There Is a Light That Never Goes Out
Encyclopedia
"There Is a Light That Never Goes Out" is a song by the British alternative rock
group The Smiths
, written by singer Morrissey
and guitarist Johnny Marr
. It was originally featured on their third album The Queen Is Dead
(1986), and was released as a single in 1992, five years after The Smiths split up. Morrissey re-released the song as a double A-side live single (with his cover of Patti Smith
's "Redondo Beach
") in 2005, which reached number 11 in the UK singles chart.
", the two songs share the same key as well as similar chords. Simon Goddard
noted that both the guitar break in "Bigmouth Strikes Again" and the flute section in "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out" (originally written as a guitar part) are based on C# minor arpeggio
figure.
The song features an ascending F#m–A–B chord sequence that guitarist Johnny Marr
took from The Rolling Stones
cover of Marvin Gaye
's "Hitch Hike". Marr said in 1993 that he included the figure as an "in-joke" to determine if the music press would attribute the inspiration for the part to "There She Goes Again
" by The Velvet Underground
, whom he contended "stole" the figure from "Hitch Hike". Marr commented, "I knew I was smarter than that. I was listening to what The Velvet Underground were listening to".
Allmusic's Tim DiGravina argues that while depressed characters were a regular feature in Morrissey's work, his lyrics on "There Is a Light" "ups the sad-and-doomed quotient by leaps and bounds." Goddard argues in his book Songs That Saved Your Life
that the basic narrative story is similar to that of the James Dean
film Rebel Without a Cause
, in which Dean—an idol of Morrissey's—leaves his torturous home life, being the passenger to a potential romantic partner. According to Goddard, an earlier version lacked some of the finished version's ambiguity, culminating in the line "There is a light in your eyes and it never goes out".
after the group completed The Queen Is Dead, nine months passed after the release of "The Boy with the Thorn in His Side
" before the group issued another single. Once the matter was resolved, Rough Trade owner Geoff Travis
felt that "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out" should be the band's "comeback" record. However, Johnny Marr was insistent that "Bigmouth Strikes Again
" be the band's next single. Despite Travis's advocation of the song, Simon Goddard expressed doubt that the song's "explicit glamorisation of suicide" would've endeared it to daytime radio. Regardless, in "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out" became the Smiths's second song to top BBC Radio One disc jockey John Peel
's Festive Fifty poll in his 1986 tally. The song was shortly thereafter included on the 1987 compilation album The World Won't Listen
. In December 1992, "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out" finally received a single release by WEA to promote the ...Best II compilation. The song reached number 26 on the UK Singles Chart
.
Music critics consider "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out" to be one of The Smiths' finest efforts. Simon Goddard wrote, "In a straw poll among Smiths fans today, 'There Is a Light That Never Goes Out' would more than likely still come out victorious", which he credits to the "perfect balance" of Marr's compositional skills and Morrissey's lyricism. Allmusic's Tim DiGravina calls it a "a standout among standouts from the Smiths' masterpiece third album, The Queen Is Dead."
, Neil Finn
, The Courteeners
, Anberlin
, Nada Surf
, Loquat
, Death Cab for Cutie
, Dum Dum Girls
, The Divine Comedy
, Ghost Mice
, The Ocean Blue
, The Magic Numbers
, Royksopp
, Erlend Øye
, Braid
, Deftones
and David Ford
.
Schneider TM
made an electronica version of the song, and released it as The Light 3000
novel Trainspotting
named after this song, which mentions the song directly.
The song features on the soundtrack to (500) Days of Summer and is used to bring the main characters together; Tom is listening to the song in the elevator when Summer mentions her love of The Smiths, then sings 'To die by your side is such a heavenly way to die.
In Episode 5 of Season 3 of Gavin & Stacey
Doris plays and sings this song on the guitar
at a barbeque. Gavin and Smithy then go on to sing the song with a humorous Morrissey impression.
