# Best song off of The Smiths' The Queen Is Dead? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 2, 2010, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-song-off-of-the-smiths-the-queen-is-dead/555822 "2010-10-02T05:39:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![MTCicero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a4c791/32.png) [@MTCicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MTCicero)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2010, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-song-off-of-the-smiths-the-queen-is-dead/555822/1 "2010-10-02T05:39:12Z")
Is there even such a thing as a weak track on this one? (I think not, actually.) At any rate, by my estimation, the mantle of best **Queen Is Dead** track comes down to two: “Bigmouth Strikes Again” and “There Is a Light That Never Goes Out”. And ultimately, I had to go with the former (though, if I was to include future Morrissey solo performances, I’d go with [the latter](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ke1-MTDBAro)). And you? ---
**Author:** ![woodstockbirdybird](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/woodstockbirdybird/32/7905_2.png) [@woodstockbirdybird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/woodstockbirdybird)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2010, 6:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-song-off-of-the-smiths-the-queen-is-dead/555822/2 "2010-10-02T06:08:35Z")
I went with the latter. Title track, too, has great musicianship (lyrics are a given). ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2010, 11:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-song-off-of-the-smiths-the-queen-is-dead/555822/3 "2010-10-02T11:29:30Z")
Did you miss out _Meat is Murder_? Anyway, it’s clearly _There is a Light_. It’s possibly Morrissey’s cheesiest lyric, but it’s a lovely song. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2010, 12:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-song-off-of-the-smiths-the-queen-is-dead/555822/4 "2010-10-02T12:19:58Z")
Guys, to die by your side…well, the pleasure, the privilege is mine. ---
**Author:** ![MTCicero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a4c791/32.png) [@MTCicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MTCicero)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2010, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-song-off-of-the-smiths-the-queen-is-dead/555822/5 "2010-10-02T13:18:58Z")
> [@Baron\_Greenback](#): > > Did you miss out _Meat is Murder_? [Nope.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=580317) ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2010, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-song-off-of-the-smiths-the-queen-is-dead/555822/6 "2010-10-02T14:04:52Z")
> [@MTCicero](#): > > > [@Baron\_Greenback](#): > > > > Did you miss out _Meat is Murder_? > > [Nope.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=580317) Ta. ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2010, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-song-off-of-the-smiths-the-queen-is-dead/555822/7 "2010-10-02T14:09:21Z")
> [@FoieGrasIsEvil](#): > > Guys, to die by your side…well, the pleasure, the privilege is mine. _Take me out tonight, where there’s music and people, and they’re young and alive._ A tremendous tune. ---
**Author:** ![Erdosain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/erdosain/32/7284_2.png) [@Erdosain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Erdosain)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2010, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-song-off-of-the-smiths-the-queen-is-dead/555822/8 "2010-10-02T14:11:39Z")
“I Know It’s Over.” Epic. Best Smiths song of all time. “There Is a Light” is great and a sentimental favorite from my youth, but it’s a bit over-played at this point. No fault of its own; it’s wonderful. ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2010, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-song-off-of-the-smiths-the-queen-is-dead/555822/9 "2010-10-02T14:16:52Z")
_and in the darkened underpass I thought Oh God, my chance has come at last but then a strange fear gripped me and I just couldn’t ask_ Honestly, has anyone ever written a better teenage lyric. ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2010, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-song-off-of-the-smiths-the-queen-is-dead/555822/10 "2010-10-02T14:20:56Z")
> [@Erdosain](#): > > “I Know It’s Over.” Epic. Best Smiths song of all time. Tough choice. _Oh Mother, I can feel, the soil falling over my head_. ---
**Author:** ![Ian\_D.Bergkamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Ian\_D.Bergkamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ian_D.Bergkamp)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2010, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-song-off-of-the-smiths-the-queen-is-dead/555822/11 "2010-10-02T17:58:38Z")
I have a soft spot for “The Boy With The Thorn In His Side,” so that gets my vote, just over “Cemetry Gates.” Hard to argue with “There Is A Light …,” though. I’ve never been particularly fond of “Bigmouth Strikes Again,” for some reason. I don’t skip it or anything when I’m listening to the CD, but I don’t feel any real affection for it. ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2010, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-song-off-of-the-smiths-the-queen-is-dead/555822/12 "2010-10-02T18:33:20Z")
