- There Is a Light That Never Goes Out
Infobox Single
Name = There Is a Light That Never Goes Out
Artist =The Smiths
from Album =...Best II
Released =12 October 1992
Format = CD
Recorded = Autumn 1985
Genre =Alternative rock
Length = 4:02
Label = WEA
Writer =Johnny Marr Morrissey
Producer = Johnny Marr
Morrissey
Last single = "Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before "
(1987)
This single = "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out"
(1992)
Next single = "Sweet and Tender Hooligan "
(1995) Infobox Single
Name = There Is a Light That Never Goes Out / Redondo Beach
Artist =Morrissey
from Album =Live at Earls Court
Released =28 March 2005 (Europe)5 April 2005 (U.S.)
Format = CD, 7" vinyl
Recorded =20 December 2004
Genre =Alternative rock
Length = 4:49
Label = Attack Records
Writer =Johnny Marr Morrissey
Producer =Peter Asher
Last single = "I Have Forgiven Jesus "
(2004)
This single = "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out" / "Redondo Beach"
(2005)
Next single = "You Have Killed Me " (2006)"There Is a Light That Never Goes Out" is a song by the
The Smiths , written byMorrissey andJohnny Marr . It was originally featured on their 1986 album "The Queen Is Dead ", but despite its popularity it was not released as a single until 1992, after The Smiths split up. Morrissey re-released the song as a double A-side live single (with his cover ofPatti Smith 's "Redondo Beach") in 2005, which reached #11 in the UK singles chart.The song lyrically utilises a first-person narrative concerning yearning, anxiety, and implied romance. Morrissey assumes the role of a person who has, one could infer from the lyrics, been kicked out of home, so seeks solace and company in the form of the person the song addresses - the car's driver.
Musically, the song begins with a
staccato bridge similar to that heard on "Hitch Hike" byMarvin Gaye and "There She Goes Again " byThe Velvet Underground , which recurs as a musical motif throughout the song. With synthesized strings, aballad esque arrangement and yearning lyrics, many listeners have viewed "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out" as a straightforwardlove song despite some ambiguity in the lyrics themselves.Lyrics
Many of Morrissey's lyrics are borrowed from other sources. In particular, the title of this song has been a source of wonder. One credible suggestion has been that the title is a paraphrase of what
Hugh Latimer said to Nicholas Ridley as they were about to be burned at the stake as heretics during the reign of "Bloody Mary," QueenMary I of England :"Play the man, Master Ridley; we shall this day light such a candle, by God's grace, in England, as I trust shall never be put out."
Simon Goddard argues in his book "Songs That Saved Your Life " that the basic narrative story is similar to that of theJames 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. Given Morrissey's previous thematic and lyrical borrowings from literature and cinema, this is a viewpoint with some plausibility. 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". Additionally, the video for Morrissey's songSuedehead shows him visiting Dean's childhood home, and at one point displays the words "There is a light that never goes out."Release and versions
"There Is a Light That Never Goes Out" was originally planned to be a single from "The Queen is Dead", but
Rough Trade Records label bossGeoff Travis selected "Bigmouth Strikes Again " from the same album as the release instead. The song has subsequently been covered by a number of artists, including UK singerDavid Ford (singer) ,Anberlin ,Neuroticfish ,Braid ,Eurythmics ,Noel Gallagher of Oasis,The Magic Numbers , the The Divine Comedy,Neil Finn ,Walleye (on the tribute album "The World Still Won't Listen"),Nada Surf andGhost Mice . There is also a Spanish version by Mikel Erentxun, called "Esta Luz Nunca se Apagara". Speedstar also recorded a cover which featured on the Triple J Like A Version compilation CD.
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