The Smiths A-Z: "I Know It's Over"

This song always overwhelms me emotionally.

Morrissey completely exposes his soul and fraggility here, JM and band provide a superb musical backing, and the ending building up the tensions towords the final outburst of desperation, where it all boils over.

Jeff Buckley’s cover of this song was also pretty amazing.
 
Amazing, flawless and something only Morrissey could write.

I know it's over, still I cling
I don't know where else I can go
Over it's over, over it's over, it's over la la la la la
I KNOW IT'S OVER
and it never really began
but in my heart, it was so real.

In way a perfect song for the internet age. Lots of people getting lost in fake online relationships, with people they never meet
 
A 10/10 Smiths song for sure... but I'm more inclined to listen to "I Keep Mine Hidden" now. As others have said the emotional intensity is too much... it's just not a headspace I want to frequently visit anymore (did that enough in my youth). BTW, I love how TQID can have a track as heavy as this and one as flippant as "Vicar in a Tutu" and it all works so brilliantly.
 
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It makes me feel like such a walking cliché of a Smiths fan, but this song literally did prevent me from killing myself, in early 1987. So I'm eternally grateful for that, although it means I can't really listen to the song now. It's just too much.

But as others have said, yes, absolutely, one of the most powerful, incredible songs in all of popular music. And I hope Morrissey realises just how many people he's helped (through song) over the last 40 years.
Cliché or not, you're still with us and that's what matters.
 
Yes. the "and it never really began but in my heart it was so real" was a real sucker punch and maybe the epitome of the character Morrissey was portraying at the time. I love the live version with the crowd noise, and the way you can feel the tension this slow change of pace creates with the much more raucous tunes surrounding it. I don't know offhand if the album tracklist follows the show but it almost feels like this is Morrissey's spotlight piece and then he takes a break and Johnny and the others get to do the instrumental Draize Train.
 
This song is deeply heartbreaking to me. I actually can’t even listen to it.
 
When Morrissey sings I know its over, I really know and feel it's over. It is impossible to describe this song with words. You have to feel it in your heart, it is supposed to tighten your throat, make you shiver. One of a kind. No band, no musician has recorded anything like this.
God bless Morrissey.
 
The footage here is quite extraordinary. Morrissey gives it his all, sings his heart out, gives us his self-seared, scarred spirit. You can sometimes see the real-life psychodramas behind the songs playing out behind his eyelids as he sings during gigs, and that definitely happens here. He rocks back and forth like a lonely child trying to comfort himself, swaddle himself in the comfort blanket he takes off his back, but ends up pulling it over his head to mimic the earth falling over him, puts his shirt back on at the end, walks away, looking blown, got into a fight with himself and lost, as the band lingers longer and the confused front row lighters wave from the dazed middle of cliched nowhere.

Stunning.

 
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