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)
Take Me Back To Dear Old Blightly
The Smiths Lyrics
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Put me on the train for London Town,
Take me anywhere,
Drop me anywhere,
Liverpool, Leeds or Birmingham
But I don't care,
I should like to see my
Farewell to this land's cheerless marshes
Hemmed in like a boar between arches
Her very Lowness with a head in a sling
I'm truly sorry, but it sounds like a wonderful thing
I said Charles, don't you ever crave
To appear on the front of the Daily Mail
Dressed in your Mother's bridal veil?
Oh
And so, I checked all the registered historical facts
And I was shocked into shame to discover
How I'm the 18th pale descendant
Of some old queen or other
Oh, has the world changed, or have I changed?
Oh has the world changed, or have I changed?
Some nine-year old tough who peddles drugs
I swear to God
I swear, I never even knew what drugs were
Oh
So, I broke into the palace
With a sponge and a rusty spanner
She said, "Eh, I know you, and you cannot sing"
I said, "That's nothing, you should hear me play piano"
We can go for a walk where it's quiet and dry
And talk about precious things
But when you're tied to your Mother's apron
No-one talks about castration
Oh
We can go for a walk where it's quiet and dry
And talk about precious things
Like love and law and poverty
Oh, these are the things that kill me
We can go for a walk where it's quiet and dry
And talk about precious things
But the rain that flattens my hair
Oh, these are the things that kill me
All their lies about make-up and long hair, are still there
Past the pub who saps your body
And the church who'll snatch your money
The Queen is dead, boys
And it's so lonely on a limb
Past the pub that wrecks your body
And the church, all they want is your money
The Queen is dead, boys
And it's so lonely on a limb
Life is very long, when you're lonely
Life is very long, when you're lonely
Life is very long, when you're lonely
Life is very long, when you're lonely
The Smiths' song Take Me Back To Dear Old Blighty is a wistful anthem that yearns for the England of the past. The song starts with a plea to be taken back to the homeland, to be put on a train to London, or anywhere, even Liverpool, Leeds or Birmingham would do, as long as the singer can see his "dear old Blighty" again. However, the lyrics soon take a darker turn, with references to the "land's cheerless marshes" that seem to hem one in like a boar between arches. The singer is bidding farewell to these marshes and hopes to see his home country once more.
The next line of the song seems to be a sarcastic take on the England of the time, with the singer apologizing for how he finds the fact that he is the 18th pale descendant of some "old queen or other" a wonderful thing. It is an ironic take on the obsession with royalty and aristocracy in England.
The song also hints at social issues such as drug peddling by children and the loneliness that comes with being tied to one's mother's apron strings. The line "The Queen is dead, boys" is a reference to the Morrissey's belief in a world without a monarchy. The song ends on a haunting note with the repeated refrain "Life is very long when you're lonely," capturing the sense of isolation and despair that pervades the song.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh! Take me back to dear old Blighty,
Oh! Take me back to my beloved UK.
Put me on the train for London Town,
Place me on the train that will take me to London.
Take me anywhere,
Transport me to any location.
Drop me anywhere,
Put me down at any spot.
Liverpool, Leeds or Birmingham
Whether it's Liverpool, Leeds or Birmingham.
But I don't care,
But I don't mind wherever I end up.
I should like to see my
I'd love to see my home again.
I don't bless them
I don't show any favor towards them.
Farewell to this land's cheerless marshes
Goodbye to this region's dull and lifeless swamps.
Hemmed in like a boar between arches
Surrounded by arches as if in a cage.
Her very Lowness with a head in a sling
The Queen is in a state of lowliness and weakness.
I'm truly sorry, but it sounds like a wonderful thing
I know it's probably bad, but it might be a good thing somehow.
I said Charles, don't you ever crave
I told Charles, don't you ever desire.
To appear on the front of the Daily Mail
To be featured on the front page of the Daily Mail.
Dressed in your Mother's bridal veil?
Wearing your mother's wedding veil?
So, I checked all the registered historical facts
So, I verified all of the recorded historical information.
And I was shocked into shame to discover
And I was stunned and ashamed to realize.
How I'm the 18th pale descendant
That I'm the 18th light-skinned offspring.
Of some old queen or other
Of some old monarch or another.
Oh has the world changed, or have I changed?
Has the world transformed, or have I transformed?
Some nine-year old tough who peddles drugs
Some nine-year-old delinquent who sells drugs.
I swear to God
I promise to God.
I swear, I never even knew what drugs were
I am telling the truth, I didn't even know what drugs were.
So, I broke into the palace
So I unlawfully entered the palace.
With a sponge and a rusty spanner
Using a sponge and a rusty wrench.
She said, "Eh, I know you, and you cannot sing"
She said, 'Hey, I recognize you, and you can't sing'.
I said, "That's nothing, you should hear me play piano"
I replied, 'That's nothing, you should hear me playing the piano.'
We can go for a walk where it's quiet and dry
We can take a walk in a calm and dry place.
And talk about precious things
And discuss valuable topics.
But when you're tied to your Mother's apron
But when you're dependent on your mother.
No-one talks about castration
No one mentions castration.
Like love and law and poverty
Such as love, law, and impoverishment.
But the rain that flattens my hair
But the downfall that limits my hair.
All their lies about make-up and long hair, are still there
All their falsehoods regarding cosmetics and lengthy hair still persist.
Past the pub who saps your body
Beyond the bar that depletes your energy.
And the church who'll snatch your money
And the church that will take your money.
The Queen is dead, boys
The Queen has passed away, fellows.
And it's so lonely on a limb
And it's so desolate on a branch.
Life is very long, when you're lonely
Life seems never-ending when you're lonely.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: MORRISSEY, STEVEN PATRICK/MARR, JOHNNY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind