Feeling alone, hopeless, and depressed? Need songs that recognize those kind of pain and struggle? Just go to The Smiths. Sing them aloud, cry yourself out. That’s one of the best catharsis that I regularly do to lighten the very burden of existence, being a misfit in the midst of ever evolving modern society, straying too far from the expectations of others that they mindlessly shove up my ass until I reach a point of burnout.

But enough with the whining. Here I’m just going to tell my opinion on why The Smiths is my go to band when I’m feeling low about myself. Well, I just love how Morrissey distinctive baritone voice wallowing in misery blends well with the expressive and often so cheerful guitar play from Johnny Marr. That makes it seem quite contradictory, but not really actually. It’s like you’re dancing your pain away through the self-depraved lyrics and their banger music.

Since I’m no music expert, I would like to talk about the lyrics that Morrissey wrote being so damn relatable. I’m going to list some of my favorite songs from The Smiths:

1. Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want

I acknowledge the desperate tone of this song about never having what you want or what you wish to come true. It’s a self-pity song, realizing how terrible and sad your life must look from others point of view, what a bad luck you have.

2. I Know It’s Over

The saddest song from The Smiths in my opinion. It’s like knowing your life is doomed to failure and misery and loneliness. And Morrissey’s vocal definitely capture this sadness and hopelessness. The way I interpret the lyrics is that you just want a normal life like others, but deep down you know that somehow those basic things in life are such luxury that you cannot afford, and yeah love though is natural and real, that is not for you.

3. How Soon Is Now?

My favorite self-depraved song that I would love to sing when doing karaoke. It’s just obvious that the “I” in this song is a very shy person that waits in line to meet someone special, but that someone never arrives. So that person feels lonely and hopeless, because even when that person finally tries to go out and meet people, she just ends up standing in the corner alone and goes home alone.

There's a club if you'd like to go
You could meet somebody who really loves you
So you go and you stand on your own
And you leave on your own
And you go home and you cry
And you want to die

Well, I sense some anger in it.

4. Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me

This song is also sad. At the intro you can hear a noise (screams) that sounds like coming from the depth of hell. The lyrics tells about finally being loved by someone but then you woke up and realized it was just a dream. But somehow you’re not really disappointed, because you expect nothing from the beginning. No hope, no harms, just another false alarm.

5. Back to the Old House

Speaks about the feeling of nostalgia that’s bittersweet. You roam about a place where you used to live in your memory, and remember the bad and the goods. And it also reminds you of a crush you used to have that you’ve never got a chance to confess to. Pretty much sums up my life.

6. There Is A Light That Never Goes Out

Now, this is what I’ve been feeling lately. I just wanna hang out during the night, wherever it is. So I desperately hope someone will take me out, because life at home is so dull and boring and the people at home are not so welcome. I wanna go out and see people living their lives. I play this song while riding my scooter in the night, and that feels just so perfect, because I can’t find a better word to describe it.

7. Panic

Burn down the disco
Hang the blessed DJ
Because the music that they constantly play
It says nothing to me about my life
Hang the blessed DJ

It’s just such a banger.

8. Unloveable

Oh...
I know I'm unloveable
You don't have to tell me
I don't have much in my life
But take it - it's yours

Oh, message received
Loud and clear

I wear black on the outside
'Cause black is how I feel on the inside
And if I seem a little strange
Well, that's because I am
But I know that you would like me
If only you could see me
If only you could meet me

I don’t have to explain, the lyrics speaks for itself. Because Morissey’s lyrics are simple and straightforward, and sometimes also whimsical and witty.

9. Never Had No One Ever

For those who never have any romantic relationship with anyone, worry not. Morrissey understands us. In this song, our stories are told, we are not alone, we got The Smiths 🙂

10. Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now

The anti-hero in this particular song complains that he always feels miserable, misunderstood, and disappointed by life. He’s probably asocial and pretend to be nice to people for the sake of politeness, but it’s killing him inside. Yup, that’s our Morrissey, and that’s our anthem, or at least my anthem.

11. Accept Yourself

So much insecurities in this song, it’s when we constantly questioning and doubting ourselves. I’m sure that happens a lot to many of us, especially in this digital era. We can’t resist to not compare our lives with others and then feel low about ourselves.

12. Asleep

The second saddest song of The Smiths in my opinion. It’s like the protagonist here has finally come to terms with life: to surrender. He’s lonely and tired of everything and ready, even gladly, to go.

13. This Joke Isn’t Funny Anymore

It’s easy to disregard what others’ going through and maybe laugh at it. But when we’re finally in their shoes, we realize it was no joke at all. And what we used to consider funny is actually awful. I think it is what this song is about.

Those are my favorite songs from The Smiths because they hit so close to home. Morrissey somehow can describe my struggle and ennui through his whiny lyrics, and I admire him for that. Life is unfair, and we have to accept it. Some people are luckier than us, some are more miserable. Some people get the privilege of living a normal and common life, to be one of the people. But misfits like me, we hide in our shelter, too afraid to step outside because last time we do we got beaten so bad. And we can only crave what it feels like to live the way most people do, and then we feel bad about ourselves and drowning in self-pity. And Morrissey understands us dearly.