CD 2 (1992):
7" and cassette single (1992):
7" (1987)
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
group The Smiths
The Smiths
The Smiths were an English alternative rock band, formed in Manchester in 1982. Based on the song writing partnership of Morrissey and Johnny Marr , the band also included Andy Rourke and Mike Joyce...
, written by singer Morrissey
Morrissey
Steven Patrick Morrissey , known as Morrissey, is an English singer and lyricist. He rose to prominence in the 1980s as the lyricist and vocalist of the alternative rock band The Smiths. The band was highly successful in the United Kingdom but broke up in 1987, and Morrissey began a solo career,...
and guitarist Johnny Marr
Johnny Marr
Johnny Marr is an English musician and songwriter. Marr rose to fame in the 1980s as the guitarist in The Smiths, with whom he formed a prolific songwriting partnership with Morrissey. Marr has been a member of Electronic, The The, and Modest Mouse...
. It was originally featured on their third album The Queen Is Dead
The Queen Is Dead
The Queen Is Dead is the third studio album by the English alternative rock band The Smiths. It was released on 16 June 1986 in the United Kingdom by Rough Trade Records and released in the United States on 23 June 1986 through Sire Records. The album reached #2 on the UK Albums Chart, maintaining...
(1986), and was released as a single in 1992, five years after The Smiths split up. Morrissey re-released the song as a double A-side live single (with his cover of Patti Smith
Patti Smith
Patricia Lee "Patti" Smith is an American singer-songwriter, poet and visual artist, who became a highly influential component of the New York City punk rock movement with her 1975 debut album Horses....
's "Redondo Beach
Redondo Beach (song)
"Redondo Beach" is a rock song written by Patti Smith, Richard Sohl and Lenny Kaye, and first released on Patti Smith's 1975 album Horses...
") in 2005, which reached number 11 in the UK singles chart.
Origin and recording
The Smiths began working on "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out" during its late 1985 recording sessions at London's RAK Studios. In early September, the band recorded a rehearsal tape of the song performed in the key of F# minor. Four days later, the group made a monitor mix in the key of C# minor, this time accompanied by a synthesized string arrangement Marr created on an Emulator (credited to the "Hated Salford Ensemble" on the album release). While Morrissey was cynical about using synthesized strings, the lack of a budget to hire a real string ensemble as well as a reluctance on the band's part to allow outsiders into the recording process changed the singer's mind. The recording was completed in November at Jacobs Studios in Farnham, where Morrissey redid his vocal part twice and Marr added a flute melody.Composition and lyrics
Written in tandem with "Bigmouth Strikes AgainBigmouth Strikes Again
"Bigmouth Strikes Again" is a song by The Smiths. It appears on their third album The Queen Is Dead and was the lead single from the album, reaching #26 in the UK Singles Chart in 1986...
", the two songs share the same key as well as similar chords. Simon Goddard
Simon Goddard
Simon Goddard is a British music journalist and author, best known for his writings on British indie band The Smiths and their former lead singer Morrissey....
noted that both the guitar break in "Bigmouth Strikes Again" and the flute section in "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out" (originally written as a guitar part) are based on C# minor arpeggio
Arpeggio
An arpeggio is a musical technique where notes in a chord are played or sung in sequence, one after the other, rather than ringing out simultaneously...
figure.
The song features an ascending F#m–A–B chord sequence that guitarist Johnny Marr
Johnny Marr
Johnny Marr is an English musician and songwriter. Marr rose to fame in the 1980s as the guitarist in The Smiths, with whom he formed a prolific songwriting partnership with Morrissey. Marr has been a member of Electronic, The The, and Modest Mouse...
took from The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...
cover of Marvin Gaye
Marvin Gaye
Marvin Pentz Gay, Jr. , better known by his stage name Marvin Gaye, was an American singer-songwriter and musician with a three-octave vocal range....
's "Hitch Hike". Marr said in 1993 that he included the figure as an "in-joke" to determine if the music press would attribute the inspiration for the part to "There She Goes Again
There She Goes Again
"There She Goes Again" is a song by The Velvet Underground. It first appeared on their 1967 debut album The Velvet Underground & Nico. The syncopated guitar riff is taken from the 1962 Marvin Gaye song, "Hitch Hike", but is most likely influenced by The Rolling Stones' cover version, from their...
