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)
Pratty Girls Make Graves
The Smiths Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
"There is a quick and easy way" you say
Before you illustrate
I'd rather state
I'm not the man you think I am
I'm not the man you think I am
And sorrow's native son
And pretty girls make graves
End of the pier, end of the bay
You tug my arm, and say "give in to lust
Give up to lust, oh heaven knows we'll
Soon be dust"
Oh, I'm not the man you think I am
I'm not the man you think I am
And sorrow's native son
He will not rise for anyone
And pretty girls make graves
(Oh, really?)
I could have been wild and I could have been free
But nature played this trick on me
She wants it now
And she will not wait
But she's too rough
And I'm too delicate
Then, on the sand
Another man, he takes her hand
A smile lights up her stupid face
(And well, it would)
I lost my faith in womanhood
I lost my faith in womanhood
I lost my faith
Hand in glove
The sun shines out of our behinds
In "Pretty Girls Make Graves," Morrissey sings about the fleeting nature of love and relationships. Using vivid imagery, Morrissey tells the story of a man who is hesitant to give in to the advances of a woman, only to watch as she eventually leaves him for someone else. The song title is taken from the title of Jack Kerouac's novel "The Dharma Bums," in which the phrase is used to describe the transience of youth and beauty.
The opening lines of the song set the scene on the beach, where the man and woman are standing. The woman is trying to persuade the man to give in to lust, but he is reluctant, telling her that he's not the man she thinks he is. The singer is aware of his limitations and is not interested in a casual fling.
The chorus, "And pretty girls make graves," is a warning to the listener that falling for someone based solely on their looks is a dangerous game. The phrase suggests that those who are considered the most beautiful are also the most likely to cause pain and sorrow. This idea is reinforced by the final verse, where the man sees the woman he was interested in holding hands with another man. He has lost faith in womanhood, implying that women are fickle and untrustworthy.
Line by Line Meaning
Upon the sand, upon the bay
The song sets its backdrop on a beach and a bay area
"There is a quick and easy way" you say
Someone is offering an effortless solution to the singer's problem
Before you illustrate
Before they continue, the singer has something to say
I'd rather state
The singer prefers to convey their own ideas as opposed to listening to suggestions
I'm not the man you think I am
The singer is not who the other person assumes they are
And sorrow's native son
Refers to the singer as someone familiar with grief
He will not smile for anyone
The singer will not fake their happiness for anyone
And pretty girls make graves
Beautiful women have a tragic fate
End of the pier, end of the bay
The song shifts to another area of the beach
You tug my arm, and say "give in to lust
The other person tries to influence the singer to indulge in lustful desires
Give up to lust, oh heaven knows we'll
The other person implies that succumbing to temptation won't matter in the end
Soon be dust"
Life is fleeting, so enjoy it while it lasts
Oh, I'm not the man you think I am
The singer reiterates that they are not the person the other assumes them to be
And sorrow's native son
The singer's familiarity with sadness is repeated
He will not rise for anyone
The singer will not act happy or enthusiastic for anyone
And pretty girls make graves
The tragic fate of beautiful women is repeated
(Oh, really?)
A sarcastic retort questioning the relevance of the previous statement
I could have been wild and I could have been free
The singer reflects on their past and their missed opportunities
But nature played this trick on me
The singer was born with certain traits and tendencies which held them back
She wants it now
Another woman wants something urgently
And she will not wait
The same woman is unwilling to wait for it to happen naturally
But she's too rough
The woman's brusque manner is unappealing to the singer
And I'm too delicate
The singer is too sensitive for the woman's preferences
Then, on the sand
The scene returns to the beach
Another man, he takes her hand
Another man is now with the woman
A smile lights up her stupid face
The woman is happy, but the singer isn't impressed
(And well, it would)
The other person agrees that the woman's smile is expected
I lost my faith in womanhood
The singer has lost faith in women due to their experiences
I lost my faith in womanhood
The singer repeats their lack of trust in women
I lost my faith
The singer has lost their belief in something important
Hand in glove
A phrase indicating that people are working together or supporting each other
The sun shines out of our behinds
A sarcastic statement pointing out how arrogant and self-important people can be
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: STEVEN MORRISSEY, JOHNNY MARR
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@hellbent6344
Upon the sand, upon the bay
"There is a quick and easy way" you say
Before you illustrate
I'd rather state
I'm not the man you think I am
I'm not the man you think I am
And sorrow's native son
He will not smile for anyone
And pretty girls make graves
End of the pier, end of the bay
You tug my arm, and say "give in to lust
Give up to lust, oh heaven knows we'll
Soon be dust"
Oh, I'm not the man you think I am
I'm not the man you think I am
And sorrow's native son
He will not rise for anyone
And pretty girls make graves
(Oh, really?)
I could have been wild and I could have been free
But nature played this trick on me
She wants it now
And she will not wait
But she's too rough
And I'm too delicate
Then, on the sand
Another man, he takes her hand
A smile lights up her stupid face
(And well, it would)
I lost my faith in womanhood
I lost my faith in womanhood
I lost my faith
Hand in glove
The sun shines out of our behinds
@iLuMicSnipin
That guitar coda at the end always gets me, marr is a genius
@productofthe80s
You should hear on the 1983 Old Grey Whistle Test performance... It changed my life!
@puhkifx9360
rhcp minor thing outro
@Feuerbach1
Totally agree a work of genius
@rody8812
I couldnt agree more with ur statement
@decaffeinatedafrican5997
he went to yale and everything
@jamesandersom2520
The Smiths will allways sound good,anytime,any century.They are timeless.😇😇
@biancateixeira4005
I’m 16, it’s 2021. I’m so in love with this band I wish I was introduced to it as a child 🤍
@imshaking1148
@@biancateixeira4005 same! I love them and all of theirs lyrics are priceless
@jackpooler3740
Actually are