The Smiths were an English rock band formed in Manchester in 1982. They com… Read Full Bio ↴The Smiths were an English rock band formed in Manchester in 1982. They comprised the singer Morrissey, the guitarist Johnny Marr, the bassist Andy Rourke and the drummer Mike Joyce. They are regarded as one of the most important acts to emerge from the 1980s British independent music scene.

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)

Is It Really So Strange?
The Smiths Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I left the North
I traveled South
I found a tiny house
And I can't help the way that I feel

Oh yes, you can kick me
And you can punch me
And you can break my face

But you won't change the way I feel
'Cause I love you, oh

And is it really so strange?
Oh, is it really so strange?
Oh, is it really so, really so strange?
I say, "No", you say, "Yes"
But you will change your mind

I left the South
I traveled North
I got confused, I killed a horse
I can't help the way that I feel

Oh yes, you can kick me
And you can butt me
And you can break my spine
But you won't change the way I feel
'Cause I love you, oh

And is it really so strange?
Oh, is it really so strange?
Oh, is it really so, really so strange?
I say, "No", you say, "Yes"
But you will change your mind

I left the North again
I traveled South again
And I got confused, I killed a nun
I can't help the way I feel

I can't help the way I feel
I can't help the way I feel
I lost my bag in Newport Pagnell

Why is the last mile the hardest mile?
My throat was dry, with the sun in my eyes

And I realized, I realized
I could never, I could never, never, go back home again

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of The Smiths' song "Is it Really So Strange?" describe the feeling of being lost and out of place, wandering aimlessly from one location to another. The singer is searching for a place to belong, but no matter where he goes, he cannot help the way he feels. This feeling is so strong that even if someone were to physically assault him, it would not change his love for the person he is searching for.

The first verse reveals that the singer has traveled to the South and found a small home, but he still cannot find what he is searching for. The second verse describes how he traveled North and killed a horse after becoming confused, but still cannot escape his feelings. In the third and final verse, the singer goes back to the South and kills a nun, which could represent the guilt he feels for his actions or a metaphorical death of his faith.

The repeated line "is it really so strange?" emphasizes the idea that the singer's feelings are not uncommon or unnatural. He knows what he wants, but also recognizes that others may see it as strange or out of the ordinary. The final line, "I could never, never, never go back home again," suggests that the singer may feel a sense of displacement or that he may never find a true home or sense of belonging.

Line by Line Meaning

I left the North
I departed from my place of birth

I traveled South
I journeyed to a distant location

I found a tiny house
I discovered a small place to stay

And I can't help the way that I feel
I have no choice in how I feel

Oh yes, you can kick me
You can physically harm me

And you can punch me
You can physically assault me

And you can break my face
You can cause physical damage to my face

But you won't change the way I feel
My emotions cannot be changed by physical harm

'Cause I love you, oh
Because I have strong feelings of love towards you

And is it really so strange?
Is it truly unusual or peculiar?

Oh, is it really so strange?
Is this situation as unconventional as it seems?

Oh, is it really so, really so strange?
Is the strangeness of this situation truly valid?

I say, "No", you say, "Yes"
We have differing opinions on the matter

But you will change your mind
Your opinion may shift in the future

I left the South
I departed from the location in which I had been staying

I traveled North
I journeyed in the opposite direction

I got confused, I killed a horse
I became disoriented, and harmed an animal

I can't help the way that I feel
I have no control over my emotions

Oh yes, you can kick me
Physical harm may still be inflicted upon me

And you can butt me
You are capable of injuring me in additional ways

And you can break my spine
You can cause serious harm to my back

But you won't change the way I feel
My emotions cannot be altered by physical harm

'Cause I love you, oh
I have strong feelings of love for you

And is it really so strange?
Despite the circumstances, is it truly unexpected?

Oh, is it really so strange?
Could this situation be more typical than it appears?

Oh, is it really so, really so strange?
Is the strangeness of this situation truly valid?

I say, "No", you say, "Yes"
We still have differing opinions on this matter

But you will change your mind
Your perspective may change in the future

I left the North again
I returned to my place of birth

I traveled South again
I journeyed to the distant location once more

And I got confused, I killed a nun
I became disoriented, and unfortunately caused harm to another person

I can't help the way I feel
My emotions are out of my control

I can't help the way I feel
My feelings are beyond my influence

I lost my bag in Newport Pagnell
I misplaced my belongings in a specific location

Why is the last mile the hardest mile?
Why is the conclusion of a journey often the most difficult?

My throat was dry, with the sun in my eyes
I was dehydrated and exposed to harsh sunlight

And I realized, I realized
I reached a sudden moment of understanding

I could never, I could never, never, go back home again
I recognized that I could never return to my earlier state or way of life

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: STEVEN MORRISSEY, JOHNNY MARR

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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