> [@I'm Not Dennis Bergkamp](#): > > I’ve never been particularly fond of “Bigmouth Strikes Again,” for some reason. I don’t skip it or anything when I’m listening to the CD, but I don’t feel any real affection for it. Know what you mean. There’s a few songs on this album that are a bit “Oh, Morrissey, you are being so terribly _arch_”. The whole thing hangs together though, even including _Some Girls_ and _Frankly, Mister Shankly_. The latter is a Chas and Dave throwaway, but kind of works on the album. ---
**Author:** ![Sunshine\_and\_Smiles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a5b964/32.png) [@Sunshine\_and\_Smiles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunshine_and_Smiles)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2010, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-song-off-of-the-smiths-the-queen-is-dead/555822/13 "2010-10-03T05:53:19Z")
“There is a Light…” may well be the best, but I’ve listened to it way too many times. Now when it comes on the shuffle, I skip. So, for me it came down to “The Boy with the Thorn in His Side” and “I Know It’s Over”. I went with the latter, because I like it better. Morrissey’s wailing, the lyrics, it really does it for me. ---
**Author:** ![Carmady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f04885/32.png) [@Carmady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carmady)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2010, 6:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-song-off-of-the-smiths-the-queen-is-dead/555822/14 "2010-10-03T06:17:24Z")
1. I Know It’s Over 2. The Boy with the Thorn in his Side 3. Cemetry Gates 4. There is a Light ---
**Author:** ![gallows\_fodder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8c91f0/32.png) [@gallows\_fodder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gallows_fodder)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2010, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-song-off-of-the-smiths-the-queen-is-dead/555822/15 "2010-10-03T15:20:43Z")
“There Is a Light…” is my favorite Smiths song, period, so I had to vote for that. But damn if I don’t love the guitar on “Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others,” and the way it fades out and then in. My mom _hated_ that song, though – I think she took offense at the line about some girls’ mothers. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2010, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-song-off-of-the-smiths-the-queen-is-dead/555822/16 "2010-10-03T15:36:37Z")
So many gems but I had to go with There Is A Light. It’s just incredible. ---
**Author:** ![Gotterfunken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/58956e/32.png) [@Gotterfunken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gotterfunken)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2010, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-song-off-of-the-smiths-the-queen-is-dead/555822/17 "2010-10-03T20:41:12Z")
Very difficult to make a choice–the best Smiths’ album by far, IMO, with so many fantastic songs. I voted for “I Know It’s Over” but almost went for “There Is a Light…” The latter is certainly the catchier tune, but the sprawling grandeur of “I Know It’s Over” just shades it for me (and I figured it would get fewer votes and deserves more love). I’m also very fond of “Boy With a Thorn in His Side,” “Cemetry Gates,” and “Bigmouth” but rate them slightly below my two favorites. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2010, 6:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-song-off-of-the-smiths-the-queen-is-dead/555822/18 "2010-10-04T06:29:16Z")
Really tough one on this. There’s five or six songs I could have seen voting for, but eventually, I settled on the title track. My sentimental favorite is “Cemetry Gates,” but I could not bring myself to vote for it with so many other great tracks on this record. ---
**Author:** ![BwanaBob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bwanabob/32/2985_2.png) [@BwanaBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BwanaBob)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2010, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-song-off-of-the-smiths-the-queen-is-dead/555822/19 "2010-10-05T16:50:39Z")
I wanted to say Bigmouth but that freaking annoying backing vocal ruins that song for me. I just checked Wikipedia and they claim that voice is Morrissey’s too. Go figure. ---
**Author:** ![waterj2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/858c86/32.png) [@waterj2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/waterj2)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2010, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-song-off-of-the-smiths-the-queen-is-dead/555822/20 "2010-10-06T01:30:04Z")
The last two albums, I went with the less common picks (“Pretty Girls Make Graves” and “Rusholme Ruffians”), but this time went with the crowd with “There Is A Light That Never Goes Out.” It’s pretty close to a five or six way tie, though. But “There Is A Light…” is just _so_ goddam good. What are we going to do with all the songs left over after the four albums are done? I think there’s too many for one big poll with everything from “Panic” to “Golden Lights”. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-song-off-of-the-smiths-the-queen-is-dead/555822.md?page=2)