" by The Velvet Underground
The Velvet Underground
The Velvet Underground was an American rock band formed in New York City. First active from 1964 to 1973, their best-known members were Lou Reed and John Cale, who both went on to find success as solo artists. Although experiencing little commercial success while together, the band is often cited...
, whom he contended "stole" the figure from "Hitch Hike". Marr commented, "I knew I was smarter than that. I was listening to what The Velvet Underground were listening to".
Allmusic's Tim DiGravina argues that while depressed characters were a regular feature in Morrissey's work, his lyrics on "There Is a Light" "ups the sad-and-doomed quotient by leaps and bounds." Goddard argues in his book Songs That Saved Your Life
Songs That Saved Your Life
The Smiths: Songs That Saved Your Life is a book on British rock band The Smiths, written by UK music journalist Simon Goddard. The title refers to a lyric from their 1985 B-side "Rubber Ring"....
that the basic narrative story is similar to that of the James Dean
James Dean
James Byron Dean was an American film actor. He is a cultural icon, best embodied in the title of his most celebrated film, Rebel Without a Cause , in which he starred as troubled Los Angeles teenager Jim Stark...
film Rebel Without a Cause
Rebel Without a Cause
Rebel Without a Cause is a 1955 American drama film about emotionally confused suburban, middle-class teenagers. Directed by Nicholas Ray, it offered both social commentary and an alternative to previous films depicting delinquents in urban slum environments...
, in which Dean—an idol of Morrissey's—leaves his torturous home life, being the passenger to a potential romantic partner. According to Goddard, an earlier version lacked some of the finished version's ambiguity, culminating in the line "There is a light in your eyes and it never goes out".
Releases and reception
Due to a dispute between the Smiths and its record label Rough Trade RecordsRough Trade Records
Rough Trade Records is an independent record label based in London. It was formed in 1978 by Geoff Travis who had opened a record store off Ladbroke Grove...
after the group completed The Queen Is Dead, nine months passed after the release of "The Boy with the Thorn in His Side
The Boy with the Thorn in His Side (song)
The original 12" has "Rubber Ring" and "Asleep" segued into a continuous piece with the voice sample at the end of the former looped and faded into the wind noise preceding the latter...
" before the group issued another single. Once the matter was resolved, Rough Trade owner Geoff Travis
Geoff Travis
Geoff Travis is the founder of both Rough Trade Records and the Rough Trade chain of record shops. A former drama teacher and owner of a punk record shop, Travis founded the Rough Trade label in 1978.-Biography:...
felt that "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out" should be the band's "comeback" record. However, Johnny Marr was insistent that "Bigmouth Strikes Again
Bigmouth Strikes Again
"Bigmouth Strikes Again" is a song by The Smiths. It appears on their third album The Queen Is Dead and was the lead single from the album, reaching #26 in the UK Singles Chart in 1986...
" be the band's next single. Despite Travis's advocation of the song, Simon Goddard expressed doubt that the song's "explicit glamorisation of suicide" would've endeared it to daytime radio. Regardless, in "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out" became the Smiths's second song to top BBC Radio One disc jockey John Peel
John Peel
John Robert Parker Ravenscroft, OBE , known professionally as John Peel, was an English disc jockey, radio presenter, record producer and journalist. He was the longest-serving of the original BBC Radio 1 DJs, broadcasting regularly from 1967 until his death in 2004...
's Festive Fifty poll in his 1986 tally. The song was shortly thereafter included on the 1987 compilation album The World Won't Listen
The World Won't Listen
-Band:* Morrissey – vocals* Johnny Marr – guitars, keyboard instruments, bass guitar on "Golden Lights"* Andy Rourke – bass guitar, cello on "Shakespeare's Sister" and "Oscillate Wildly"* Mike Joyce – drums...
. In December 1992, "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out" finally received a single release by WEA to promote the ...Best II compilation. The song reached number 26 on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
.
Music critics consider "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out" to be one of The Smiths' finest efforts. Simon Goddard wrote, "In a straw poll among Smiths fans today, 'There Is a Light That Never Goes Out' would more than likely still come out victorious", which he credits to the "perfect balance" of Marr's compositional skills and Morrissey's lyricism. Allmusic's Tim DiGravina calls it a "a standout among standouts from the Smiths' masterpiece third album, The Queen Is Dead."
Covers
Many artists have covered this song over the years, including Noel GallagherNoel Gallagher
Noel Thomas David Gallagher is an English musician and singer-songwriter, formerly the lead guitarist, backing vocalist and principal songwriter of the English rock band Oasis. He is currently fronting his solo project, Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds.Raised in Burnage, Manchester with his...
, Neil Finn
Neil Finn
Neil Mullane Finn, OBE is a New Zealand Pop recording artist. Along with his brother Tim Finn, he was the co-frontman for Split Enz and is now frontman for Crowded House...
, The Courteeners
The Courteeners
The Courteeners are a rock band formed in Middleton, Greater Manchester, England in 2006 by Liam Fray , Michael Campbell , Daniel Conan Moores , Mark Cuppello -Formation:...
, Anberlin
Anberlin
Anberlin is an American rock band formed in Winter Haven, Florida in 2002. Since the beginning of 2007, the band has consisted of lead vocalist Stephen Christian, guitarists Joseph Milligan and Christian McAlhaney, bassist Deon Rexroat, and drummer Nathan Young.Members of Anberlin originally formed...
, Nada Surf
Nada Surf
Nada Surf is an American alternative rock band. Formed in 1992, the New York band consists of Matthew Caws , Ira Elliot and Daniel Lorca .-Early years:...
, Loquat
Loquat (band)
Loquat is an electronic/pop band based in San Francisco, California. The group is currently composed of Kylee Swenson Gordon , Christopher Cooper , Anthony Gordon , and Chip Cosby .-History:...
, Death Cab for Cutie
Death Cab for Cutie
Death Cab for Cutie is an American alternative rock band formed in Bellingham, Washington in 1997. The band consists of Ben Gibbard , Chris Walla , Nick Harmer and Jason McGerr ....
, Dum Dum Girls
Dum Dum Girls
Dum Dum Girls are an American indie pop band from California that formed in 2008. Their name comes from both The Vaselines' album Dum Dum and the Iggy Pop song "Dum Dum Boys"...
, The Divine Comedy
The Divine Comedy (band)
The Divine Comedy are a chamber pop band from Ireland, fronted by Neil Hannon. Formed in 1989, Hannon has been the only constant member of the group, playing, in some instances, all of the non-orchestral instrumentation bar drums. To date, ten studio albums have been released under the Divine...
, Ghost Mice
Ghost Mice
Ghost Mice is a two-piece folk-punk band from Bloomington, Indiana. Both members, Chris Johnston and Hannah Jones, have been in a handful of pop-punk bands together: namely Disarm, The Devil is Electric and Operation: Cliff Clavin...
, The Ocean Blue
The Ocean Blue
The Ocean Blue, formed in Hershey, Pennsylvania in 1986, is an American indie pop band that combines melodic guitars and synthesizers. Its core original members included David Schelzel on lead vocals/guitar, Steve Lau on keyboards/saxophone, Bobby Mittan on bass guitar and Rob Minnig on drums and...
, The Magic Numbers
The Magic Numbers
The Magic Numbers are an English pop rock band comprising two pairs of brothers and sisters from Greenford. The group was formed in 2002, releasing their critically acclaimed debut album titled The Magic Numbers on 13 June 2005...
, Royksopp
Röyksopp
Röyksopp is a Norwegian electronic music duo from Tromsø, formed in 1998. Since their inception, the band's line-up has included Svein Berge and Torbjørn Brundtland....
, Erlend Øye
Erlend Øye
Erlend Øye is a Norwegian musician from Bergen, best known for being part of the indie folk duo Kings of Convenience together with Eirik Glambek Bøe. He has released one solo album, Unrest, in 2003 and a mix-CD in the DJ-Kicks series in 2004....
