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)
Nowhere Fast
The Smiths Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I am a man of means, of slender means
Each household appliance
Is like a new science in my town
And if the day came when I felt a natural emotion
I'd get such a shock I'd probably jump in the ocean
And when a train goes by, it's such a sad sound
No, no, no, no, no
I'd like to drop my trousers to the Queen
Every sensible child will know what this means
The poor and the needy
Are selfish and greedy on her terms
And if the day came when I felt a natural emotion
I'd get such a shock I'd probably jump in the ocean
And when a train goes by, it's such a sad sound
No, no, no, no, no
It's such a sad thing
And when I'm lying in my bed
I think about life and I think about death
And neither one particularly appeals to me
And if the day came when I felt a natural emotion
I'd get such a shock I'd probably lie
In the middle of the street and die
I'd lie down and die, oh-oh
The opening lines of The Smiths' song "Nowhere Fast" convey a sense of apathy and disconnection from the world around the singer. He expresses a desire to "drop [his] trousers to the world," suggesting that he is disenchanted with the societal mores that govern his life. As a "man of means, of slender means," he has access to all the latest household appliances, but he finds no joy or meaning in them.
The following line, "each household appliance is like a new science in my town," suggests that the singer lives in a small, narrow-minded community that measures progress by material possessions. He feels that he is somehow alienated from his environment and that he is unable to experience natural emotions. Even the sound of a passing train, which can be a source of comfort or inspiration to some, fills him with sadness.
In the second verse, the singer switches from addressing the world at large to addressing the Queen specifically. He suggests that the poor and needy are selfish and greedy on her terms, indicating that he views the ruling class as the source of the societal norms that he detests. He repeats his assertion that he is unable to experience natural emotions and suggests that death holds no appeal for him. The song implies that the singer is trapped in a cycle of nihilism and apathy, in which he is unable to find any meaning or purpose in life.
Line by Line Meaning
I'd like to drop my trousers to the world
I want to expose my true self to everyone
I am a man of means, of slender means
I have enough wealth to get by, but not excessively rich
Each household appliance is like a new science in my town
I have access to modern technology and it fascinates me
And if the day came when I felt a natural emotion
If I were to experience an uncontrolled feeling
I'd get such a shock I'd probably jump in the ocean
It would surprise me so much that I might do something extreme
And when a train goes by, it's such a sad sound
The passing of time brings a feeling of melancholy
No, no, no, no, no
I reject this sadness
It's such a sad thing
But it's hard to escape
I'd like to drop my trousers to the Queen
I want to show even those in power my true self
Every sensible child will know what this means
Even the innocent can see through the illusion of power
The poor and the needy are selfish and greedy on her terms
Those in power label the less fortunate as such to justify their own actions
And when I'm lying in my bed
When I'm alone with my thoughts at night
I think about life and I think about death
I contemplate the mysteries of existence
And neither one particularly appeals to me
Neither living nor dying seem desirable
And if the day came when I felt a natural emotion
If I were to have a genuine feeling
I'd get such a shock I'd probably lie
It would be overwhelming, possibly paralyzing
In the middle of the street and die
I may even give up on life in that moment
I'd lie down and die, oh-oh
I would surrender to the weight of my emotions
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Steven Morrissey, Johnny Marr
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@hazemabdelalim9564
Lyrics
I'd like to drop my trousers to the world
I am a man of means, of slender means
Each household appliance
Is like a new science in my town
And if the day came when I felt a natural emotion
I'd get such a shock I'd probably jump in the ocean
And when a train goes by, it's such a sad sound
No, no, no, no, no
It's such a sad thing
I'd like to drop my trousers to the Queen
Every sensible child will know what this means
The poor and the needy
Are selfish and greedy on her terms
And if the day came when I felt a natural emotion
I'd get such a shock I'd probably jump in the ocean
And when a train goes by, it's such a sad sound
No, no, no, no, no
It's such a sad thing
And when I'm lying in my bed
I think about life and I think about death
And neither one particularly appeals to me
And if the day came when I felt a natural emotion
I'd get such a shock I'd probably lie
In the middle of the street and die
I'd lie down and die, oh-oh
@isabel1983
1:53 “And when I'm lying in my bed, I think about life, and I think about death, and neither one particularly appeals to me” gosh, such a great lyric ✨
@rong2912
He truly is the reincarnation of Oscar Wilde.
@benklon
Aah. My favorite line.
@DanielaL702
Best part ♥️✨
@richbaker3559
Brilliant 🙌
@beepst
Meat Is Murder is so criminally underrated it hurts.
@m.h.8664
Not underrated at all - musicians and press share the influence of that phenomenal album
@DaRkLoRd-rc5yu
Rip Andy Rourke will always be remembered as a bassline legend.
@hazemabdelalim9564
Lyrics
I'd like to drop my trousers to the world
I am a man of means, of slender means
Each household appliance
Is like a new science in my town
And if the day came when I felt a natural emotion
I'd get such a shock I'd probably jump in the ocean
And when a train goes by, it's such a sad sound
No, no, no, no, no
It's such a sad thing
I'd like to drop my trousers to the Queen
Every sensible child will know what this means
The poor and the needy
Are selfish and greedy on her terms
And if the day came when I felt a natural emotion
I'd get such a shock I'd probably jump in the ocean
And when a train goes by, it's such a sad sound
No, no, no, no, no
It's such a sad thing
And when I'm lying in my bed
I think about life and I think about death
And neither one particularly appeals to me
And if the day came when I felt a natural emotion
I'd get such a shock I'd probably lie
In the middle of the street and die
I'd lie down and die, oh-oh
@modyahmed376
انا بحبك يسطا