Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now
The Smiths Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But heaven knows I'm miserable now
I was looking for a job, and then I found a job
And heaven knows I'm miserable now
In my life
Why do I give valuable time
Two lovers entwined pass me by
And heaven knows I'm miserable now
I was looking for a job, and then I found a job
And heaven knows I'm miserable now
In my life
Oh, why do I give valuable time
To people who don't care if I live or die?
What she asked of me at the end of the day
Caligula would have blushed
"Oh, you've been in the house too long" she said
And I naturally fled
In my life
Why do I smile
At people who I'd much rather kick in the eye?
I was happy in the haze of a drunken hour
But heaven knows I'm miserable now
"Oh, you've been in the house too long" she said
And I naturally fled
In my life
Oh, why do I give valuable time
To people who don't care if I live or die?
The song is a melancholic reflection on emptiness, monotony and hopelessness in life. The opening two lines, "I was happy in the haze of a drunken hour / But heaven knows I'm miserable now", capture the sense of regret and loss that is palpable throughout the song. The singer remembers being happy once, but that happiness was fleeting, and now he is left with a feeling of utter misery. The second stanza reiterates his disillusionment with life, as he describes the fruitless search for purpose and meaning through a job, which ultimately only leads to disappointment.
The third stanza is a lament on the singer's inability to find people who care enough about him to make his life worth living. He questions why he continues to give his valuable time to people who don't appreciate him, and who wouldn't even notice if he were to die. The fourth stanza is a more personal reflection on a moment of frustration when the singer encounters two lovers entwined and is reminded of his own loneliness. The repetition of the opening two lines at the end of each verse emphasizes the singer's sense of hopelessness and despair, and the final stanza only reinforces this feeling.
Overall, the song paints a bleak picture of life, where happiness is fleeting and the search for purpose is ultimately futile. It is a powerful indictment of a society where people are expendable and where life has lost its meaning.
Line by Line Meaning
I was happy in the haze of a drunken hour
I was content and carefree while under the influence of alcohol
But heaven knows I'm miserable now
But now I am deeply unhappy
I was looking for a job, and then I found a job
I was seeking employment, and then I secured employment
And heaven knows I'm miserable now
But now my job is causing me great distress
In my life
Overall, in my existence
Why do I give valuable time
Why do I allocate my precious time
To people who don't care if I live or die?
To individuals who have no concern for my well-being or survival?
Two lovers entwined pass me by
I observe two individuals in love, embracing each other
And heaven knows I'm miserable now
And now, seeing their love only accentuates my misery
What she asked of me at the end of the day
The request she made of me at the conclusion of the day
Caligula would have blushed
It was so inappropriate or shameful that even the notorious Roman emperor Caligula would have been embarrassed
"Oh, you've been in the house too long" she said
She commented that I had remained indoors for too extended a period
And I naturally fled
And I instinctively escaped the situation
Why do I smile
Why do I express joy on my face
At people who I'd much rather kick in the eye?
At individuals whom I strongly desire to physically harm
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: STEVEN MORRISSEY, JOHNNY MARR
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@vanesav3237
Lyrics:
I was happy in the haze of a drunken hour
But heaven knows I'm miserable now
I was looking for a job, and then I found a job
And heaven knows I'm miserable now
In my life
Why do I give valuable time
To people who don't care if I live or die?
Two lovers entwined pass me by
And heaven knows I'm miserable now
I was looking for a job, and then I found a job
And heaven knows I'm miserable now
In my life
Oh, why do I give valuable time
To people who don't care if I live or die?
What she asked of me at the end of the day
Caligula would have blushed
"Oh, you've been in the house too long" she said
And I naturally fled
In my life
Why do I smile
At people who I'd much rather kick in the eye?
I was happy in the haze of a drunken hour
But heaven knows I'm miserable now
"Oh, you've been in the house too long" she said
And I naturally fled
In my life
Oh, why do I give valuable time
To people who don't care if I live or die?
@Adam_Barrett
'Why do I give valuable time to people who don't care if I live or die"
Too relatable 😩
@dzebr
hello there :^]
@Adam_Barrett
@@dzebr hello 👋
@beandistrict9794
no one cares if morrisey is alive or dead beckouse most people want him to be dead lol
@PM_yearsago
@@beandistrict9794 and people don't care about your miserable comment
@blueberry5560
I LOVE ur covers <3
@marquisefurufoo6508
The two worst feelings in modern society are not having a job and having a job
Edit: since writing this comment I managed to become a full-time freelance illustrator doing comics and commissions! It's my dream job and it makes me immensely happy. I hope you all can find something like that for you too, there's always hope out there!
@andrewamidala
Love this!!!!!
@user-gp8oj1ci9h
Capitalist Realism do be like that
@drunkpoet3392
agreed