, Braid
Braid (band)
Braid is an influential emo/post-hardcore band from Illinois that formed in 1993. After forming, the band went through several line-up changes but eventually settled on: Bob Nanna on guitar/vocals, Todd Bell on bass, Chris Broach on guitar/vocals and, Roy Ewing on drums. Roy was replaced in 1997 by...
, Deftones
Deftones
Deftones are an American alternative metal band from Sacramento, California, founded in 1988. The band consists of Chino Moreno , Stephen Carpenter , Chi Cheng , Frank Delgado , and Abe Cunningham . Currently Sergio Vega is standing in on bass while Cheng recovers from a car accident...
and David Ford
David Ford (musician)
David James Ford is a British singer-songwriter, currently living in Eastbourne, East Sussex. He first achieved prominence with the indie rock group Easyworld, who released an independent mini-album, ...Better Ways to Self Destruct and two full-length albums on Jive Records before disbanding in...
.
Schneider TM
Schneider TM
Schneider TM is the name used for the solo electronic music projects of Dirk Dresselhaus, a former member of several German indie rock bands, most notably Hip Young Things and Locust Fudge. He released his first single under this name in 1997, but his most notable piece to date was a track named...
made an electronica version of the song, and released it as The Light 3000
In popular culture
There is a chapter in Irvine Welsh'sIrvine Welsh
Irvine Welsh is a contemporary Scottish novelist, best known for his novel Trainspotting. His work is characterised by raw Scottish dialect, and brutal depiction of the realities of Edinburgh life...
novel Trainspotting
Trainspotting (novel)
Trainspotting is the first novel by Scottish writer Irvine Welsh. It is written in the form of short chapters narrated in the first person by various residents of Leith, Edinburgh, who either use heroin, are friends of the core group of heroin users, or engage in destructive activities that are...
named after this song, which mentions the song directly.
The song features on the soundtrack to (500) Days of Summer and is used to bring the main characters together; Tom is listening to the song in the elevator when Summer mentions her love of The Smiths, then sings 'To die by your side is such a heavenly way to die.
In Episode 5 of Season 3 of Gavin & Stacey
Gavin & Stacey
Gavin & Stacey is a British comedy television series. A romantic comedy-drama, the show follows the long-distance relationship of Gavin from Billericay in Essex, England, and Stacey from Barry in the Vale of Glamorgan, Wales. The writers of the show, actors James Corden and Ruth Jones, also...
Doris plays and sings this song on the guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
at a barbeque. Gavin and Smithy then go on to sing the song with a humorous Morrissey impression.
Track listing
CD 1 (1992):- "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out" – 4:02
- "Hand in GloveHand in Glove"Hand in Glove" is a song by the British alternative rock band The Smiths, written by singer Morrissey and guitarist Johnny Marr. It was released as the band's first single in May 1983 on independent record label Rough Trade Records. "Hand in Glove" peaked at number three on the UK Indie Chart,...
" (live) – 2:48 - "Some Girls Are Bigger Than OthersSome Girls Are Bigger Than Others"Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others" is a song by The Smiths, recorded in autumn 1985 and first released on their 1986 album The Queen Is Dead. It was also released as a single in Germany.-Composition and recording:...
" (live) – 5:03 - "Money Changes Everything" – 4:41
CD 2 (1992):
- "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out" – 4:02
- "Hand in Glove" (with Sandie ShawSandie ShawSandie Shaw is an English pop singer, who was one of the most successful British female singers of the 1960s. In 1967 she was the first UK act to win the Eurovision Song Contest...
) – 2:58 - "I Don't Owe You Anything" (with Sandie Shaw) – 4:06
- "Jeane" (with Sandie Shaw) – 2:52
7" and cassette single (1992):
- "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out" – 4:02
- "Handsome Devil" (live) – 2:55
7" (1987)
- "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out" – 4:02
- "Half a Person" – 3:36