“There Is a Light that Never Goes Out” by The Smiths, Sunday, December 3, 2023

 

In 1986, The Smiths released their provocatively titled album, The Queen Is Dead. The band, led by Steven Morrisey’s dark, often dryly comedic, lyrics and Johnny Marr’s jangly guitar parts had been no strangers to controversy. The post-punk band raised in the “Madchester” sound of Manchester, England, was defined by Morrisey’s countercultural convictions. Just as The Smiths gained attention, their lead singer Morrissey became a polarizing pop-culture prophet, speaking out against British politics, advocating vegetarianism, condemning corporal punishment, and admonishing stereotypes of sexual identity. The band pushed for a vision of anti-masculine rock and a return to non-synth, guitar-driven rock to counter the rise in popularity of the signature ‘80s sound.

TAKE ME OUT TONIGHT. The Smiths broke up in 1987 before their fourth album Strangeways, Here We Come was released. The four members of the band could no longer stand their narcissistic lead singer. Morrissey seems to be the type of contrarian who has no concern for how he is perceived by other people. Fiercely private, his personal life has been the speculation of the press and biographers. In 2013, though, he roped off a few sections of his highly guarded private life and offered a guided tour in his Autobiography, giving greater detail to when The Smiths were together and the royalty battles that ensued following their break up. Despite Morrisey’s public persona, his solo career and lyrics from his time in The Smiths are a kind of Rorschach Test for a diverse fan base. Morrisey famously had an extended period of his life in which he claimed to be celibate. He also claimed to be a “lapsed Catholic.” He criticized popular music focusing too much on sex, yet insisted on using a homoerotic photograph on the band’s debut self-titled album. However you classify Morrisey if you dare—perhaps a sexually-confused spiritual social activist—the singer’s lyrics are prophetic for fans who hold some to all of Morrisey’s convictions. 

THE PLEASURE, THE PRIVILEGE IS MINE. By The Smith’s third album, The Queen Is Dead, the band had eased up on the guitar-driven sound, allowing keyboards and even the flute on “There Is a Light That Never Goes Out.” It’s the song I first heard from The Smiths thanks to Anberlin covering the song on their deluxe edition of Cities. I had probably heard the song before I heard Anberlin’s cover. Anberlin is an example of The Smith’s Rorschach Test. Lead singer Stephen Christian has listed Morrisey as one of his greatest musical influences, which is a contradiction that makes perfect sense. Like The Smiths, Anberlin was part of a non-masculine Emo rock movement. And like Morrissey, though to a much lesser extent, Stephen Christian’s recent conservative leanings in the Contemporary Christian industry seem to contradict the social activism of the band’s early days. Today’s song, “There Is a Light That Never Goes Out” is another Rorschach Test: it’s a song about _____. Is it about: 

1. Nightlife in London

2. Being in love

3. Suicidal ideations

4. Heaven

5. Satirizing (English) society or politics

6. Something else

7. All of the above

8. Some of the above

9. None of the above

Is it depressing or optimistic? And what is that light that never goes out and why does it suddenly appear at the end of the song? 

Read the lyrics on Genius.