Anthony Fantano: "This album was very influential. It's so important for understanding music that came afterwards." Professor of Rock: "When I would come home from high school, sit on my bed, and cry, this was the album I listened to."
How is it possible that every band and song featured on this channel is so personal to me? All of the music featured has been woven into my DNA for decades. This song is no exception.
Dear PoR, thanks for introducing me to this wonderful song. I must confess I own the four regular CDs but almost always only listened to The Queen and Strangeways... But listenig to Please Please Please made ny eyes become wet instantly. You asked for the artist who saved me: it was Joe Jackson. Even today Fools in love, Not here not now, Real Men etc. reach places in my heart where only a few other songs are able to hit me. Same goes for some Billy Bragg Tunes. For me he is the greatest "unknown" songwriter ever. Love your show. Best regards , Dietmar from Germany
Great segment on the song and The Smiths, though for me "Well I Wonder" and "Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me" were the ones that connected for me. I would make a case, however, for The Police, 5 very unique albums in 5 years' time.
Such memories. I was a (multi-cultural) black kid, from Chicago...I copied it all! The beads/pearls, the brooches, Ill fitting blazers, cuffed jeans, etc. I even started picking out my prescriptions, to fit the type of glasses, he wore. I was obsessed and boy did I get it, from both sides. The labels I that got placed on me...but hey, I always marched to the beat of my own drummer. Nothing could touch that debut album and The Queen is Dead!
I love how the Professor truly understands how important the Smiths are. In my family, only me and my dad are Smiths fans. Whenever I talk to anyone else about them, they don't truly understand the impact of the Smiths music
I was the Depeche Mode friend, and yeah I had a Cure friend and a Smiths friend, and the three of us together were a vortex of 80s emo for a little while. Lol, hadn't realized it was such a relatable rite of 80s passage!
I was too depressed to listen to The Smiths when I was a teenager. I was a Depeche Mode kid. BTW... I have a 12 year old son as well. Very small for his age and not very good at school. Music is helping him get through growing up, like it did me.
I supposed that I was too happy as a teenager to listen to The Smiths. Except for a couple of songs they never did it for me. I too was a Depeche Mode kid. Them, with The Cure, were my favorite bands. The Jesus and Mary Chain and Love and Rockets were up there for me as well.
Although I've never been a fan of the Smiths I really enjoy hearing how much they impacted your life in such a profound way. Without them there probably wouldn't be this epic channel of yours. Keep the content flowing brother your passion for music is infectious
"Reel Around the Fountain" was one favorite of mine for a long time. Just the lyrics "15 minutes with you, Oh I wouldn't say no, people see no worth in you, I do", spoke to me, because I felt so alone in my journey back then.
Not my favorite but definitely most profound. I listen to this over and over when I struggle with my abusive childhood. Ok, maybe on some level it is my favorite.
The video I’ve been waiting for Adam. My favourite B side of all time from the best band of all time. Goosebumps every time I hear it. Your heartfelt views on what the song means to you was enthralling to watch. As an Englishman it makes me proud that you love so many of our great bands. Keep up the great work
Professor of Rock listening to your eloquent and passionate spoken words brings tears to my eyes. I love your channel very much and have recommended it to many of my friends. You are a modern day poet. I agree with everything you said about Please Please Please. I know there isn’t a time machine, which I would love. But your channel transports me for a few minutes to better times in my life... Thank you!
This song is so upbeat and many loves I have turned on to this song. We would sing it to each other as song played. Not sure how this got on the saddest song. Yes some morbid verses. Like a double decker bus crashes into us, to die by your side is a privelige. That's like I love you that much.
I’m a guy who is entirely too young (if there’s ever an age) to have lost both a son and a daughter. I discovered this song around 30 years old. On my commute to work and the same way home, this was the only song on repeat the entire trip. Probably listened to it a few thousand times over the course of a year or so. Among the jumbled mess of memories and emotions, I couldn’t help but feel like I was transported back to a time when I was a tween-to-teen listening to this on repeat trying to figure it all out. It’s speaks to the perfection of this song that one who’s never heard of it and seeks it for solace in a time of loss is transported to the place he intended it for. Love this episode… and all of them. Keep it up, Prof!
Asleep is the saddest song for me. In my lowest of lows, as a teen with deep family strife, parental alcoholism, and ultimately the death of that parent when I was 16, Asleep was a salve for my battered heart. There must be a better world.
Tears for Fears’ The Hurting & Peter Gabriel’s “Security” (4th album) saved me in my adolescence. The Cure, The Smiths, and Depeche Mode were not far behind... ⭐️🎼
Morrissey performing Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want at Hollywood Bowl back in 2004, is by far the most emotional and heart-wrenching performance ever to be performed. His change of the words, "Who I Want" instead of "What I Want" changes the meaning without taking away the sadness by any means. Well damm, it might even be sadder. That performance gets me every time, so damm powerful.
But don't forget the songs that made you cry And the songs that saved your life Yes, you're older now and you're a clever swine But they were the only ones who ever stood by you
Happiness comes when we finally realize that everyone suffered during high school, and everyone was weird. And that is a good, no, it’s a GREAT thing. Not because we suffered back then, but because we finally found ourselves and did not conform.
'I Won't Hold You Back Now' to me, hands down. From my deceased Dad to the 'one that got away' that died in a 4 wheeler accident a few years ago, from the heart breaking lyrics to the haunting melody, piano, guitar, and back up vocals, doesn't get any more beautifully sad
David Yancey, I second that. I heard “I Won’t Hold You Back” around age 4, when Toto I V was released. I remember loving the chorus harmonies , but the melody & Steve Lukather’s vocals, even though they were just as amazing, were so haunting I cried every time. Of course I had absolutely no clue what the song was about, but if you successfully convey it’s feeling to a 4 year old, I think that’s pretty freakin good. “I’ll Be Over You” is right behind it. I was a little older by then, so still didn’t quite get it, but they relayed enough. By the time I was old enough to understand, I couldn’t listen for a long time, just completely breakdown because it was too close. Finally got to the point where it was all I wanted to hear as I figured out how to go forward with the broken pieces I had been given. I am always going to love Toto for that & Steve Lukather for writing/co-writing them. 💔🎸💔
The Smiths got me through some tough times but my all time fav is "You've Got Everything Now' because I am my Mothers only son and I am a desperate one...enough said.
@Anna Trail Right! And, Happy (early) Birthday!! When I was in the Navy, my ship went to Hamburg, Germany in '62. I, and some of my shipmates saw The Beatles perform there. Then a year later in '63, we pulled into Liverpool, and saw them perform at the Cavern Club. I have such great memories of my misspent youth! lol :)
I never heard The Smiths when they were in their prime. I never heard this song until a girlfriend in college made me a mix tape with this song on it when I was in college in the mid-90's. I loved the song from the moment I heard it. It is shocking to me how a song this good could be hidden from regular radio play when I was growing up in the 80's and 90's. I guess I did hear it in this movies but I didn't realize it. By the way, I totally get what you said about Ducky in Pretty in Pink. I think, you and I lived very similar childhoods when I listen to your stories. I constantly relate to your situation. I was so painfully shy as a kid and I switched elementary schools in third grade and went to the school where all the kids were wealthy and we were quite poor and I was constantly made fun of for my hand me down clothes. I think that wrecked my confidence and it took a long time to get past that and even be able to talk to girls. I often listen to you and think, wow, I wasn't the only one with these same experiences as a kid.
You’re totally speaking my language here, right down to the eyeliner on my sideburns in high school. I would have gone with “I Know it’s Over” for saddest Smiths song, though. That song still crushes me decades later.
The Dream Academy do a good cover of this song. When I saw them perform at The Hollywood Palladium in 1985 That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore made many ( including me ) weep , tears of joy. Brilliant !
U2 last week, Pink Floyd yesterday, and your second, equally brilliant Smiths video now. You have my sign-up, Professor! Truly love your passion -- thanks for sharing it with us like-minded, but less articulate music fans. Rock on!
Oh.. the saddest Smiths song is “I Know its Over, on the same album “Queen is Dead”. You and I would have been Best Friends. I am certain. If we met in high school. So much in common. I still have a few of my cardigans from thrift stores in high school. I remember dancing to How Soon is Now in clubs at age 15 (I got into 18 and up clubs.. due to older friends knowing the door person). My wife and I walked to Please Please Please in our wedding, sang by my friend in a Smiths cover band.
I absolutely agree with you. I’ve loved The Smiths since 1984 as well as the Beatles since I was about 4. Great comparison btw! I loved the Smiths my whole life and I’ve listened to them more over the past few years than I have in a long time. They are the gift that keeps in giving. Thank you!!!!!!
@@markbock3027 First album I ever listened to all the way through was “Dulcinea”,And I loved it!Back then it was a new sound compared to everything else I was listening to. Fly from Heaven and Crowing are my standout tracks! That music revival didn’t really happen again for me until I heard The Killers - Battle Born.
For me its Pat DiNizio of the Smithereens. Wish you could have interviewed him before his passing. Get guy, very down to earth. Met him at a solo tour he did before his passing. Incredibly gracious and appreciative of the folks in attendance. Songs like Behind the wall of sleep, especially for you, blood and Rose's, cigarette. Always thought of the Smith's as one hit wonders.
Smithereens was an amazing and wholly underrated band. Everything from rock standards to the heart of angst. Drown in My Own Tears still breaks me up .
I was licking enough to be an opening act for the sub days in the 9️⃣ as a fairly new artist and I wished to have Harriet wheeler’s beautiful voice for much of my life but no such luck.
I have listened to Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want 100's of times in my life. I put it on every single mix tape I ever made for other people (mostly girls) in order to share my true self with them. U2, The Cure, Depeche Mode, The Police...and yes The Smiths/Morrissey, filled in the cracks, turned on the interior light, and made my spirit sing. Thanks again Adam for doing what you do!
I can see you are genuinely passionate and sincere about "The Smiths" and what they mean/meant to you in your life and I love that quality in you Prof. Great video. I can't say that there is a band that saved my life but the band that I relate to the most is "The Beatles". The music, the words, the harmony, the humour, the message and the love, just spoke to me.
The original 12 inch single of: William it was really nothing, How soon is now Please, Please Is the greatest collection of songs on a single 12 inch ever.
Thanks for making these videos. I can truly relate, as I grew up in a small town in California about the same time. It is strange to think that the small group of outsiders, new wavers, punks, goths, etc were a phenomenon all over the country in other small towns. While in the cities of the world, this stuff might have been more excepted, in the more rural areas, we were all alone. We were the thinkers, the unsung heroes, who despite being obviously different with our thrift store cloths and eyeliner, couldn't be more invisible. Please, Please, Please and everything else by The Smiths is as you describe it, written for the listener, strikingly so. "William It Was Really Nothing" even has my name in it. You hit it right on the mark as usual.
I think think How soon Is Now set a standard that no other guitarist could come close to - and that remains to this day. Morrissey's lyrics combined with Marr is beyond words.....there simply aren't any words to describe how extraordinarily unique this song is. Masterpiece!
You really have a way with words . Love and share your appreciation for words with music. Great story to start my week with. Extra great what you shared about your son . He's a fortunate kid imp . Thank you 💗from🇨🇦
10,000 Maniacs, Natalie Merchant song What's the matter here. "If you don't sit on this chair straight I'll take this belt from around my waist and don't think that I won't use it!" Answer me and take your time, what could be the awful crime he could do at such young an age? If I'm the only witness to your madness offer me some words to balance out what I see and what I hear. Oh these cold and lowly things that you do I suppose you do because he belongs to you and instead of love and the feel of warmth you've given him these cuts and sores don't heal with time or with age. And I want to say "What's the Matter here?" But I don't dare say.
The band that always got me through life, and still does, is U2. Ever since Unforgettable Fire, I’ve been convinced that Bono and The Edge have a permanent window into my soul.
@@BillMcGirr I recently have been spending a lot of time with that very song. Bono wrote it for the passing of his father, and my own father recently passed. Again, the boys have a permanent window to my soul.
Beautiful, beautiful beautiful song. I'm 47 and lived through the smiths in the 80's. This song brings tears to my eyes and even watching your breakdown and personal experiences of the song had me blubbing. Keep doing what your doing. Thank you 😁
Adam, the band Metallica saved my life along with God. I was literally going to commit suicide because of my girlfriend at the time and this was high school in my senior year. I was so angry and I left my house (mom’s and stepdad) went to the bridge and I started to get on top of the rail and all of a sudden One started playing in my head and then I heard a voice telling me it’s not my time and that there is more I need you to do. So I started crying and got down and ran to my youth minister house and I thank God I didn’t jump. I also had the opportunity to tell James and Lars at a concert meet and greet and that is something I will never forget.
@EricLopez I know some people that weren’t able to make it and lost their battle and the life they were given. I also know people that have also had ups and downs and found that help they so desperately needed. Through everything in my life all the good things and the bad , God has always put the people in my path that helped me get back on track. God bless you too brother and everyone else in this amazing community.
i’m glad that song was there for you. i had a similar experience with the song ‘breathe’ sung by willie nelson & his son. just the right song, at just the right time. i’m glad you’re here.
The Chameleons - _'Here Today'_ Joy Division - _'In A Lonely Place'_ Bauhaus - _'Hollow Hills'_ The Psychedelic Furs - _'No Easy Street'_ Clan Of Xymox - _'No Human Can Drown'_ Virgin Prunes - _'Sad World'_ Blade Fetish - _'Arctic Slide'_ A Flock Of Seagulls - _'Quicksand'_ Siouxsie & The Banshees - _'This Unrest'_ The Cult - _'Brother Wolf, Sister Moon'_ Tones On Tail - _'Burning Skies'_ Eleven Shadows cover of The Sisters Of Mercy - _'Afterhours'_ Tears For Fears - _'Start Of The Breakdown'_ The Cure - _'The Same Deep Water As You'_ Echo & The Bunnymen - _'The Killing Moon'_ Asylum Party - _'White Light'_ Cocteau Twins - _'Serpentskirt'_ Minimal Compact - _'My Will'_ Trance To The Sun - _'August Rain V.3'_ The Church - _'Now I Wonder Why'_ Gary Numan/Dramatis - _'Love Needs No Disguise'_ New Order - _'Get Out'_ Dead Can Dance - _'Spirit'_ The Teardrop Explodes - _'Suffocate'_ U2 - _'The Drowning Man'_ Peter Murphy - _'Let Me Love You'_ Sex Gang Children - _'I've Done It All Before'_ Modern English - _'16 Days'_ The Danse Society - _'Clock'_ (Peel Session) The Bolshoi - _'Giants'_ The Opposition - _'In My Eyes'_ Flue - _'Jerome'_ Concrete Blonde - _'Cold Part Of Town'_ The Legendary Pink Dots - _'Damien'_ Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark - _'Statues'_ Gavin Friday - _'Kitchen Sink Drama'_ The The - _'Kingdom Of Rain'_ The Fixx - _'Facing The Wind'_ The Vapors - _'Letter From Hiro'_ Depeche Mode - _'Fly On The Windscreen'_ The Glove - _'Mouth To Mouth'_ The Sisters Of Mercy - _'Nine While Nine'_
I saw the tittle and new right away that you were talking about this song! The first time I ever heard this song...It was like someone had looked into my soul and exposed me to the world. Heart Wrenching!
I am a bit younger, so Siamese Dreams was my go to listen. I suppose I didn't have as rough of a go- the kids at my school were mostly fine to be around with all the different groups actually getting along fairly well. Thanks for sharing that fact about Ferris Bueller. That was one of my favorite movies growing up and the scene at the museum is the most important one in tying everything together. I never knew it was a Smiths song that helped it all coalesce!
A shoeless child on a swing Reminds you of your own again She took away your troubles Oh, but then again She left pain Ohhhhhh, please save your life Because you've only got one The dream has gone But the baby is real Oh, you did a good thing She could have been a poet Or, she could have been a fool Oh, you did a bad thing And I'm not happy And I'm not sad...
Great episode Professor! The Smith's, the Cure and the Police and many of these and other 80's bands are responsible for me owning several Roland JC amps over the years, I have always loved the stereo chorus sound of these great 80's bands.
Love the video! I’m from Salford in Manchester (smiths hometown) and the smiths were definitely a big part of my growing up and still listening and loving today
Moz also hit it again in his solo career with the self-deprecating 'November Spawned a Monster' Also loved how he played a chocolate bar like a harmonica in the video. We also use to feel better about ourselves when we'd listen to 'Ordinary Boys' from Viva Hate.
Oh yeah “ordinary boys” was one I would shout / sing in my car driving around town. If I’m not mistaken he left it off the reissue which is nearly criminal.
Professor, I also grew up in a small town in North Idaho but I was born in So Cal and my parents moved us to Idaho in 78. I was fortunate to have older brothers that opened me up to all sorts of music and it was my oldest brother that introduced me to the Smiths and all the best that British music had to offer! I’m 47 and this music is the soundtrack of my life!
I always liked the Smiths, especially once I heard Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now, which is one of those eye-openers that seem to hit me every decade or so . The Smiths are for me one of those bands that I can pick any song with no fear to go wrong.
Fantastic episode, you are truly finding your groove. I never did get the Smiths, I had friends who were fans, but I was into Pink Floyd, Def Leppard, The Psychadelic Furs, Modern English and Rush. But one song did get me through some tough years in High School, Under Pressure by Queen and Bowie. I do like some Smiths music, same as the Cure and Depeche Mode, but not the level of Fan as you are. Great to see that passion. I have listened to quite a few of their songs(all three bands) and discovered I remembered more of them than I realised. It was tough in those days though, saving up to buy 1, maybe two records. It was always a very tough choice.
Holding back the years by simply red and Tears for fears "advice for the young at heart." The lyric " and how it makes me weep , cause someone sent my soul to sleep."
The Smiths are like Hallmark Cards for those of us who wore black on the outside, because black was how we felt on the inside...there a song for every moment, every emotion, every situation. Even 30 some odd years later, there's a lyric that fits every situation. Now I'd continue, but I want to go out tonight, and I haven't got a stitch to wear.
@@ProfessorofRock Well played, Sir. Have you seen the trailer for the movie Shoplifters of the World? I think the main male character has some things in common with Ducky. And now I'm out...nice to meet a kindred spirit from a few decades ago. Great work you do here Adam! Cheers to you from Cancun!
You have taken the words right of my mouth. I feel the exact same way , and it's so refreshing to hear of a kindred spirit. I am from small town in deep southeast Louisiana, and managed to hear the Smiths at the beginning of their careers
Professor. You are my music history spirit animal. "Please Please Please" was the answer to inexpensive therapy for my late teens/ early college years. You so effectively explore and communicate the importance of these songs. Thank you.
‘I am human and I need to be loved, just like everybody else does....’ that lyric and guitar riff from How Soon is Now is another that gets you through the worst times. It’s so universal, that feeling.
The Who's 'Quadrophenia' saved me when I was a freshman in high school in 1982. It was a very turbulent time in my life. I didn't fit in at all. And neither did the character in The Who's rock opera!
Adam, this may be my favourite Smiths song, it’s certainly one of my top listens of The Smiths. I have been listening to Please, Please, Please for nearly 40 years and never realised it was so short until I watched this video. However, I have also complained many times about feeling short-changed when an album lasted less than 45 minutes but would say every Leonard Cohen album was great value when they seldom play for more than 30 minutes. It just goes to prove the old adage, “sometimes less is more”! Keep up the good work.
Love Spit Love does nothing new with the song. I have to stick with The Smiths' And if you read about the production, it was ground breaking, so it has to have my loyalty over anyone with just what is basically a mimicry of the original.
What do you think the saddest song of the 80s was?
Untitled by the Cure and Ocean Rain by Echo and the Bunnymen. Still can't decide between these two)
Duran Duran - Save a Prayer
The saddest but uplifting song of the 80s:
Duran Duran - Do You Believe in Shame?
Kate Bush's "This Woman's Work" is tough to beat but The Cure's "Same Deep Water As You" off _Disintegration_ is up there.
Gary Jules's version of "Mad World."
Sarah McLachlan “Ben’s Song” off the Touch album
_"The Smiths are my favorite band of all time"_
Ok. I approve of this man.
Adam: Professor of Rock
Morrissey: Professor of Sad
Anthony Fantano: "This album was very influential. It's so important for understanding music that came afterwards."
Professor of Rock: "When I would come home from high school, sit on my bed, and cry, this was the album I listened to."
I saw the title and thought Professor was gonna talk about "I Know its Over". I have literally cried to that song
That's what I was thinking that song really knows how to make you re-think some choices aha
It's so hard with the Smiths. 10 different songs or more could vie for the saddest.
@@ProfessorofRock So true.
"I know it's over, / it never really began,/ but in my heart / it was so real..."
Nothing more painful than that unrequited love.
ditto.
even nothing is something in mope core
How is it possible that every band and song featured on this channel is so personal to me? All of the music featured has been woven into my DNA for decades. This song is no exception.
age.
Dear PoR, thanks for introducing me to this wonderful song. I must confess I own the four regular CDs but almost always only listened to The Queen and Strangeways... But listenig to Please Please Please made ny eyes become wet instantly. You asked for the artist who saved me: it was Joe Jackson. Even today Fools in love, Not here not now, Real Men etc. reach places in my heart where only a few other songs are able to hit me. Same goes for some Billy Bragg Tunes. For me he is the greatest "unknown" songwriter ever. Love your show. Best regards , Dietmar from Germany
I might have gone with "Asleep" but this is a solid contender for saddest song, as is "I Know it's Over".
yeah, "I Know it's Over" is in my top 5 Smith's songs.
I would say Asleep was their saddest song ever.
I agree with you.
'Asleep' isn't really sad... sadness requires hope.
'Asleep' is a happy goodbye.
Great segment on the song and The Smiths, though for me "Well I Wonder" and "Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me" were the ones that connected for me.
I would make a case, however, for The Police, 5 very unique albums in 5 years' time.
Can’t wait to see your feature on Life in a Northern Town by Dream Academy. Thanks, Professor.
love that track too!!!
Yes!!!
I also like their song Love Parade
Amazing Vocals!!!!
The song is about Nick Drake.
Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me is definitely a contender for title of saddest songs
So sad I couldn't even listen to it for years.
So true. Same with "I Know It's Over"
Such memories.
I was a (multi-cultural) black kid, from Chicago...I copied it all! The beads/pearls, the brooches, Ill fitting blazers, cuffed jeans, etc. I even started picking out my prescriptions, to fit the type of glasses, he wore. I was obsessed and boy did I get it, from both sides. The labels I that got placed on me...but hey, I always marched to the beat of my own drummer.
Nothing could touch that debut album and The Queen is Dead!
Love your comment. We would've been good friends.
You were never alone.
IRS-era R.E.M. was impressive too: 5 years, 5 albums, all great and diverse.
clash bunnymen police cure tons of bands have a 5 year run where they crank it out and its all good.
Kate Bush's "This Woman's Work" makes me cry everytime. Her voice is angelic and heart wrenching.
'Pray God you can cope...'
Oh god yes, that one kills me every time.
Yes!
Oh yeah that was the best thing in that kevin bacon movie. I cried too.
I love how the Professor truly understands how important the Smiths are. In my family, only me and my dad are Smiths fans. Whenever I talk to anyone else about them, they don't truly understand the impact of the Smiths music
I was the Depeche Mode friend, and yeah I had a Cure friend and a Smiths friend, and the three of us together were a vortex of 80s emo for a little while. Lol, hadn't realized it was such a relatable rite of 80s passage!
sat in my room as a teenager, crying, singing this song. Tears are hard to sing through. Thanks Adam, for relating!
I was too depressed to listen to The Smiths when I was a teenager. I was a Depeche Mode kid.
BTW... I have a 12 year old son as well. Very small for his age and not very good at school. Music is helping him get through growing up, like it did me.
I supposed that I was too happy as a teenager to listen to The Smiths. Except for a couple of songs they never did it for me. I too was a Depeche Mode kid. Them, with The Cure, were my favorite bands. The Jesus and Mary Chain and Love and Rockets were up there for me as well.
Although I've never been a fan of the Smiths I really enjoy hearing how much they impacted your life in such a profound way. Without them there probably wouldn't be this epic channel of yours. Keep the content flowing brother your passion for music is infectious
OMG- my sentiments-exactly! ...couldn’t have said it better.
"Reel Around the Fountain" was one favorite of mine for a long time. Just the lyrics "15 minutes with you, Oh I wouldn't say no, people see no worth in you, I do", spoke to me, because I felt so alone in my journey back then.
Not my favorite but definitely most profound. I listen to this over and over when I struggle with my abusive childhood. Ok, maybe on some level it is my favorite.
The video I’ve been waiting for Adam. My favourite B side of all time from the best band of all time. Goosebumps every time I hear it. Your heartfelt views on what the song means to you was enthralling to watch. As an Englishman it makes me proud that you love so many of our great bands. Keep up the great work
Thank you! Such a great comment.
Professor of Rock listening to your eloquent and passionate spoken words brings tears to my eyes. I love your channel very much and have recommended it to many of my friends. You are a modern day poet. I agree with everything you said about Please Please Please. I know there isn’t a time machine, which I would love. But your channel transports me for a few minutes to better times in my life...
Thank you!
Wow, thank you
"There is a light that never goes out"
There's a light, even in the darkest night, over at the Frankenstein place! 😁
This song is so upbeat and many loves I have turned on to this song. We would sing it to each other as song played. Not sure how this got on the saddest song. Yes some morbid verses. Like a double decker bus crashes into us, to die by your side is a privelige. That's like I love you that much.
I’m a guy who is entirely too young (if there’s ever an age) to have lost both a son and a daughter.
I discovered this song around 30 years old. On my commute to work and the same way home, this was the only song on repeat the entire trip. Probably listened to it a few thousand times over the course of a year or so.
Among the jumbled mess of memories and emotions, I couldn’t help but feel like I was transported back to a time when I was a tween-to-teen listening to this on repeat trying to figure it all out.
It’s speaks to the perfection of this song that one who’s never heard of it and seeks it for solace in a time of loss is transported to the place he intended it for.
Love this episode… and all of them. Keep it up, Prof!
Asleep is the saddest song for me. In my lowest of lows, as a teen with deep family strife, parental alcoholism, and ultimately the death of that parent when I was 16, Asleep was a salve for my battered heart. There must be a better world.
Tears for Fears’ The Hurting & Peter Gabriel’s “Security” (4th album) saved me in my adolescence. The Cure, The Smiths, and Depeche Mode were not far behind... ⭐️🎼
Hurting. My fave album of all time.
Morrissey performing Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want at Hollywood Bowl back in 2004, is by far the most emotional and heart-wrenching performance ever to be performed. His change of the words, "Who I Want" instead of "What I Want" changes the meaning without taking away the sadness by any means. Well damm, it might even be sadder. That performance gets me every time, so damm powerful.
But don't forget the songs that made you cry
And the songs that saved your life
Yes, you're older now and you're a clever swine
But they were the only ones who ever stood by you
Love Rubber Ring
I think Rubber Ring is perhaps my favorite Smiths song of all... it was shockingly accurate then and even more so now.
Very, very, very touchinng video. The Smiths , The Smiths, The Smiths, The Smiths have also saved my life.
“The Smiths is my favourite band of all-time.”
Me: subscribes immediately.
Happiness comes when we finally realize that everyone suffered during high school, and everyone was weird. And that is a good, no, it’s a GREAT thing. Not because we suffered back then, but because we finally found ourselves and did not conform.
Beautifully said! Thank you
'I Won't Hold You Back Now' to me, hands down.
From my deceased Dad to the 'one that got away' that died in a 4 wheeler accident a few years ago, from the heart breaking lyrics to the haunting melody, piano, guitar, and back up vocals, doesn't get any more beautifully sad
David Yancey, I second that. I heard “I Won’t Hold You Back” around age 4, when Toto I V was released. I remember loving the chorus harmonies , but the melody & Steve Lukather’s vocals, even though they were just as amazing, were so haunting I cried every time. Of course I had absolutely no clue what the song was about, but if you successfully convey it’s feeling to a 4 year old, I think that’s pretty freakin good. “I’ll Be Over You” is right behind it. I was a little older by then, so still didn’t quite get it, but they relayed enough. By the time I was old enough to understand, I couldn’t listen for a long time, just completely breakdown because it was too close. Finally got to the point where it was all I wanted to hear as I figured out how to go forward with the broken pieces I had been given. I am always going to love Toto for that & Steve Lukather for writing/co-writing them. 💔🎸💔
The Smiths got me through some tough times but my all time fav is "You've Got Everything Now' because I am my Mothers only son and I am a desperate one...enough said.
Man this really spoke to my youth as well as many others out there. Appreciate the jog down memory lane. Enjoying all your contents.
Love the Professor. I’m old enough to be his Dad but he really knows his stuff!
Haha Glad to have you man.
@Anna Trail I'm older than you think, but don't tell anyone...
@Anna Trail I could be his grandpa. :)
@Anna Trail I'm on the wrong side of 76. :)
@Anna Trail Right! And, Happy (early) Birthday!! When I was in the Navy, my ship went to Hamburg, Germany in '62. I, and some of my shipmates saw The Beatles perform there. Then a year later in '63, we pulled into Liverpool, and saw them perform at the Cavern Club. I have such great memories of my misspent youth! lol :)
I never heard The Smiths when they were in their prime. I never heard this song until a girlfriend in college made me a mix tape with this song on it when I was in college in the mid-90's. I loved the song from the moment I heard it. It is shocking to me how a song this good could be hidden from regular radio play when I was growing up in the 80's and 90's. I guess I did hear it in this movies but I didn't realize it.
By the way, I totally get what you said about Ducky in Pretty in Pink. I think, you and I lived very similar childhoods when I listen to your stories. I constantly relate to your situation. I was so painfully shy as a kid and I switched elementary schools in third grade and went to the school where all the kids were wealthy and we were quite poor and I was constantly made fun of for my hand me down clothes. I think that wrecked my confidence and it took a long time to get past that and even be able to talk to girls. I often listen to you and think, wow, I wasn't the only one with these same experiences as a kid.
I remember buying the greatest hits album from Morrissey and listening to “The More You Ignore Me” over and over again.
That is my favourite Morrissey song just above Suedehead!
You’re totally speaking my language here, right down to the eyeliner on my sideburns in high school. I would have gone with “I Know it’s Over” for saddest Smiths song, though. That song still crushes me decades later.
The Dream Academy do a good cover of this song. When I saw them perform at The Hollywood Palladium in 1985 That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore made many ( including me ) weep , tears of joy. Brilliant !
Kate St. John’s oboe-playing on the cover ... so beautiful.
80s trivia: Dream Academy's cover was featured in the art museum scenes of "Ferris Bueller's Day Off".
U2 last week, Pink Floyd yesterday, and your second, equally brilliant Smiths video now. You have my sign-up, Professor!
Truly love your passion -- thanks for sharing it with us like-minded, but less articulate music fans. Rock on!
Oh.. the saddest Smiths song is “I Know its Over, on the same album “Queen is Dead”. You and I would have been Best Friends. I am certain. If we met in high school. So much in common. I still have a few of my cardigans from thrift stores in high school.
I remember dancing to How Soon is Now in clubs at age 15 (I got into 18 and up clubs.. due to older friends knowing the door person). My wife and I walked to Please Please Please in our wedding, sang by my friend in a Smiths cover band.
I absolutely agree with you. I’ve loved The Smiths since 1984 as well as the Beatles since I was about 4. Great comparison btw! I loved the Smiths my whole life and I’ve listened to them more over the past few years than I have in a long time. They are the gift that keeps in giving. Thank you!!!!!!
I feel the same way about Toad The Wet Sprocket! Their music is seriously Tight!
Their first two albums were incredible. After that they went a little too pop for me. Still good, but not like the first two.
@@markbock3027 First album I ever listened to all the way through was “Dulcinea”,And I loved it!Back then it was a new sound compared to everything else I was listening to. Fly from Heaven and Crowing are my standout tracks! That music revival didn’t really happen again for me until I heard The Killers - Battle Born.
Seriously!
I get what you are saying. Prince saved my life!
"Last Night I Dreamt Somebody That Loved Me"
@mister wombat
Jann Arden's cover of this is incredible, much better than the original.
That's a total weeper.
Yeah. This and Well I wonder.
For me its Pat DiNizio of the Smithereens. Wish you could have interviewed him before his passing. Get guy, very down to earth. Met him at a solo tour he did before his passing. Incredibly gracious and appreciative of the folks in attendance. Songs like Behind the wall of sleep, especially for you, blood and Rose's, cigarette. Always thought of the Smith's as one hit wonders.
Smithereens was an amazing and wholly underrated band. Everything from rock standards to the heart of angst. Drown in My Own Tears still breaks me up .
The Hand That Rocks The Cradle.. heartbreaking but wonderful
Thank you for sharing so much of yourself and your passion. This was one of your best.
This one just missed the 80’s, The Sunday’s Here’s Where The Story Ends..
I was licking enough to be an opening act for the sub days in the 9️⃣ as a fairly new artist and I wished to have Harriet wheeler’s beautiful voice for much of my life but no such luck.
I have listened to Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want 100's of times in my life. I put it on every single mix tape I ever made for other people (mostly girls) in order to share my true self with them. U2, The Cure, Depeche Mode, The Police...and yes The Smiths/Morrissey, filled in the cracks, turned on the interior light, and made my spirit sing. Thanks again Adam for doing what you do!
Asleep gets my vote for saddest Smiths track. There is a light is my all time favorite Smiths track.
Another great Smiths video!! You make me proud to be a fan of The Smiths!
Military brat, moved every 2 to 3 years since birth, no "best" friends. Music filled the void.
Same! Can relate. Music was always there for us brats. Still is.
I can see you are genuinely passionate and sincere about "The Smiths" and what they mean/meant to you in your life and I love that quality in you Prof. Great video. I can't say that there is a band that saved my life but the band that I relate to the most is "The Beatles". The music, the words, the harmony, the humour, the message and the love, just spoke to me.
The original 12 inch single of:
William it was really nothing,
How soon is now
Please, Please
Is the greatest collection of songs on a single 12 inch ever.
Totally agree! I have this 12" and I just stare at it in wonder, it's like looking at the rarest jewel!
Thanks for making these videos. I can truly relate, as I grew up in a small town in California about the same time. It is strange to think that the small group of outsiders, new wavers, punks, goths, etc were a phenomenon all over the country in other small towns. While in the cities of the world, this stuff might have been more excepted, in the more rural areas, we were all alone. We were the thinkers, the unsung heroes, who despite being obviously different with our thrift store cloths and eyeliner, couldn't be more invisible. Please, Please, Please and everything else by The Smiths is as you describe it, written for the listener, strikingly so. "William It Was Really Nothing" even has my name in it. You hit it right on the mark as usual.
The rotating speaker effect Marr used on How soon, is what makes that song..
I think think How soon Is Now set a standard that no other guitarist could come close to - and that remains to this day. Morrissey's lyrics combined with Marr is beyond words.....there simply aren't any words to describe how extraordinarily unique this song is. Masterpiece!
You really have a way with words . Love and share your appreciation for words with music. Great story to start my week with. Extra great what you shared about your son . He's a fortunate kid imp . Thank you 💗from🇨🇦
We always said Morrissey was the most cheerful depressed man on Earth.
I think most critics don't realise that Moz created lol's in lyrics and quotations before lol's were even invented.😊
Wow the guy from magnetic fields is like that too. Reluctant romantic type
Wow the guy from magnetic fields is like that too. Reluctant romantic type
Best episode! Thank you for featuring The Smtihs again! Marr is one of my guitar heroes! Thank You! :D
10,000 Maniacs, Natalie Merchant song What's the matter here.
"If you don't sit on this chair straight
I'll take this belt from around my waist and don't think that I won't use it!"
Answer me and take your time,
what could be the awful crime he could do at such young an age?
If I'm the only witness to your madness offer me some words to balance out what I see and what I hear.
Oh these cold and lowly things that you do I suppose you do because he belongs to you
and instead of love and the feel of warmth you've given him these cuts and sores don't heal with time or with age.
And I want to say "What's the Matter here?"
But I don't dare say.
I have rediscovered so many songs from watching this channel! Bravo!
The band that always got me through life, and still does, is U2. Ever since Unforgettable Fire, I’ve been convinced that Bono and The Edge have a permanent window into my soul.
“Sometimes you can’t make it on your own”...
Is one of the best songs ever.
Such a great tune.😊👍
@@BillMcGirr I recently have been spending a lot of time with that very song. Bono wrote it for the passing of his father, and my own father recently passed. Again, the boys have a permanent window to my soul.
That was great, thank you Adam and Team !!
My saviour band was R.E.M
They got me through some difficult times.
By creating more misery. Isn't enough, enough?
Beautiful, beautiful beautiful song. I'm 47 and lived through the smiths in the 80's. This song brings tears to my eyes and even watching your breakdown and personal experiences of the song had me blubbing. Keep doing what your doing. Thank you 😁
For us 90s kids, it was Fade Into You by Mazzie Star. That would make a great video too
You got me at The Smiths. Rock on Prof! Awesome sauce man. Thanks for sharing your youthful vulnerabilities. We all have been there.
I have never listened to the Smiths. But, if Reader talks about them, then I need to go check them out! NOW!
You really do !
@@MATTA74 I am definitely working on it! Believe me! 👍🏿
Your heart comes out in these videos. Great watch as always!
Adam, the band Metallica saved my life along with God. I was literally going to commit suicide because of my girlfriend at the time and this was high school in my senior year. I was so angry and I left my house (mom’s and stepdad) went to the bridge and I started to get on top of the rail and all of a sudden One started playing in my head and then I heard a voice telling me it’s not my time and that there is more I need you to do. So I started crying and got down and ran to my youth minister house and I thank God I didn’t jump. I also had the opportunity to tell James and Lars at a concert meet and greet and that is something I will never forget.
I'm so happy you mentioned Metallica and God. Read my comment on this topic. God Bless You bro!!
@EricLopez I know some people that weren’t able to make it and lost their battle and the life they were given. I also know people that have also had ups and downs and found that help they so desperately needed. Through everything in my life all the good things and the bad , God has always put the people in my path that helped me get back on track. God bless you too brother and everyone else in this amazing community.
i’m glad that song was there for you. i had a similar experience with the song ‘breathe’ sung by willie nelson & his son. just the right song, at just the right time. i’m glad you’re here.
Thanks for sharing your story, and sorry it was so difficult. Glad you had something and some friends to help you make it through.
The Chameleons - _'Here Today'_
Joy Division - _'In A Lonely Place'_
Bauhaus - _'Hollow Hills'_
The Psychedelic Furs - _'No Easy Street'_
Clan Of Xymox - _'No Human Can Drown'_
Virgin Prunes - _'Sad World'_
Blade Fetish - _'Arctic Slide'_
A Flock Of Seagulls - _'Quicksand'_
Siouxsie & The Banshees - _'This Unrest'_
The Cult - _'Brother Wolf, Sister Moon'_
Tones On Tail - _'Burning Skies'_
Eleven Shadows cover of The Sisters Of Mercy - _'Afterhours'_
Tears For Fears - _'Start Of The Breakdown'_
The Cure - _'The Same Deep Water As You'_
Echo & The Bunnymen - _'The Killing Moon'_
Asylum Party - _'White Light'_
Cocteau Twins - _'Serpentskirt'_
Minimal Compact - _'My Will'_
Trance To The Sun - _'August Rain V.3'_
The Church - _'Now I Wonder Why'_
Gary Numan/Dramatis - _'Love Needs No Disguise'_
New Order - _'Get Out'_
Dead Can Dance - _'Spirit'_
The Teardrop Explodes - _'Suffocate'_
U2 - _'The Drowning Man'_
Peter Murphy - _'Let Me Love You'_
Sex Gang Children - _'I've Done It All Before'_
Modern English - _'16 Days'_
The Danse Society - _'Clock'_ (Peel Session)
The Bolshoi - _'Giants'_
The Opposition - _'In My Eyes'_
Flue - _'Jerome'_
Concrete Blonde - _'Cold Part Of Town'_
The Legendary Pink Dots - _'Damien'_
Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark - _'Statues'_
Gavin Friday - _'Kitchen Sink Drama'_
The The - _'Kingdom Of Rain'_
The Fixx - _'Facing The Wind'_
The Vapors - _'Letter From Hiro'_
Depeche Mode - _'Fly On The Windscreen'_
The Glove - _'Mouth To Mouth'_
The Sisters Of Mercy - _'Nine While Nine'_
"Brother wolf and sister moon your time has come"
@@jaynesixx2185 I have to say Black Angel from the same album is one of the most lovely pieces of despair ever recorded
I saw the tittle and new right away that you were talking about this song! The first time I ever heard this song...It was like someone had looked into my soul and exposed me to the world. Heart Wrenching!
I am a bit younger, so Siamese Dreams was my go to listen. I suppose I didn't have as rough of a go- the kids at my school were mostly fine to be around with all the different groups actually getting along fairly well.
Thanks for sharing that fact about Ferris Bueller. That was one of my favorite movies growing up and the scene at the museum is the most important one in tying everything together. I never knew it was a Smiths song that helped it all coalesce!
My two favorite tracks from Siamese Dream are “Mayonnaise” and every other song 🙃🎃
Nice job. Captured it and painted a good picture of the moments.
"This night has opened my eyes" is the saddest.
Yep.
A shoeless child on a swing
Reminds you of your own again
She took away your troubles
Oh, but then again
She left pain
Ohhhhhh, please save your life
Because you've only got one
The dream has gone
But the baby is real
Oh, you did a good thing
She could have been a poet
Or, she could have been a fool
Oh, you did a bad thing
And I'm not happy
And I'm not sad...
Great episode Professor! The Smith's, the Cure and the Police and many of these and other 80's bands are responsible for me owning several Roland JC amps over the years, I have always loved the stereo chorus sound of these great 80's bands.
Just started watching... instant like. You noted great musical impact in a short period of time. I'd counter with The Police. Five albums, 6+ years.
Love the video! I’m from Salford in Manchester (smiths hometown) and the smiths were definitely a big part of my growing up and still listening and loving today
Moz also hit it again in his solo career with the self-deprecating 'November Spawned a Monster' Also loved how he played a chocolate bar like a harmonica in the video. We also use to feel better about ourselves when we'd listen to 'Ordinary Boys' from Viva Hate.
Oh yeah “ordinary boys” was one I would shout / sing in my car driving around town. If I’m not mistaken he left it off the reissue which is nearly criminal.
November Spawned a Monster is about a girl in a wheelchair.
Ordinary Boys and The Boy with a Torn in His Side summed me up perfectly as a teen.
Professor, I also grew up in a small town in North Idaho but I was born in So Cal and my parents moved us to Idaho in 78. I was fortunate to have older brothers that opened me up to all sorts of music and it was my oldest brother that introduced me to the Smiths and all the best that British music had to offer! I’m 47 and this music is the soundtrack of my life!
3:12 "a village in Brazil"
Here I am, Professor...
The Police those Five Phenomenal albums released from 78 -83 were very important to me and actually spoke to me .
I always liked the Smiths, especially once I heard Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now,
which is one of those eye-openers that seem to hit me every decade or so .
The Smiths are for me one of those bands that I can pick any song with no fear to go wrong.
You know the meaning of music and I'm very impressed.
From a village in Brazil 🙋🏻♂️.
We love you my friend!
Fantastic episode, you are truly finding your groove. I never did get the Smiths, I had friends who were fans, but I was into Pink Floyd, Def Leppard, The Psychadelic Furs, Modern English and Rush. But one song did get me through some tough years in High School, Under Pressure by Queen and Bowie. I do like some Smiths music, same as the Cure and Depeche Mode, but not the level of Fan as you are. Great to see that passion. I have listened to quite a few of their songs(all three bands) and discovered I remembered more of them than I realised. It was tough in those days though, saving up to buy 1, maybe two records. It was always a very tough choice.
Holding back the years by simply red and Tears for fears "advice for the young at heart." The lyric " and how it makes me weep , cause someone sent my soul to sleep."
What a totally heartfelt, honest and relatable video. THANK YOU!!!!!!
The Smiths are like Hallmark Cards for those of us who wore black on the outside, because black was how we felt on the inside...there a song for every moment, every emotion, every situation. Even 30 some odd years later, there's a lyric that fits every situation. Now I'd continue, but I want to go out tonight, and I haven't got a stitch to wear.
And, if I seem a little strange, well that's because I am.
@@ProfessorofRock Well played, Sir. Have you seen the trailer for the movie Shoplifters of the World? I think the main male character has some things in common with Ducky. And now I'm out...nice to meet a kindred spirit from a few decades ago. Great work you do here Adam! Cheers to you from Cancun!
You have taken the words right of my mouth. I feel the exact same way , and it's so refreshing to hear of a kindred spirit. I am from small town in deep southeast Louisiana, and managed to hear the Smiths at the beginning of their careers
The Cure was/is mine. But, there is a light that never goes out, and please let me get what I want....ugh❤
Lyrically please let me get what i want is tops, but the execution that the dream academy achieved on Ferris Bueller day off. Man it haunts me still.
Professor. You are my music history spirit animal. "Please Please Please" was the answer to inexpensive therapy for my late teens/ early college years. You so effectively explore and communicate the importance of these songs. Thank you.
I hope Morrisey, Marr et all see this. They should def give you an interview
I really don't know if I would like to interview the Morrisey of today...
@@larsscholz3762 that’s a very fair and valid point!
Professor! You couldn’t have described my growing up in the 80ies better! I remember the first time I heard The Smiths it changed my life!
I approve this message
‘I am human and I need to be loved, just like everybody else does....’ that lyric and guitar riff from How Soon is Now is another that gets you through the worst times. It’s so universal, that feeling.
The Who's 'Quadrophenia' saved me when I was a freshman in high school in 1982. It was a very turbulent time in my life. I didn't fit in at all. And neither did the character in The Who's rock opera!
Agree, The Smith's were fabulous. This is a cool channel. Best wishes.
I think Mazzy Star - "Fade Into You" might be the saddest song, I love it so much. Love The Smith's too....
I agree. The music in FIY is also so down like the lyrics, but fun to play. It's a conundrum. :)
yes it's sad, but 90s
Adam, this may be my favourite Smiths song, it’s certainly one of my top listens of The Smiths. I have been listening to Please, Please, Please for nearly 40 years and never realised it was so short until I watched this video. However, I have also complained many times about feeling short-changed when an album lasted less than 45 minutes but would say every Leonard Cohen album was great value when they seldom play for more than 30 minutes. It just goes to prove the old adage, “sometimes less is more”! Keep up the good work.
I don't like The Smiths, but How Soon Is Now is fantastic and should be in a Tarrantino film.
Is it bad that I only knew the Love Spit Love version?
Totally agree. Only song of theirs I like
Was already used as the theme song
to TV's "Charmed" (1998-2006)
Cover version.
@@JungleEddie nothing wrong with that, but you should listen to the original by The Smiths too... If you haven't already
Love Spit Love does nothing new with the song. I have to stick with The Smiths' And if you read about the production, it was ground breaking, so it has to have my loyalty over anyone with just what is basically a mimicry of the original.