The Moz/Smiths Top 100, Part 221: WILLIAM, IT WAS REALLY NOTHING

[Houdini]

Let's compile our own Morrissey/Smiths Top 100 by rating all 232 Moz/Smiths-songs.

Song for Today: WILLIAM, IT WAS REALLY NOTHING

Voting should be something along these lines:
10: Perfection
9: Near perfect, brilliant
8: Really good Moz/Smiths song
7: Good Moz/Smiths song
6: OK, Nothing special
5: Uninspired
4: Poor
3: Bad
2: Should never have been released
1: He/They should be ashamed

The songs so far (voting is still open, click to vote):

Part 220: Will Never Marry (http://forums.morrissey-solo.com/showthread.php?t=82212)
Part 219: Wide To Receive (http://forums.morrissey-solo.com/showthread.php?t=82180)
Part 218: Why Don't You Find Out For Yourself? (http://forums.morrissey-solo.com/showthread.php?t=82151)
Part 217: Whatever Happens, I Love You (http://forums.morrissey-solo.com/showthread.php?t=82084)
Part 216: What's The World (http://forums.morrissey-solo.com/showthread.php?t=82040)
Part 215: What She Said (http://forums.morrissey-solo.com/showthread.php?t=81993)
part 214: What Difference Does It Make? (http://forums.morrissey-solo.com/showthread.php?t=81956)
Part 213: Well I Wonder (http://forums.morrissey-solo.com/showthread.php?t=81910)
Part 212: We'll Let You Know (http://forums.morrissey-solo.com/showthread.php?t=81848)
Part 211: We Hate It When Our Friends Become Successful (http://forums.morrissey-solo.com/showthread.php?t=81792)
Part 210: Vicar In A Tutu (http://forums.morrissey-solo.com/showthread.php?t=81763)
Part 209: Used To Be A Sweet Boy (http://forums.morrissey-solo.com/showthread.php?t=81716)
Part 208: Unloveable (http://forums.morrissey-solo.com/showthread.php?t=81681)
Part 207: Unhappy Birthday (http://forums.morrissey-solo.com/showthread.php?t=81632)
Part 206: Trouble Loves Me (http://forums.morrissey-solo.com/showthread.php?t=81564)
Part 205: Tony The Pony (http://forums.morrissey-solo.com/showthread.php?t=81527)
Part 204: Tomorrow (http://forums.morrissey-solo.com/showthread.php?t=81464)
Part 203: To Me You Are A Work Of Art (http://forums.morrissey-solo.com/showthread.php?t=81426)
Part 202: This Night Has Opened My Eyes (http://forums.morrissey-solo.com/showthread.php?t=81386)
Part 201: This Is Not Your Country (http://forums.morrissey-solo.com/showthread.php?t=81341)
Part 200: This Charming Man (http://forums.morrissey-solo.com/showthread.php?t=81281)
Part 199: These Things Take Time (http://forums.morrissey-solo.com/showthread.php?t=81236)
Part 198: There's A Place In Hell For Me And My Friends (http://forums.morrissey-solo.com/showthread.php?t=81193)
Part 197: There Speaks A True Friend (http://forums.morrissey-solo.com/showthread.php?t=81156)
Part 196: There Is A Light That Never Goes Out (http://forums.morrissey-solo.com/showthread.php?t=81117)
Part 195: The Youngest Was The Most Loved (http://forums.morrissey-solo.com/showthread.php?t=81083)
Part 194: The World Is Full Of Crashing Bores (http://forums.morrissey-solo.com/showthread.php?t=81052)
Part 193: The Teachers Are Afraid Of The Pupils (http://forums.morrissey-solo.com/showthread.php?t=80995)
Part 192: The Queen Is Dead (http://forums.morrissey-solo.com/showthread.php?t=80923)
Part 191: The Public Image (http://forums.morrissey-solo.com/showthread.php?t=80811)
Part 190: The Ordinary Boys (http://forums.morrissey-solo.com/showthread.php?t=80771)
Part 189: The Operation (http://forums.morrissey-solo.com/showthread.php?t=80745)
Part 188: The Never Played Symphonies (http://forums.morrissey-solo.com/showthread.php?t=80634)
Part 187: The National Front Disco (http://forums.morrissey-solo.com/showthread.php?t=80545)
Part 186: The More You Ignore Me, The Closer I Get (http://forums.morrissey-solo.com/showthread.php?t=80496)
Part 185: The Loop (http://forums.morrissey-solo.com/showthread.php?t=80450)
Part 184: The Lazy Sunbathers (http://forums.morrissey-solo.com/showthread.php?t=80409)
Part 183: The Last Of The Famous International Playboys (http://forums.morrissey-solo.com/showthread.php?t=80300)
Part 182: The Headmaster Ritual (http://forums.morrissey-solo.com/showthread.php?t=80348)
Part 181: The Harsh Truth Of The Camera Eye (http://forums.morrissey-solo.com/showthread.php?t=80260)
Part 180: The Hand That Rocks The Cradle (http://forums.morrissey-solo.com/showthread.php?t=80225)
Part 179: The Father Who Must Be Killed (http://forums.morrissey-solo.com/showthread.php?t=80203)
Part 178: The Edges Are No Longer Parallel (http://forums.morrissey-solo.com/showthread.php?t=80143)
Part 177: The Draize Train (http://forums.morrissey-solo.com/showthread.php?t=80111)
Part 176: The Boy With The Thorn In His Side (http://forums.morrissey-solo.com/showthread.php?t=80071)
Part 175: The Boy Racer (http://forums.morrissey-solo.com/showthread.php?t=80040)
Part 174: That's Entertainment (http://forums.morrissey-solo.com/showthread.php?t=80004)
Part 173: That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore (http://forums.morrissey-solo.com/showthread.php?t=79972)
Part 172: Teenage Dad On His Estate
Part 171: Sweetie Pie
Part 170: Sweet And Tender Hooligan
Part 169: Sunny
Part 168: Suffer Little Children
Part 167: Suedehead (http://forums.morrissey-solo.com/showthread.php?t=79575)
Part 166: Such A Little Thing Makes Such A Big Difference
Part 165: Stretch Out And Wait
Part 164: Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before (http://forums.morrissey-solo.com/showthread.php?t=79377)
Part 163: Still Ill (http://forums.morrissey-solo.com/showthread.php?t=79252)
Part 162: Spring-Heeled Jim
Part 161: Speedway (http://forums.morrissey-solo.com/showthread.php?t=79159)
Part 160: Southpaw
Part 159: Sorrow Will Come In The End
Part 158: Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others
Part 157: Slum Mums
Part 156: Skin Storm
Part 155: Sister, I'm A Poet (http://forums.morrissey-solo.com/showthread.php?t=78857)
Part 154: Sing Your Life
Part 153: Shoplifters Of The World Unite (http://forums.morrissey-solo.com/showthread.php?t=78770)
Part 152: Sheila Take A Bow
Part 151: Shakespeare's Sister
Part 150: Seasick Yet Still Docked (http://forums.morrissey-solo.com/showthread.php?t=78609),(follow this link to first 149 songs).

Best performing songs, parts 1 to 149 (click to vote):

Part 147: Rubber Ring (http://forums.morrissey-solo.com/showthread.php?t=78444)
Part 145: Reel Around The Fountain (http://forums.morrissey-solo.com/showthread.php?t=78386)
Part 140: Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want (http://forums.morrissey-solo.com/showthread.php?t=78163)
Part 136: Panic (http://forums.morrissey-solo.com/showthread.php?t=78042)
Part 135: Paint A Vulgar Picture (http://forums.morrissey-solo.com/showthread.php?t=77981)
Part 128: Now My Heart Is Full (http://forums.morrissey-solo.com/showthread.php?t=77664)
Part 126: November Spawned A Monster (http://forums.morrissey-solo.com/showthread.php?t=77601)
Part 124: Nobody Loves Us (http://forums.morrissey-solo.com/showthread.php?t=77524)
Part 104: Life Is A Pigsty (http://forums.morrissey-solo.com/showthread.php?t=76672)
Part 101: Late Night, Maudlin Street (http://forums.morrissey-solo.com/showthread.php?t=76554)
Part 100: Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me (http://forums.morrissey-solo.com/showthread.php?t=76504),
Part 96: Jack The Ripper (http://forums.morrissey-solo.com/showthread.php?t=76326)
Part 93: Irish Blood, English Heart (http://forums.morrissey-solo.com/showthread.php?t=76176)
Part 88: I've Changed My Plea To Guilty (http://forums.morrissey-solo.com/showthread.php?t=75911)
Part 83: I Won't Share You (http://forums.morrissey-solo.com/showthread.php?t=75641)
Part 81: I Want The One I Can't Have (http://forums.morrissey-solo.com/showthread.php?t=75545)
Part 77: I Know It's Over (http://forums.morrissey-solo.com/showthread.php?t=75303)
Part 65: How Soon Is Now? (http://forums.morrissey-solo.com/showthread.php?t=74712)
Part 61: Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now (http://forums.morrissey-solo.com/showthread.php?t=74491)
Part 57: Handsome Devil (http://forums.morrissey-solo.com/showthread.php?t=74213)
Part 56: Hand In Glove (http://forums.morrissey-solo.com/showthread.php?t=74150)
Part 55: Half A Person (http://forums.morrissey-solo.com/showthread.php?t=74076)
Part 54: Hairdresser On Fire (http://forums.morrissey-solo.com/showthread.php?t=74018)
Part 50: Girlfriend In A Coma (http://forums.morrissey-solo.com/showthread.php?t=73727)
Part 42: First Of The Gang To Die (http://forums.morrissey-solo.com/showthread.php?t=73179)
Part 41: Everyday Is Like Sunday (http://forums.morrissey-solo.com/showthread.php?t=73130)
Part 36: Disappointed (http://forums.morrissey-solo.com/showthread.php?t=72819)
Part 26: Cemetry Gates (http://forums.morrissey-solo.com/showthread.php?t=72311)
Part 21: Bigmouth Strikes Again (http://forums.morrissey-solo.com/showthread.php?t=72045)
Part 14: Asleep (http://forums.morrissey-solo.com/showthread.php?t=71665)
Part 1: A Rush And A Push And The Land Is Ours (http://forums.morrissey-solo.com/showthread.php?t=71058)

[Jose]

This was the very first Smiths-song I ever heard.
Fell in love instantly.
10.

[Amy]

A good song, over-hyped because of the Associates' Steven, It Was Really Something response. This song was on Top of the Pops 2 a while back, presented by Moz' nemesis Steve Wright, who added captions such as "Keen Smiths fans will know...this song is about Morrissey's relationship with Billy Mackenzie" etc :rolleyes:

[Assassin]

10*

One of my favourites

[Chartres]

Top Smiths, one of my all time favourites.

William, it was really nothing
it was your life

Brilliant & mean:guitar:

[Kewpie]

16th September 1984, I heard the song for the first time and fell in love with The Smiths.
Pity I never had a chance to listen the song in live when I saw Smiths in 1986.

[Radio Berlin]

lots of good songs on W.

[Chartres]

lots of good songs on W.

Word!

[Corrissey]

9! Excellent jangly intro and falsetto outro -wonderful lyrics in between...
and everybody's got to live their life and God knows I've got to live mine...

I work with a William and can't help but think about this song everytime I say or think about his name :p lol

Additional useless info: OutKast's Andre 3000 is a huge Smiths fan-and he named "William" as his absolute favorite.

[jeniphir]

Quintessential Smiths. A classic 10.

--jeniphir

[mozmal]

A lovely, vibrant song that sounds as fresh and alive today as it did when it was released. It's this kind of irresistible melody that Moz sorely needs these days. Marvellous stuff - 9.

[Casagrande]

Quintessential Smiths. A classic 10.

--jeniphir

This.

[AmgoingtoseeMoz]

A 10 for sure!! Such a good song!

[celibate]

a 9

great song written by Johnny:guitar:

Morrissey's funny and cynical lyrics makes it a perfect single and a
typical upbeat catchy Smiths song

*how can you stay
with a fat girl
who says
owow
would you like to marry me
and if would like
you can buy the ring
I don't care of anyone
accept myself

*lyrics as always straight from the writersblockhead, or so to say me memory

[*EqualOpportunityHater*]

Quintessential Smiths. A classic 10.


X


...................

[Well I Wonder]

8/10.... Great tune

[the judge]

Fell in love instantly.


So did I. :)
Love the riff, the descending part and these lyrics especially:
I don't dream about anyone
except myself

And the bit about the fat girl proves that Morrissey indeed knew that some girls are bigger than others. :D:cool:

EDIT: forgot to write what I voted. 9

[Skinner]

Within the past few months I fell in love with this song all over again. I love it. Vocally Moz is on fire in this song. It's a great showcase of his vocal range as well as his great talent for writing. Loves it!

[sistasheila]

i dont know if the song was really inspired ny billy mac kenzie...http://www.oz.net/~moz/lyrics/hatfulof/williami.htm

i read in one of the books published on moz (must be "sscandal and passion" thts the latest one i read) that billie did indeed fancy morrissey a lot(he told friends so) -billie was gay or bisexual i dont remember now must look in the book

i dont hink it was mutual from morrissey`s side i dont think he did fancy billie(and surely dont have a relationship-)too but he surely find him an interestesting topic enough to be inspired by him but if billie was the subject we dont know mybe another billie?

or could it be inspired by the film billy liar?