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 Night Has Opened My Eyes
The Smiths Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Immerse the baby's head
Wrap her up in the news of the world
Dump her on a doorstep, girl
This night has opened my eyes
And I will never sleep again
You kicked and cried like a bullied child
Oh, he said he'd cure your ills
But he didn't and he never will
Oh, save your life
Because you've only got one
The dream has gone but the baby is real
Oh, you did a good thing
She could have been a poet or she could have been a fool
Oh, you did a bad thing
And I'm not happy and I'm not sad
A shoeless child on a swing
Reminds you of your own again
She took away your troubles
Oh, but then again
She left pain
Oh, please save your life
Because you've only got one
The dream has gone but the baby is real
Oh, you did a good thing
She could have been a poet or she could have been a fool
Oh, you did a bad thing
And I'm not happy and I'm not sad
Oh la la la, ooh la la
And I'm not happy and I'm not sad
Oh la la la, ooh la la
And I'm not happy and I'm not sad
The Smiths' "This Night Has Opened My Eyes" is a hauntingly beautiful song filled with melancholy and introspection. The opening lyrics are shocking, describing a baby being immersed in a river and being wrapped in the news of the world before being dumped on a doorstep. This creates a vivid image of a child being abandoned and left to fend for themselves. The chorus "This night has opened my eyes, and I will never sleep again" suggests that this experience has had a profound impact on the singer and has altered their worldview.
The second verse describes the singer watching a grown man of twenty-five being kicked and cried like a bullied child. This suggests that the man is weak and vulnerable, and the singer feels pity for him. However, the man had claimed that he could cure the singer's ills, but he failed to do so. The chorus repeats, emphasizing the importance of cherishing life and not just dreaming of a better future.
The bridge of the song introduces a shoeless child on a swing, reminding the singer of their own childhood. The child takes away their troubles, but also leaves them with pain. The final chorus repeats the theme of the importance of life and how the singer is both unhappy and not sad about the events that have unfolded.
Line by Line Meaning
In a river the color of lead
In a desolate and bleak setting
Immerse the baby's head
Drown a helpless baby in the misery of the environment
Wrap her up in the news of the world
Cover up the harsh truth of reality with superficial distractions
Dump her on a doorstep, girl
Abandon the baby without care or responsibility
This night has opened my eyes
An experience has brought about newfound awareness
And I will never sleep again
The realization cannot be ignored and will have a permanent impact
You kicked and cried like a bullied child
You were mistreated and oppressed to the point of helplessness
A grown man of twenty five
Despite age, you still suffer from the effects of trauma
Oh, he said he'd cure your ills
False promises of healing and resolution
But he didn't and he never will
The promised solution was not delivered and never will be
Oh, save your life
Urgent plea to prioritize one's own survival
Because you've only got one
Life is precious and finite
The dream has gone but the baby is real
The idealized version of life is unattainable, but the consequences of actions are tangible
Oh, you did a good thing
Acknowledgment of a positive action performed
She could have been a poet or she could have been a fool
The potential of life is uncertain and open to interpretation
Oh, you did a bad thing
Recognition of a negative action taken
And I'm not happy and I'm not sad
A neutral emotional response to the situation
A shoeless child on a swing
A symbol of innocence and vulnerability
Reminds you of your own again
Brings back memories of carefree youth
She took away your troubles
Temporary escape from stress and worries
Oh, but then again
However, the cost of that escape may be greater
She left pain
The fleeting relief ultimately results in more suffering
Oh la la la, ooh la la
Expressive, nonverbal interlude
And I'm not happy and I'm not sad
The emotional reaction remains ambivalent
Oh la la la, ooh la la
Reiteration of interlude
And I'm not happy and I'm not sad
Conclusion that the situation elicits no significant emotion
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Johnny Marr, Steven Patrick Morrissey
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@marsric6061
Lyrics:
In a river the color of lead
Immerse the baby's head
Wrap her up in the News Of The World
Dump her on a doorstep, girl
This night has opened my eyes
And I will never sleep again
You kicked and cried like a bullied child
A grown man of twenty-five
Oh, he said he'd cure your ills
But he didn't and he never will
Oh, save your life
Because you've only got one
The dream has gone
But the baby is real
Oh, you did a good thing
She could have been a poet
Or, she could have been a fool
Oh, you did a bad thing
And I'm not happy
And I'm not sad
A shoeless child on a swing
Reminds you of your own again
She took away your troubles
Oh, but then again
She left pain
So, please save your life
Because you've only got one
The dream has gone
But the baby is real
Oh, you did a good thing
She could have been a poet
Or, she could have been a fool
Oh, you did a bad thing
And I'm not happy
And I'm not sad
Oh...
And I'm not happy
And I'm not sad
Oh...
And I'm not happy
And I'm not sad
@lucias.13
In a river the colour of lead
Immerse a baby's head
Wrap her up in the News Of The World
Dump her on a doorstep, girl
This night has opened my eyes
And I will never sleep again
You kicked and cried like a bullied child
A grown man of twenty-five
He said he'd cure your ills
But he didn't and he never will
So, save your life
Because you've only got one
The dream has gone
But the baby is real
Oh you did a good thing
She could have been a poet
Or, she could have been a fool
Oh you did a bad thing
And I'm not happy
And I'm not sad
A shoeless child on a swing
Reminds you of your own again
She took away your troubles
Oh but then again she left pain
So please save your life
Because you've only got one
The dream has gone
But the baby is real
Oh you did a good thing
She could have been a poet
Or, she could have been a fool
Oh you did a bad thing
And I'm not happy
And I'm not sad
@angga8444
Loneliness is a universal language and the smiths spoke it more fluently than others.
@co3980
miserably beaufiful. Could be worse, could have dated an axe-murderer!
@amanisofia2701
This may be the best you tube comment I’ve seen in awhile. I had to google it to make sure it wasn’t plagiarized. My god that is great sentiment. You @angga are a wordsmith my friend.
@hippiecheezburger5457
You ever gotten used to being so lonely and then something good comes like a new love and you got to take your chances, it’ll either be great or you’ll just be shattered once again, depression is so bad. It’s so weird how you just want to feel nothing after a while because you’re emotions are out of control
@jimnewcombe7584
Well said.
@sofiana580
Angga El. Maestro
@Midgetstars08
"He said he'd cure your ills, but he didn't and he never will" applies to so much and I really feel that line ringing in the deepest corners of my past
@gaby_._.
Also the part of “she took away your troubles, oh but then again, she left pain” hits so deeply
@placeholder3853
maybe shouldn't have given yourself to a dickhead just because he's good looking or rich then
@vindsvalrpdx
For me "the dream is gone, but the baby is real" is my part lol. I am raising my 14-year-old son by myself. His mom and I both love The Smiths, so it hurts even worse because of that fact lol. Every song on this album makes me happy and depressed severely, simultaneously lol.