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)
What She Said
The Smiths Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
"How come someone hasn't noticed
That I'm dead
And decided to bury me?
God knows, I'm ready!"
La-la-la...
What she said was sad
To pretend to be happy
Could only be idiocy
La-la-la...
What she said was not for the job or
Lover that she never had
Oh...
No no no...
What she read
All heady books
She'd sit and prophesise
(It took a tattooed boy from
Birkenhead
To really really open her eyes)
What she read
All heady books
She'd sit and prophesise
(It took a tattooed boy from
Birkenhead
To really really open her eyes)
What she said :
"I smoke 'cause I'm hoping for an
Early death
And I need to cling to something!"
What she said :
"I smoke 'cause I'm hoping for an
Early death
And I need to cling to something!"
No no no no...
The lyrics of The Smiths' "What She Said" reveal a story of a woman who is desperately unhappy with her life. She feels invisible and wonders why nobody has noticed that she is already dead and ready to be buried. She has had a lot of rejection in her life, making it difficult to pretend to be happy. The woman is incredibly intelligent and well-read, with her head always buried in books. However, it is only after encountering a tattooed boy from Birkenhead that she has an awakening moment that opens her eyes. In the end, the woman admits that she smokes cigarettes because she's hoping for an early death, and she needs to cling to something.
The song explores themes of loneliness, disillusionment, and depression. The woman in the song is someone who feels like she's been passed over by life and is searching for some meaning. The lyrics express sarcasm and irony, with the woman's emotional pain being counterbalanced by the upbeat, jaunty melody. The song highlights the struggles of modern-day life and how difficult it can be to find a sense of purpose.
Line by Line Meaning
How come someone hasn't noticed That I'm dead And decided to bury me? God knows, I'm ready!
The singer feels dead inside and wishes someone would notice and put her out of her misery.
What she said was sad But then, all the rejection she's had To pretend to be happy Could only be idiocy La-la-la...
The singer recognizes that her attempts to appear happy despite the rejection she's faced are foolish.
What she said was not for the job or Lover that she never had Oh... No no no...
The singer is expressing frustration with her lack of success in her career and love life.
What she read All heady books She'd sit and prophesise (It took a tattooed boy from Birkenhead To really really open her eyes)
The artist used to read intellectual books and make predictions about the world until a unique person from Birkenhead made her see things differently.
What she said : "I smoke 'cause I'm hoping for an Early death And I need to cling to something!"
The artist smokes cigarettes as a form of self-destructive behavior and to give herself a sense of purpose.
What she said : "I smoke 'cause I'm hoping for an Early death And I need to cling to something!" No no no no...
The singer repeats that she smokes for the sake of clinging to something, but then denies it, perhaps indicating that she is aware of the absurdity of the notion.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: STEVEN MORRISSEY, JOHNNY MARR
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind