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)
Pretty 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
Ooh-ooh-oh-ooh, ooh-ooh-oh-ooh-ooh
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?)
Ooh-ooh-oh-ooh, ooh-ooh-oh-ooh-ooh
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
Ooh-ooh-oh-ooh, ooh-ooh-oh-ooh-ooh
Hand in glove
The sun shines out of our behinds
Ooh-oh, ooh-oh
The Smiths' song "Pretty Girls Make Graves" appears to be about the singer's struggle to resist the temptation of superficial beauty and lust. The opening lines present a woman trying to convince the singer to give in to his desires, but he resists, stating that he is not the person she thinks he is. He identifies as "sorrow's native son," indicating a sensibility that is attuned to the pain and suffering inherent in the human condition. The refrain "and pretty girls make graves" suggests that the singer sees beauty as something that ultimately leads to sadness or death.
The second verse takes place at "the end of the pier, end of the bay," where the woman continues to try to seduce the singer. She argues that life is short and that they should indulge their desires while they can. However, the singer again resists, stating that he is not the person she thinks he is. The line "And pretty girls make graves (Oh, really?)" suggests that the singer is aware of the triteness of this idea and has heard it many times before.
The final verse introduces a new character, another man who takes the woman's hand. The singer observes the woman's smile and realizes that he has lost his faith in womanhood. The final lines, "Hand in glove, the sun shines out of our behinds" can also be interpreted as a commentary on the superficial nature of beauty and the willingness of people to be fooled by it.
Line by Line Meaning
Upon the sand, upon the bay
The setting of the story being told
"There is a quick and easy way" you say
Someone trying to manipulate the singer with false promises
Before you illustrate
The singer doesn't want to hear more
I'd rather state
The artist would rather speak his own truth
I'm not the man you think I am
The artist doesn't want to be perceived in a certain way
And sorrow's native son
The singer is lonely and melancholic
He will not smile for anyone
The singer doesn't find joy in anything
And pretty girls make graves
The artist believes that beautiful women tend to lead to trouble
End of the pier, end of the bay
Change in setting
You tug my arm, and say
Someone is trying to convince the artist of something
"Give in to lust, give up to lust
Urging the singer to act impulsively
Oh, heaven knows we'll soon be dust"
The impermanence of life
Oh, I'm not the man you think I am
The singer reiterating his earlier statement
And sorrow's native son
Reiteration of the singer's melancholy state
He will not rise for anyone
The singer is stagnant in his life
And pretty girls make graves (Oh, really?)
Reiteration of the artist's belief about beautiful women and questioning tone from someone else
I could have been wild and I could have been free
Regret for missed opportunities
But nature played this trick on me
Feeling like fate is against the singer
She wants it now
Referring to someone else's desires
And she will not wait
Urgency in the situation
But she's too rough
The other person's methods are not compatible with the artist's personality
And I'm too delicate
The artist is not capable of handling the situation
Then, on the sand
Change in setting
Another man, he takes her hand
The other person goes for someone else
A smile lights up her stupid face
The other person seems happy but is perceived as foolish by the singer
And well, it would
Acknowledgement that the situation is not surprising
I lost my faith in womanhood
Disillusionment with women in general
I lost my faith
Loss of faith in people and possibly life itself
Ooh-ooh-oh-ooh, ooh-ooh-oh-ooh-ooh
Recurring melody
Hand in glove
Phrase signaling unity or agreement
The sun shines out of our behinds
Possibly sarcastic statement about the singer and someone else
Ooh-oh, ooh-oh
Recurring melody
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