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"There Is a Light..." in Mojo's "100 Greatest Songs of All Time"

posted by davidt on Monday July 31 2000, @09:30AM
Ulf Österström writes:

The August edition of Mojo features a list of the 100 Greatest Songs of All Time, as voted for by "the world's finest somgwriters" and the Mojo writers. Morrissey and Marr are featured on number 25 with "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out" which gets the following review:

(more)
"I didn't realise There Is A Light was going to be an anthem," said Johnny Marr, "but when we first played it, I thought it was the best song I'd ever heard." An impossibly affecting examination of unrequited love that also contains what Nick Kent termed "an invocation of a double suicide", it still stand as Morrissey/Marr's finest moment. It also contained a sly in-joke: it shares its staccato bridge in common with both the Velvet's There She Goes and the Stones' version of Marvin Gaye's Hitchhike. (John Harris)
Additionally, there is a short interview with Johnny Marr, who also was one of the judges, containing the following comments:
We recorded in a real threadbare fashion. [...] We couldn't afford machines so I'd put a song down with accoustic guitar onto a cassette and he'd quickly come up with the words and melody. The reason we were so prolific is that we didn't want any other life other than iside the band. every few weeks we'd write a few songs and book into the studio. It didn't matter whether we were due to make an album, it was just like, "Time for a single, time for a single," and the albums would take care of themselves [...] We knew where [the prolific rush of songwriting] were coming from, [...] desire, 18, 20 years of frustration and two people who were a little emotionally fucked up, for whatever reason. If you put so much stock in pop music you've gotta be. When it stopped I carried on writing but that affinity to be able to make that many songs a year was definitely gone. Was it frustrating? No, I figured it was a decent trade-off. Worse things can happen, believe me. [...] Journalists always single out writers like Jimmy Webb, [...] because he's all about form and structure and depth. But for me melody and spirit are more important than words. there are times when youn want to hear Superbad much more than A Bridge Over Troubled Water.
The article ends with Johnny Marr's "Hitlist" (This Charming Man, Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now, How Soon Is Now, There Is Light That Never Goes Out and Get the Message)and a list of Johnny's favourite songs:
(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction (Mick Jagger & Keith Richards)
I Was Made to Love Her (Stevie Wonder, Sylvia Moy, Hank Cosby & Lula Hardaway)
Metal Guru (Marc Bolan)
Running Away (Sylvester Stewart)
Spoon (Can)
Waterloo Sunset (Ray Davies)
Ohio (Stephen Stills)
Superbad (James Brown)
It's Been So Long (Howie Casey & Rick Finch)
Gimme Shelter (Jagger & Richards)
Number One on Mojo's list is Lennon & McCartney's "In My LIfe." Henry Mancini's "Moon River" is number 17.
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  • Only 25th? Pah! :-)

    Intresting short interview with Johnny there.

    Is "There Is A Light" the best song from The Smiths? I would say it's one of the best, but I don't have an actual "best song" (fence sitter!). Oh, the emotion, the emotion of the song! Brillant!
    Rediffusion -- Monday July 31 2000, @09:10AM (#1207)
    (User #176 Info)
    What do we get for our trouble and pain? Whalley Range!
  • I'll have to admit that There is a Light is the best song the Smiths ever put out. I think that it might be the strings that put it over the top. My favorite song is Well I Wonder. I could listen to that song 100 times in a row. It's just so incredibly sincere. I'd be curious to know just the number one's of the people on the list.
    richlandrum <[email protected]> -- Tuesday August 01 2000, @03:31AM (#1229)
    (User #647 Info)
  • The list? What was I thinking, that this is the Bigmouth e-mail list or something? I guess that's what I get for posting at 3:40 in the morning :) Of course I meant that I'd like to know what the different people who visit this site would choose as their number one favorite song (Smiths/Morrissey only please) is.
    richlandrum <[email protected]> -- Tuesday August 01 2000, @03:44AM (#1230)
    (User #647 Info)
  • Rich, "It May All End Tomorrow" has a list of peoples favourite Smiths and Morrissey songs. If I remember correctly, There Is a Light is indeed no 1. It's also my personal number one, although, I have to agree that "Well I Wonder" is definetely one of the hidden gems of The Smiths.
    Roy S. Keane -- Tuesday August 01 2000, @07:58AM (#1234)
    (User #600 Info)
  • Not to sound overly emotional, but "There is a light" is one of those songs that can bring me to tears instantly. I remember once listening to it over and over for 3 hours and actually picturing Morrissey in the passenger seat thinking to himself "Oh God, my chance has come at last". Let's face it, they were such an awesome song writing team and 20 years from now, music historians will be talking about the Smiths much in the same way as they talk about the Beatles, Bach today.

    There's is a light that never goes out IS the best song ever written.
    Fence -- Tuesday August 01 2000, @09:52AM (#1237)
    (User #1034 Info)
    Heel in the back, size 13
  • The grooves on this one are worn with love! Not only are the lyrics achingly touching, Morrissey's delivery is emotionally devastating! Marr's guitar accompanies him in a tender and forlorn manner. A real heart-stopper!
    J. Razor -- Wednesday August 02 2000, @09:10AM (#1264)
    (User #724 Info)
    I'm Alone
  • ... Ulf Österström, I really do like your name. :) And I mean it.
    elsberry -- Wednesday August 02 2000, @02:03PM (#1268)
    (User #418 Info | http://www.leavemealoneiwasonlysinging.not/)
    +++ Of all of the fuckups that I do, I saved the best one for you +++
  • For me it's without doubt the most beautiful song I've never heard (just befoire How Soon Is Now). An unbelievebal emotion, beautiful, sad and romantic lyrics. I'll listen it until I die.
    boy with a thorn <[email protected]> -- Wednesday July 25 2001, @12:37PM (#15487)
    (User #3278 Info | http://ifrance.com/boyracer)
    "It may all end tomorrow or we could go on forever"

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