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)
William It Was Really Nothing
The Smiths Lyrics
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This town has dragged you down
Oh, the rain falls hard on a humdrum town
This town has dragged you down
Oh, no, and everybody's got to live their life
And God knows I've got to live mine
God knows I've got to live mine
William, William it was really nothing
It was your life
How can you stay with a fat girl who'll say
"Oh, would you like to marry me?
And if you like you can buy the ring"
She doesn't care about anything
Would you like to marry me?
And if you like you can buy the ring
I don't dream about anyone except myself
Oh, William, William it was really nothing
William, William
The Smiths's song "William It Was Really Nothing" is a commentary on the monotony and drudgery of life in mundane towns. The opening lines paint a picture of a town where it rains heavily and nothing exciting ever happens. The repetition of the line "This town has dragged you down" implies a sense of resignation and defeat among the inhabitants of the town. The chorus, with its repeated refrain of "William, it was really nothing," seems to suggest that the singer of the song has found a way to break free from the dreariness of his life, possibly through introspection or personal growth. The line "It was your life" reinforces this idea, as it suggests that the decisions we make and the paths we take are entirely our own responsibility.
The second verse tells the story of a fat girl who proposes to the singer, saying "you can buy the ring" without any consideration for the emotional or financial implications of such a commitment. The singer, however, is not interested, as he is more concerned with his own life and dreams. The final line of the song, "Oh, William, William it was really nothing," may be interpreted as a self-affirmation or a statement of defiance against those who try to hold us back or impose their expectations on us.
"William It Was Really Nothing" was released in 1984 as a single and was later included on The Smiths's compilation album "Hatful of Hollow." The song was written by Morrissey (lyrics) and Johnny Marr (music), with Marr providing the distinctive guitar riff that opens the song. The song has been interpreted in various ways over the years, with some seeing it as a celebration of individuality and personal autonomy, while others interpret it as a critique of social norms and expectations.
Line by Line Meaning
The rain falls hard on a humdrum town
This is a mediocre town which restricts people and their potential
This town has dragged you down
The town has brought you down to its level
Oh, the rain falls hard on a humdrum town
The town's dullness is made worse by the constant rain, i.e it's a miserable place
This town has dragged you down
The town has sucked your energy by creating a mundane life for you, i.e you've been worn down
Oh, no, and everybody's got to live their life
Everyone has their own struggles and challenges
And God knows I've got to live mine
I have my personal struggles which I have to deal with
God knows I've got to live mine
I acknowledge that I must face my challenges and fight for what I truly want
William, William it was really nothing
This line refers to a meaningless past experience that William had, either with the persona or with someone/something else in his life.
William, William it was really nothing
The persona is saying that this experience has no effect on their present.
It was your life
The experience is owned by William, and is inconsequential to the persona.
How can you stay with a fat girl who'll say
This question is asked to create an argument in the midst of the song's meaning.
"Oh, would you like to marry me?
The girl asks the persona if they'd like to get married.
And if you like you can buy the ring"
She offers the proposal to the persona despite her unattractive appearance.
She doesn't care about anything
This girl is apathetic and has no significant aspirations or interests.
Would you like to marry me?
The girl wants to be proposed to, regardless of the persona's thoughts on the matter.
And if you like you can buy the ring
She asks for an engagement ring from the persona.
I don't dream about anyone except myself
The persona is not dreaming about another person, and is only thinking about themselves.
Oh, William, William it was really nothing
This line is repeated in the song, reinforcing the concept of something meaningless in William's past.
William, William
This line calls out to William, whose experienced the persona is talking about.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Songtrust Ave, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: STEVEN MORRISSEY, JOHNNY MARR
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@giovannicardenas7448
The rain falls hard on a humdrum town
This town has dragged you down
Oh, the rain falls hard on a humdrum town
This town has dragged you down
Oh, no, and everybody's got to live their life
And God knows I've got to live mine
God knows I've got to live mine
William, William it was really nothing
William, William it was really nothing
It was your life...
How can you stay with a fat girl who'll say:
"Oh! Would you like to marry me?
"And if you like you can buy the ring"
She doesn't care about anything
Would you like to marry me?
And if you like you can buy the ring
I don't dream about anyone - except myself!
Oh, William, William it was really nothing
William, William
@erithecure2123
The rain falls hard on a humdrum town
This town has dragged you down
Oh, the rain falls hard on a humdrum town
This town has dragged you down
Oh, no, and everybody's got to live their life
And God knows I've got to live mine
God knows I've got to live mine
William, William, it was really nothing
William, William, it was really nothing
It was your life
How can you stay with a fat girl who'll say
"Oh! Would you like to marry me?
And if you like you can buy the ring"
She doesn't care about anything
"Would you like to marry me?
And if you like you can buy the ring"
I don't dream about anyone, except myself
Oh, William, William, it was really nothing
William, William
@michawrzosek5417
You probably don't realise how difficult it is to get this song right on guitar. Hats off to Johnny Marr
@felixmedina6237
VERY! IVE BEEN PLAYING FOR OVER 15YRS AND STILL FEEL SOMEWHAT INTIMIDATED TO EVEN APPROACH THIS SONG AND TRY TO PLAY IT!
@garfield4863
@@felixmedina6237 try it
@Iae86
@@felixmedina6237 As long as you´re not a perfectionist it is not that scary. If you are ok with not doing the exact same picking patterns and just playing the right shapes and strumming the rhythm you should be able to play an ok version of it! I was able to copy all the shapes from watching this guy (who plays a perfect version, so hats of to him too): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9824gQF-7ek
@robertyeah2259
@@Iae86 i mean if you dont play it exactly then ofc it isnt too hard lol 😂 im not a guitarist but the one i know thinks the intricate way the guitar is played is part of what makes The Smiths stand out
@Iae86
@@robertyeah2259 If you don't play the guitar you don't know if it is hard or easy to play it even at 50% of the complexity that Marr plays. This song still has pretty complex shapes and rythm compared to many songs. What I'm saying is that if you start learning it in a way you feel you can handle you will feel happy, you will be able to sing along to it and it will sound pretty good. And then if you want you can brake it down even more and try to get all the details and you won't be as scared as if you try to learn it perfect right away. Progress take time.
@glossypeach777
Their music is a good replica of my life because I'm not happy and I'm not sad.
@bogonzales672
Welcome to most of our lives.
@zephead843
You're in some really good headspace. Ideally you'll stay there.
@milesontario1742
THE DREAM IS GONE BUT THE BABY IS REALLLLLL