The Smiths signed to the independent label Rough Trade Records in 1983 and released their first album, The Smiths, in 1984. They based their songs on the songwriting partnership of Morrissey and Marr. Their focus on a guitar, bass, and drum sound and a fusion of 1960s rock and post-punk was a rejection of the synth-pop sound that was predominant at the time. Several Smiths singles reached the top 20 of the UK Singles Chart, and all their studio albums reached the top five of the UK Albums Chart, including the number-one album Meat Is Murder (1985). They achieved mainstream success in Europe with The Queen Is Dead (1986) and Strangeways, Here We Come (1987), both of which entered the top 20 of the European Albums Chart.
Internal tensions led to the Smiths' breakup in 1987, followed by public lawsuits over royalties. Their live album Rank (1988) reached the top 10 in Europe. Since the band's dissolution, the members have refused offers to reunite and have all separately stated that the band is finished and will never reunite.
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Smiths
Studio albums
The Smiths (1984)
Meat Is Murder (1985)
The Queen Is Dead (1986)
Strangeways, Here We Come (1987)
5. william it was really nothing
The Smiths Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
this town has dragged you down
oh the rain falls hard on a humdrum town
this town has dragged you down
And everybody's got to live their life
and God knows I've got to live mine
God knows I've got to live mine
William, William it was really nothing
it was your life
How can you stay with a fat girl who'll say:
"Would you like to marry me
and if you like you can buy the ring"
she doesn't care about anything
"Would you like to marry me
and if you like you can buy the ring"
I don't dream about anyone
except myself
William, William it was really nothing
William, William
The lyrics to The Smiths' song "William, It Was Really Nothing" essentially describe someone's dissatisfaction with the routine and mundanity of small-town life. The rain serves as a metaphor for the oppressiveness and uninteresting nature of the town. The singer acknowledges that everyone must live their own life but emphasizes that he has to live his own as well. The title character, William, seems to represent someone who has been dragged down by the town, possibly due to his lack of ambition or willingness to change. The lyrics also touch on relationships, questioning the appeal of staying with someone who doesn't care about anything and only wants to get married.
Additionally, the song addresses the idea of self-centeredness and egocentrism. The singer admits to only dreaming about himself and not anyone else. This could be interpreted as criticism of the Me Generation of the 1980s, which emphasized individualism and materialism.
Overall, "William, It Was Really Nothing" conveys the themes of dissatisfaction, individualism, and the desire for something more in life. The lyrics can be interpreted in different ways depending on the listener's perspective, but they offer a poignant commentary on the human condition.
Line by Line Meaning
The rain falls hard on a humdrum town
This mundane town is constantly plagued with relentless rain.
this town has dragged you down
The town has had a negative effect on your well-being.
oh the rain falls hard on a humdrum town
The rain continues to relentlessly assault the dull town.
And everybody's got to live their life
Everyone is responsible for their own life.
and God knows I've got to live mine
I am aware that I have to live my own life as well.
God knows I've got to live mine
I understand that I have a duty to live out my own existence.
William, William it was really nothing
William's life may seem insignificant or uneventful.
William, William it was really nothing
William's life may seem trivial and unimportant.
it was your life
The subject of the song is actually about William's life.
How can you stay with a fat girl who'll say:
It's difficult to understand why someone would choose to be with a partner solely based on their material possessions.
"Would you like to marry me
and if you like you can buy the ring"
The woman is more interested in the ring and not in the commitment of marriage.
she doesn't care about anything
The woman doesn't seem to have any other interests or motivations besides the materialistic aspects of life.
"Would you like to marry me
and if you like you can buy the ring"
The woman is only interested in the ring aspect of the engagement.
I don't dream about anyone
The subject of the song does not fantasize about others or potential partners.
except myself
The subject of the song mainly focuses on themselves and their own life.
William, William it was really nothing
Once again, the song reinforces that William's life may appear insignificant or unremarkable.
William, William
The song seems to be primarily about a person named William.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: STEVEN MORRISSEY, JOHNNY MARR
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Russi Bianca
The rain falls hard on a humdrum town
This town has dragged you down
Oh, the rain falls hard on a humdrum town
This town has dragged you down
Oh, no, and everybody's got to live their life
And God knows I've got to live mine
God knows I've got to live mine
William, William it was really nothing
William, William it was really nothing
It was your life...
How can you stay with a fat girl who'll say:
"Oh! Would you like to marry me?
"And if you like you can buy the ring"
She doesn't care about anything
Would you like to marry me?
And if you like you can buy the ring
I don't dream about anyone - except myself!
Oh, William, William it was really nothing
William, William
Roiy Benkel
The rain falls hard on a humdrum town
this town has dragged you down
oh the rain falls hard on a humdrum town
this town has dragged you down
And everybody's got to live their life
and God knows I've got to live mine
God knows I've got to live mine
William, William it was really nothing
William, William it was really nothing
it was your life
How can you stay with a fat girl who'll say:
"Would you like to marry me
and if you like you can buy the ring"
she doesn't care about anything
"Would you like to marry me
and if you like you can buy the ring"
I don't dream about anyone
except myself
William, William it was really nothing
William, William
The Smiths
New! The Smiths Spotify Playlist - https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7sy3NL9RCKUJknQ8fvkdAv?si=t3pvD2P0TlKw8bu1lF5zUg
BETA to ALPHA
Two minutes and ten seconds of absolute perfection
Christoph Grambach
full agredd :) geniuscmposition
Baron Julius
The Smiths were masters of the two minute pop song.
jasonpfinch
This was the album that turned me on to The Smiths before my teenage years ran out, after years as a sceptic.
Pat Kelly
I was 18 I think and instantly loved their music after listening to this and Meat is Murder.
blues713317
This song is about 10 minutes to short. Absolutely brilliant Smiths ❤
Peter Janes
Pure left field genius... Morrissey & Marr, thank God they met.
SCP Jack
RIP Andy Rourke, this goes so much harder than it needs to because of you.
Fearsome.
My fav song <33