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)
Barbarism Begins At Home
The Smiths Lyrics
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Who will not grow up
Must be taken in hand
Unruly girls
Who will not settle down
They must be taken in hand
A crack on the head
And a crack on the head
Is what you get for asking
Unruly boys
Who will not grow up
Must be taken in hand
Unruly girls
Who will not settle down
They must be taken in hand
A crack on the head
Is what you get for not asking
And a crack on the head
Is what you get for asking
No...a crack on the head
Is what you get for not asking
And a crack on the head
Is what you get for asking
A crack on the head
Is just what you get
Why? Because of who you are!
And a crack on the head
Is just what you get
Why? Because of what you are!
A crack on the head
Because of :
Those things you said
Things you said
The things you did
Unruly boys
Who will not grow
Must be taken in hand
Unruly girls
Who will not grow
They must be taken in hand
Ah...oh, no...oh, no
Ah...oh, no...oh, no
No...no, no, no
No...no, no
Barbarism Begins at Home is a song by the British rock band, The Smiths. The song speaks to a loss of control and discipline, with children needing to be "taken in hand" to grow up properly. The term "barbarism" speaks to a state of being uncivilized, and the lyrics posit that not succumbing to the demands of civilization and societal norms will lead to being punished. The song speaks to gender differences, with "unruly boys" and "unruly girls" needing to be taken in hand to grow up properly.
The chorus of the song, "a crack on the head is just what you get, for not asking and a crack on the head is just what you get, for asking," speaks to a society that uses physical violence to enforce order and conformity, a theme that is echoed in the pre-chorus as well. The repetition underscores the message of the song--that societal control is enacted through punishment.
Overall, the lyrics speak to the idea that children have to be "broken" to flourish in society, and that the failure to break them leads to barbarism. The song is a commentary on societal norms and the ways in which they can be restrictive even as they attempt to provide structure.
Line by Line Meaning
Unruly boys
Men who refuse to mature
Who will not grow up
Who have committed to not accepting social norms
Must be taken in hand
Need to be dealt with and corrected
Unruly girls
Women who refuse to settle down
Who will not settle down
Who have decided to resist the societal expectations placed on them to settle down and conform to traditional gender roles
They must be taken in hand
Need to be subverted and controlled
A crack on the head
Physical violence as punishment
Is what you get for not asking
There are consequences for not falling in line and accepting norms
And a crack on the head
Punishment for lack of obedience
Is what you get for asking
Even asking why things are or questioning the status quo carries punishment
No...a crack on the head
There's no reason to get violent
Is just what you get
Violence is the easy way out
Why? Because of who you are!
Punishment is dictated by the identity of the person
Because of what you are!
Punishment is based on the perceived attributes of the person
Those things you said
The statements or opinions expressed
Things you did
Actions taken that deviate from societal norms
Unruly boys
Men who refuse to mature
Who will not grow
Who refuse to accept responsibility and grow up
Must be taken in hand
Require discipline and control
Unruly girls
Women who refuse to settle down and conform
Who will not grow
Resolute women who refuse to accept the norms set for them
They must be taken in hand
They must be controlled and stifled
Ah...oh, no...oh, no
An expression of disapproval
Ah...oh, no...oh, no
An expression of worry or concern
No...no, no, no
An expression of disagreement
No...no, no
An expression of displeasure
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: STEVEN MORRISSEY, JOHNNY MARR
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind