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)
I Won't Share You
The Smiths Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I won't share you
With the drive
And ambition
The zeal I feel
This is my time
The note I wrote
"Has the Perrier gone
Straight to my head
Or is life sick and cruel, instead?"
"Yes!"
No - no - no - no - no - no
No - no - no - no - no - no
Oh...
I won't share you, no
I won't share you
With the drive
And the dreams inside
This is my time
Life tends to come and go
That's OK
As long as you know
Life tends to come and go
As long as you know
Know, know, know, know, know
Know, know, know, know
Oh...
I won't share you, no
I won't share you
With the drive
And the dreams inside
This is my time
I want the freedom and I want the guile
I want the freedom and the guile
Oh, life tends to come and go
As long as you know
Know, know, know, know
Know, know, know, know
Oh...
I won't share you, no
I won't share you
I'll see you somewhere
I'll see you sometime
Darling...
The Smiths' song "I Won't Share You" features Morrissey's signature melancholic lyrics that subtly convey complex emotions. At first glance, this song appears to be a simple love song, but upon closer inspection, it reveals a deeper meaning about ambition, individuality, and the fleeting nature of life. In the first verse, Morrissey declares that he won't share his time, drive, and dreams with anyone else. He wants to pursue his goals without any interference or distraction from others. The second verse acknowledges the transience of life and how it can be unpredictable and cruel, but Morrissey remains determined to pursue his aspirations nonetheless.
As typical of Morrissey's lyricism, there is a level of ambiguity to its interpretation. One possible reading of the lyrics is that the song is about Morrissey's reluctance to share his creative pursuits with anyone else in the band, particularly with Johnny Marr, with whom Morrissey had a somewhat rocky relationship. However, it can also be interpreted more widely as a statement against the societal pressure to conform and compromise one's identity and dreams for the sake of success or fame. The line "I want the freedom and I want the guile" highlights Morrissey's desire for authenticity and individuality, even if it means having to blaze his own trail.
Line by Line Meaning
I won't share you, no
I refuse to share you with anyone else
I won't share you
With the drive
And ambition
The zeal I feel
This is my time
I won't let anything or anyone hinder my drive, ambition, and enthusiasm; this is my time for greatness
The note I wrote
As she read, she said
"Has the Perrier gone
Straight to my head
Or is life sick and cruel, instead?"
The note I wrote caused her to question whether she was delusional from drinking Perrier or if life was truly cruel
"Yes!"
No - no - no - no - no - no
No - no - no - no - no - no
Oh...
Her answer was a resounding 'yes' followed by a series of 'no's and an exclamation of exasperation
I won't share you
With the drive
And the dreams inside
This is my time
I won't let anyone take the driver's seat in fulfilling the dreams inside me that are destined for greatness
Life tends to come and go
That's OK
As long as you know
Life tends to come and go
As long as you know
Know, know, know, know, know
Know, know, know, know
Oh...
Life is fleeting, and it's acceptable as long as you are aware; just know, know, know, know, know, know
I want the freedom and I want the guile
I want the freedom and the guile
Oh, life tends to come and go
As long as you know
Know, know, know, know
Know, know, know, know
Oh...
I yearn for the liberty to do as I please and the cunning to navigate life's ups and downs; as long as you know, know, know, know, know, know
I won't share you, no
I won't share you
With the drive
And the dreams inside
This is my time
I'll see you somewhere
I'll see you sometime
Darling...
I won't share you with anyone, for this is my time for pursuing my passions and fulfilling the dreams inside; we'll cross paths elsewhere, my love
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: STEVEN MORRISSEY, JOHNNY MARR
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind