothing but silence
When I'm older will I be perfect?
Am I perfect?
My chest tight, my chest tight
Just hold tight, just hold tight
Just hold tight, just hold tight, just hold tight
I can't breathe, I can't breathe
But I see, but I see
Is it me?
Ohh
The lyrics of "Panic" by The Smiths, one of the most iconic bands of the 1980s, are rich with social commentary, satire, and irony. The song was released in 1986, and it quickly became an anthem for disaffected youth in the UK who felt alienated from mainstream society. The lyrics speak to the feeling of being trapped in a disordered world and the longing for a sense of order and normalcy. The lines "Panic on the streets of London / Panic on the streets of Birmingham / I wonder to myself / Could life ever be sane again?" are particularly poignant in this regard, as they suggest a sense of disorientation and hopelessness in the face of chaos.
The song also touches on themes of class, culture, and identity, with references to regional accents and slang ("The Leeds side-streets that you slip down / Provincial towns you jog 'round"), as well as the culture of nightclubs and DJs ("Burn down the disco / Hang the blessed DJ / Because the music that they constantly play / It says nothing to me about my life"). The line "It says nothing to me about my life" has been interpreted as a critique of the commercialization of popular culture and the commodification of youth identity.
Moreover, the repeated refrain of "Hang the DJ" has been variously interpreted as a call for rebellion against mainstream culture, a nod to the punk ethos of the late 1970s, or even a critique of the cult of celebrity. In any case, the song remains a powerful reflection of the anxieties and frustrations of its time, and its lasting popularity is a testament to its enduring relevance.
Line by Line Meaning
Panic on the streets of London
There is a state of chaos and fear in London.
Panic on the streets of Birmingham
The fear and anxiety is also present in Birmingham.
I wonder to myself
Could life ever be sane again?
The singer reflects on the possibility of restoring order and sanity.
The Leeds side-streets that you slip down
I wonder to myself
The artist considers the back alleys of Leeds and its potential danger.
Hopes may rise on the Grasmere
But honey pie, you're not safe here
So you run down
To the safety of the town
But there's panic on the streets of Carlisle
Dublin, Dundee, Humberside
I wonder to myself
Despite seeking refuge in small towns like Grasmere and Carlisle, the fear persists and spreads to other cities.
Burn down the disco
Hang the blessed DJ
Because the music that they constantly play
It says nothing to me about my life
The singer expresses frustration and disillusionment with popular music and its lack of relevance to his personal experiences.
Hang the blessed DJ
Because the music they constantly play
The singer repeats his desire to take down mainstream DJs and their music.
On the Leeds side-streets that you slip down
Provincial towns you jog 'round
The artist mentions the same dangerous alleys of Leeds and provincial towns, further emphasizing his fear and paranoia.
Hang the DJ, hang the DJ, hang the DJ
Hang the DJ, hang the DJ, hang the DJ
Hang the DJ, hang the DJ, hang the DJ
Hang the DJ, hang the DJ
Hang the DJ, hang the DJ
Hang the DJ, hang the DJ, hang the DJ
Hang the DJ, hang the DJ
Hang the DJ, hang the DJ
Hang the DJ, hang the DJ, hang the DJ
Hang the DJ, hang the DJ
Hang the DJ, hang the DJ
Hang the DJ, hang the DJ, hang the DJ
Hang the DJ, hang the DJ
The repeated phrase 'Hang the DJ' is a call to rebellion against mainstream music and media.
Lyrics © O/B/O DistroKid
Written by: Toby Smith
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind