The Smiths' second single of 1983 depicts the story of a poor boy coming in contact with the upper class but feels unwelcome due to his lack of material wealth. The ambiguity of the characters' sexuality leaves the song very open to debate and speculation about the true meaning.
This song was covered by Death Cab For Cutie.
In a December 1993 interview with Guitar Player, guitarist Johnny Marr explained the overdubbing of his guitar that are consistent throughout “This Charming Man.”
"I’ll try any trick. With the Smiths, I’d take this really loud Telecaster of mine, lay it on top of a Fender Twin Reverb with the vibrato on, and tune it to an open chord. Then I’d drop a knife with a metal handle on it, hitting random strings. I used it on “This Charming Man”, buried beneath about 15 tracks of guitar … it was the first record where I used those highlife-sounding runs in 3rds. I’m tuned up to F# and I finger it in G, so it comes out in A. There are about 15 tracks of guitar. People thought the main guitar part was a Rickenbacker, but it’s really a ‘54 Tele. There are three tracks of acoustic, a backwards guitar with a really long reverb, and the effect of dropping knives on the guitar – that comes in at the end of the chorus."
On the album cover, that’s French actor Jean Marais in a still from the film Orpheus (1950) but in the video that’s Morrissey.
This Charming Man
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 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"
Na, na-na, na-na, na-na, this charming man
Oh, na-na, na-na, na-na, 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 Smiths' famous and beloved song "This Charming Man" tells a story through its cryptic lyrics about a young man trying to navigate his place in the world while also grappling with societal expectations and his own desires. The song's opening line, "Punctured bicycle on a hillside desolate," sets the melancholic tone for the rest of the song. The singer of the song is questioning whether his current circumstances will ultimately shape him into the person he wants to be, and wonders if his connection to nature will be his salvation.
The chorus of "This Charming Man" serves as a moment of relief and ultimately gives the song its soothing quality. The line "Why pamper life's complexity when the leather runs smooth on the passenger's seat?" suggests that sometimes life's greatest pleasures come from indulging in the simple things, like riding in a "charming car." However, the song still retains a sense of mystery and melancholy, as the singer yearns to go out but feels restricted by societal norms.
The final lines of the song, "Ah, a jumped-up pantry boy who never knew his place / He said, 'Return the ring' / He knows so much about these things" are particularly intriguing. The lyrics suggest that the singer has been interacting with a member of the upper class who is condescending and dismissive of his desires. The phrase "jumped-up pantry boy" is a derogatory term for someone who is trying to move up in class or social status, implying that the singer is not quite sure where he fits in. The song's ending leaves the story open to interpretation, but it ultimately conveys the idea that the search for identity is complex and ongoing.
Line by Line Meaning
Punctured bicycle
A broken bicycle that has a flat tire
On a hillside desolate
The bicycle is on a barren hill with no life around
Will nature make a man of me yet?
The singer is questioning whether being in nature will make him a better person
When in this charming car
The artist is describing being in a car with a charming man
This charming man
The artist is referring to the man who is driving the car
Why pamper life's complexity
The singer is questioning why people bother with complicated things in life
When the leather runs smooth
The singer is referring to the smoothness of the car seat leather
On the passenger's seat?
The artist is asking a rhetorical question about the leather seat on the passenger's side
I would go out tonight
The artist wishes to go out that night
But I haven't got a stitch to wear
The artist does not have suitable clothing to wear
This man said, "It's gruesome
The charming man comments negatively on the fact that the singer has nothing to wear
That someone so handsome should care"
The charming man is questioning why the artist, who may not be as attractive, would care about his clothing
Ah, a jumped-up pantry boy
The charming man may be referring to the singer as an insignificant boy from the kitchen or pantry
Who never knew his place
The charming man is saying that the singer needs to learn his place in society
He said, "Return the ring"
The charming man tells someone to give back a ring
He knows so much about these things
The charming man is making a snarky comment about the person, implying that they know about giving back engagement rings
La, la-la, la-la, la-la, this charming man
The artist repeats the phrase describing the charming man
Oh, la-la, la-la, la-la, this charming man
The singer repeats the phrase describing the charming man
Ah, a jumped-up pantry boy
The charming man may be referring to the singer as an insignificant boy from the kitchen or pantry
Who never knew his place
The charming man is saying that the artist needs to learn his place in society
He said, "Return the ring"
The charming man tells someone to give back a ring
He knows so much about these things
The charming man is making a snarky comment about the person, implying that they know about giving back engagement rings
He knows so much about these things
The charming man is making a snarky comment about the person, implying that they know about giving back engagement rings
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Steven Morrissey, Johnny Marr
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind