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)
This Charming Man (Manchester
The Smiths Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
On a hillside desolate
Will nature make a man of me yet?
When in this charming car
This charming man
Why pamper life's complexity
On the passenger's seat?
I would go out tonight
But I haven't got a stitch to wear
This man said "it's gruesome
That someone so handsome should care"
Ah ! A jumped-up pantry boy
Who never knew his place
He said "return the ring"
He knows so much about these things
He knows so much about these things
I would go out tonight
But I haven't got a stitch to wear
This man said "it's gruesome
That someone so handsome should care"
La, la-la, la-la, la-la, this charming man
Oh, la-la, la-la, la-la, this charming man
Ah ! A jumped-up pantry boy
Who never knew his place
He said "return the ring"
He knows so much about these things
He knows so much about these things
He knows so much about these things
The lyrics to The Smiths' song "This Charming Man" paint a picture of a young man on a journey toward manhood. The first two lines, "Punctured bicycle, on a hillside desolate," suggest a sense of isolation and vulnerability. The line "Will nature make a man of me yet?" implies a desire to be self-sufficient and self-reliant. The subsequent lines, "When in this charming car, this charming man," suggest that the singer may have found a sense of refuge in his car and persona.
The next lines, "Why pamper life's complexity when the leather runs smooth on the passenger's seat?" underscore a rejection of complexity in favor of comfort and luxury. The line "I would go out tonight but I haven't got a stitch to wear" reveals a certain insecurity, despite the character's charm and affluence. The line "This man said 'it's gruesome that someone so handsome should care'" highlights both the singer's beauty and his perceived triviality.
The repeated lines, "Ah! A jumped-up pantry boy who never knew his place / He said 'return the ring' / He knows so much about these things / He knows so much about these things" suggest that the singer is being judged and ridiculed by someone who sees him as unworthy of his status. Overall, the song is a meditation on the contradictions of youth and the challenges of growing up in a rigid society where social status and appearance matter.
Line by Line Meaning
Punctured bicycle
A bike with a flat tire
On a hillside desolate
In a lonely and isolated place
Will nature make a man of me yet?
Can being in a desolate and isolated area make me stronger and more independent?
When in this charming car
When riding in this attractive car
This charming man
Referring to the driver of the car who is attractive and charismatic
Why pamper life's complexity
Why make life more complicated than it needs to be?
When the leather runs smooth
When everything is running smoothly and comfortably, like the soft leather on the seats of the car
On the passenger's seat?
In the seat for the person accompanying the driver
I would go out tonight
I want to go out tonight
But I haven't got a stitch to wear
I don't have anything to wear
This man said "it's gruesome
A man said it's unfortunate
That someone so handsome should care"
That an attractive person like myself should be concerned about my appearance
Ah! A jumped-up pantry boy
A low-class person who is trying to act higher class
Who never knew his place
Someone who doesn't understand their social position
He said "return the ring"
He demanded the return of the engagement ring
He knows so much about these things
He seems to have a lot of experience with relationships and social status
La, la-la, la-la, la-la, this charming man
Vocalization of the chorus
Oh, la-la, la-la, la-la, this charming man
Vocalization of the chorus
He knows so much about these things
He seems to have a lot of experience with relationships and social status
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: STEVEN MORRISSEY, JOHNNY MARR
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind