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)
Sweet And Tender Hooligan
The Smiths Lyrics
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He said that he'd never, never do it again
And of course he won't
Oh, not until the next time
He was a sweet and tender hooligan, hooligan
He swore that he'd never, never do it again
And of course he won't
Poor old man
He had an accident with a three-bar fire
But that's okay
Because he wasn't very happy anyway
Poor old woman
Strangled in her very own bed as she read
But that's okay
Because she was old and she would have died anyway
Don't blame the sweet and tender hooligan, hooligan
Because he'll never, never, never, never, never do it again
Not until the next time
Jury, you've heard every word, so before you decide
Would you look into those "mother me" eyes
I love you for you, my love, you, my love
You, my love, you, my love
Jury, you've heard every word, but before you decide
Would you look into those "mother me" eyes
I love you for you, my love, you, my love
I love you just for you, my love
Don't blame the sweet and tender hooligan, hooligan
Because he'll never, never do it again
And in the midst of life we are in death etcetera
Don't forget the hooligan, hooligan
Because he'll never, never do it again
And in the midst of life we are in death etcetera
Etcetera, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera
In the midst of life we are in debt, etcetera
Etcetera, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera
In the midst of life we are in debt, etcetera
Just will you free me?
Will you find me?
Will you free me?
Will you find me?
Will you free me, free me, free me, free me, free me?
Jury will you free me?
Will you find me?
Will you free me?
Will you find me?
How will you find me, find me, find me, find me, find me, find me, find me?
Etcetera, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera
Etcetera, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera
In the midst of life we are in debt, etcetera
Oh, oh
The Smiths’ song Sweet and Tender Hooligan tells a story of a man who commits violent crimes but is somehow still seen as a sympathetic figure. The lyrics describe him as a “sweet and tender hooligan” who promises not to offend again but is revealed to be a repeat offender (“not until the next time”). The song implies that the man’s victims are somehow deserving of their fate because they were unhappy or old, shown by the lines “But that’s okay/Because he wasn’t very happy anyway” and “But that’s okay/Because she was old and she would have died anyway”. The song’s narrator urges the jurors to not blame the hooligan and to look into the eyes of the accused as a way of justifying their crimes.
The song’s lyrics are controversial as they seem to romanticize and justify violent behavior. Morrissey, the band’s frontman and the song’s writer, often used violent imagery to expose the darker side of society but the song’s lyrics are also somewhat autobiographical. Morrissey has admitted to growing up in a rough area of Manchester, England and being bullied by gangs. He has also stated that he wrote the song as a way of mocking the public’s fascination with violent criminals.
Line by Line Meaning
He was a sweet and tender hooligan, hooligan
He was a charming and endearing troublemaker.
He said that he'd never, never do it again
He promised that he wouldn't repeat the same mistake.
And of course he won't
He probably will, but let's pretend he won't.
Oh, not until the next time
He will do it again, but we'll overlook that fact for now.
Poor old man
The man in question was unfortunate and deserving of pity.
He had an accident with a three-bar fire
He suffered an injury due to a household accident.
But that's okay
It's unfortunate, but we will accept it as is.
Because he wasn't very happy anyway
It's a sad situation, but he probably wasn't happy to begin with.
Poor old woman
The woman in question was unfortunate and deserving of pity.
Strangled in her very own bed as she read
She was killed in her own bed while reading.
Because she was old and she would have died anyway
It's sad, but she was old and probably would have passed away soon regardless.
Don't blame the sweet and tender hooligan, hooligan
Don't hold the charming troublemaker accountable for these misfortunes.
Because he'll never, never, never, never, never do it again
He won't do it again, unless he does (which is very likely).
Not until the next time
He will do it again, but we'll ignore that for now.
Jury, you've heard every word, so before you decide
Before passing judgment, consider all the facts presented.
Would you look into those "mother me" eyes
Take a moment to observe the pleading eyes of the defendant.
I love you for you, my love, you, my love
I love you for who you are, my love.
Jury, you've heard every word, but before you decide
Don't make a decision until all the information has been presented.
How will you find me, find me, find me, find me, find me, find me, find me?
How will you locate me, locate me, locate me, locate me, locate me, locate me, locate me?
Don't forget the hooligan, hooligan
Don't disregard the charming troublemaker.
And in the midst of life we are in death etcetera
Life is fleeting and unpredictable, and death is a constant presence.
Etcetera, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera
And so on, and so forth.
In the midst of life we are in debt, etcetera
Life is short, and we owe it to ourselves to make the most of it.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Steven Morrissey, Johnny Marr
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind