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)
Jeane
The Smiths Lyrics
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The low life has lost its appeal
And I'm tired of walking these streets
To a room with its cupboards bare
Jeane,
I'm not sure what happiness means
But I look in your eyes and I know...
That it isn't there
We tried and we failed
We tried and we failed
We tried and we failed
We tried and we failed
We tried...
Oh Jeane...
There's ice on the sink where we bathe
So how can you call this a home
When you know its a grave
Yet you still have that greedy grace...
As you tidy the place
But it will never be clean...
Jeane
We tried and we failed
We tried and we failed
We tried and we failed
We tried and we failed
We tried...
Gash on the nail
Its just a fairytale...
And I don't believe in magic anymore, Jeane...
But I think you know,
I really think you know
Oh yes I think you know the truth, Jeane
No heavenly choirs not for me
And no not for you
Because I think you know
I really think you know
I think you know the truth
Oh Jeane
We tried and we failed
We tried and we failed
We tried and we failed
We tried and we failed
We tried...
The Smiths' "Jeane" is a poignant song filled with themes of heartache, longing, and the futility of finding happiness. The song opens with the singer expressing his exhaustion with the "low life," signifying his unease with his current situation. The stanza also suggests that the singer is seeking a positive change in his life, one that is beyond the perpetual cycle of walking aimlessly along the streets.
The second stanza of the song expresses the singer's apprehensions about his current living situation with Jeane. The room that they share is barren, and there is only ice on the sink where they bathe, reflecting their difficult state of living. However, Jeane still has a sense of grace as she tidies up the place. The singer, however, sees that the place will never be clean, suggesting that their struggles extend beyond just their living conditions.
The chorus "We tried and we failed" repeats frequently, symbolizing the futility of the couple's search for happiness. Towards the end, the singer expresses his lack of faith in "heavenly choirs" or "magic" anymore, which suggests his disillusionment with finding any happiness in life. Ultimately, the song leaves the listener with a sense of resignation and the inescapable feeling of failure that pervades the couple's life.
Line by Line Meaning
Jeane
Addressing the person named Jeane
The low life has lost its appeal
Living a miserable life is no longer attractive
And I'm tired of walking these streets
I'm exhausted from wandering around aimlessly
To a room with its cupboards bare
To a place where basic necessities are scarce
Jeane, I'm not sure what happiness means
I don't know the true meaning of happiness
But I look in your eyes and I know...
I can tell from your eyes that happiness is not there
That it isn't there
Jeane does not possess happiness
We tried and we failed
We attempted and were unsuccessful multiple times
Oh Jeane...
Addressing Jeane once again
There's ice on the sink where we bathe
Where we wash up, there is ice which symbolizes bitterness
So how can you call this a home
How can this unpleasant place be considered a home?
When you know its a grave
We both know that this place is a burial site
Yet you still have that greedy grace...
But Jeane still has a degree of selfish elegance
As you tidy the place
Even though there's nothing much to clean, Jeane still tidies up
But it will never be clean...
Unfortunately, the place can never be truly clean
Jeane
Addressing Jeane again
Gash on the nail
A cut on the fingernail
Its just a fairytale...
Believing in magic or perfection is a figment of the imagination
And I don't believe in magic anymore, Jeane...
I no longer possess a belief in magic, Jeane
But I think you know,
I believe Jeane has an inclination of what's really going on
I really think you know
I genuinely think that Jeane has an understanding of the truth
Oh yes I think you know the truth, Jeane
Jeane knows the harsh reality of their situation
No heavenly choirs not for me
There's no divine choir singing for me
And no not for you
Jeane doesn't have a heavenly choir either
Because I think you know
Jeane has an inkling of what's really going on
I really think you know
Jeane has a real understanding of the situation
I think you know the truth
Jeane has an awareness of their current circumstance
Oh Jeane
Addressing Jeane for the last time in this song
We tried and we failed
We attempted and failed multiple times
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Johnny Marr, Steven Patrick Morrissey
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind