The Moz/Smiths Top 100, Part 61: HEAVEN KNOWS I'M MISERABLE NOW
- Thread starter Houdini
- Start date
dagenham don
Head in the clouds
It was one of my favorites when I first got into the Smiths, but I would not list it among my favorites now. I'm not sure why.
DAnn Coulter
Banned
nugz
SUPAHSTAR!
I love how they whine and complain about it because they say its too whinny
haha, good observation
OVER-RATED SMITHS SONG ALERT!
Used to really love this song as an unlovable 17 years old.
But some songs really are so easily outgrown and this is a prime example.
The music's great but the lyrics grate (hehe, see what I did!).
I just can't enjoy listening to it anymore...
Used to really love this song as an unlovable 17 years old.
But some songs really are so easily outgrown and this is a prime example.
The music's great but the lyrics grate (hehe, see what I did!).
I just can't enjoy listening to it anymore...
Houdini
Junior Member
By the way we're a quarter-way through now, which means that - if the quality of H-Z is as high as A-H was (and why shouldn't it be?) - only the current top-25 will make the final top-100, so only an average rating of 8 or higher will probably be enough to make the final 100.
There are 14 Smiths-songs in the current Top-25 and 11 Morrissey-songs, so at this rate there will be 56 Smiths-songs in the Final 100 and 44 Morrissey-songs.
The Top-10 Smiths-songs so far:
1) Bigmouth Strikes Again, rating: 9,38
2) Hand In Glove,rating: 9,27
3) Cemetry Gates, rating: 9,18
4) Half A Person,rating: 9,15
5) Asleep, rating: 9,04
6) A Rush And A Push And The Land Is Ours, rating: 8,98
7) Girlfriend In A Coma, rating: 8,93
8) Handsome Devil,rating: 8,87
9) Frankly, Mr Shankly, rating: 8,56
10) Girl Afraid, rating: 8,56
The Top-10 Moz-songs so far:
1) Everyday Is Like Sunday, rating: 9,65
2) First Of The Gang To Die, rating: 9,06
3) Hairdresser On Fire,rating: 9,05
4) Disappointed, rating: 8,87
5) Come Back To Camden, rating: 8,44
6) Friday Mourning, rating: 8,32
7) Alsatian Cousin, rating: 8,31
8) Angel, Angel, Down We Go Together, rating: 8,21
9) Boxers, rating: 8,18
10) Ganglord, rating: 8,13
There are 14 Smiths-songs in the current Top-25 and 11 Morrissey-songs, so at this rate there will be 56 Smiths-songs in the Final 100 and 44 Morrissey-songs.
The Top-10 Smiths-songs so far:
1) Bigmouth Strikes Again, rating: 9,38
2) Hand In Glove,rating: 9,27
3) Cemetry Gates, rating: 9,18
4) Half A Person,rating: 9,15
5) Asleep, rating: 9,04
6) A Rush And A Push And The Land Is Ours, rating: 8,98
7) Girlfriend In A Coma, rating: 8,93
8) Handsome Devil,rating: 8,87
9) Frankly, Mr Shankly, rating: 8,56
10) Girl Afraid, rating: 8,56
The Top-10 Moz-songs so far:
1) Everyday Is Like Sunday, rating: 9,65
2) First Of The Gang To Die, rating: 9,06
3) Hairdresser On Fire,rating: 9,05
4) Disappointed, rating: 8,87
5) Come Back To Camden, rating: 8,44
6) Friday Mourning, rating: 8,32
7) Alsatian Cousin, rating: 8,31
8) Angel, Angel, Down We Go Together, rating: 8,21
9) Boxers, rating: 8,18
10) Ganglord, rating: 8,13
I've a feeling the final balance might be tipped slightly more in favour of the Morrissey songs (i.e. closer to 50;50).
Mainly because we seem to have had hardly any songs off The Smiths and Meat is Murder. 'The Smiths' has loads of duff, patchy songs (or at least badly arranged songs) e.g. Miserable Lie, and Meat is Murder has a fair few.
However, we need to remember that the Smiths only had about 65 songs so the quality is much higher...
But, Maurice, we still have to vote (from "Meat Is Murder"):
The Headmster Ritual
Rusholme Ruffians
I Want The One I Can't Have
What She Said
That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore
Nowhere Fast
Well I Wonder
Meat Is Murder
which are all good apart from track 2 and track 4, IMHO.
And from "The Smiths" too there are good songs.
The Headmster Ritual
Rusholme Ruffians
I Want The One I Can't Have
What She Said
That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore
Nowhere Fast
Well I Wonder
Meat Is Murder
which are all good apart from track 2 and track 4, IMHO.
And from "The Smiths" too there are good songs.
Yes, plenty of solid or 'good' Smiths songs but very few really brilliant ones.
They'll probably nearly all get scores of close to 8.5 but, with the exception of Well I Wonder, I'm pretty certain none will get over 9...
sore_lips
New Member
sorry, that´s a 7 for me.. the lyrics are great, but the melody is rather uninspired.. at first i disliked it strongly, now i like it, but still.. 7!
edit: although the guitar intro is certainly one of the best.. and to clarify, i don´t think the lyrics are whiny, they´re obviously tongue in cheek.. really, what bothers me is the melody, that´s all..
edit: although the guitar intro is certainly one of the best.. and to clarify, i don´t think the lyrics are whiny, they´re obviously tongue in cheek.. really, what bothers me is the melody, that´s all..
Last edited:
You're right Mr Lips. The vocal melody is pretty feeble. Only really has three notes. It's the guitar line that makes the song.
I heard the Beautiful South cover this song and they removed the guitar part which left the song sounding pretty mediocre (and I'm a fan of the BS; well some of their stuff ).
konstantinl
Junior Member
You could say that it was this song that really marginalised the Smiths through it's unrelenting miserablism to the extent that they didn't then kick on and become really big like U2 or REM. Then you might say "thank God". But I really do think this song has to take a lot of the blame for the negativity surrounding the Smiths and Morrissey in particular.
Musically the song is a slightly above average dirge although I do think Morrisey produces a few good lines on this one although I don't like the general theme or tone. I also accept 'classic' status isn't just an individual viewpoint and that you have to take in a wider view when awarding that particular honour so I'm going to give it 8.
Musically the song is a slightly above average dirge although I do think Morrisey produces a few good lines on this one although I don't like the general theme or tone. I also accept 'classic' status isn't just an individual viewpoint and that you have to take in a wider view when awarding that particular honour so I'm going to give it 8.
sore_lips
New Member
Badly arranged?
They're just a bit raw but with tons of passion and ambition. Not a bad track on that record.
lovemorrissey
Now My Heart is Full
Can i give it a 12?
Badly arranged?
Well, badly produced more than badly arranged. The songs just sound flat to me. The Hatful versions seem a lot more sprightly. I know a lot of people do like the first album though. Guess we'll just see how the voting goes.
exactly.
but, please, i´m a Miss rather than a Mr..
Well, you will insist on having a gender-less name!
Really, how is one to know?!
Worm
Taste the diffidence
Song gets a 10. A no-brainer. Who the hell voted a "1"?
Footnote: I have no scientific evidence of this and do not present it as fact, more as a Loch Ness Monster/Yeti/WMD sighting type of anecdote, but: my Rough Trade 12" of "Heaven Knows I'm Miserable" now, while basically the same mix as the CD and other vinyl versions, sounds slightly crisper, janglier (is that a word?), sunnier, almost as if re-mastered. Every other version of HKIMN is dead to me.
Has anyone else noticed this?
Footnote: I have no scientific evidence of this and do not present it as fact, more as a Loch Ness Monster/Yeti/WMD sighting type of anecdote, but: my Rough Trade 12" of "Heaven Knows I'm Miserable" now, while basically the same mix as the CD and other vinyl versions, sounds slightly crisper, janglier (is that a word?), sunnier, almost as if re-mastered. Every other version of HKIMN is dead to me.
Has anyone else noticed this?
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