The Smiths A-Z: "Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me"

[BookishBoy]

Next up in our Smiths A-Z project is this song from the Strangeways Here We Come album of 1987, also released as a single in December of that year and reaching #30 on the UK chart.

The song was never played live by the Smiths and has been performed 144 times in concert by Morrissey.

What do we think?

 

[Ketchup]

One of their best...Morrissey's lyrics (& voice) are absolutely beautifully stunning.

 

[Anonymous]

Clearly a work of genius, but I think that brooding extended keyboard intro could do with a little more love. Admittedly I didn't really 'get it' on first hearing, but now I love how moody it is.

 

[That's Enough For Me]

We think it's a wonderful dreamy waltz into that bedroom and that time of teenagedom where everybody seemed to understand life and how to play it...except me.

That's what we think.

 

[Watson]

I don't know if I have the words to describe how much I love this song. Well, I do know. I don't.

It is staggeringly, gut-wrenchingly, heart-achingly beautiful and is up there with the greatest of the band's songs. Jaysus, Strangeways...is a feckin' remarkable album.

 

[Watson]

We think it's a wonderful dreamy waltz into that bedroom and that time of teenagedom where everybody seemed to understand life and how to play it...except me.

That's what we think.

Trust me, you were not alone.

 

[BookishBoy]

One of Johnny's quotes about this song:

"'Strangeways' has its moments, like 'Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Love Me'. Last time I met Morrissey he said it was his favourite Smiths song. He might be right."

 

[The.Truth.]

Glad to find this one is universally loved. That live version is pretty great too.

 

[Lamplighter]

Amazing beautiful song. One of their very best. I always imagined Mary Coughlan singing this, in her bluesy style.

 

[Flibberty]

A fine song and the only thing that I'm not so keen on is some of Mike's drums. Occasionally they sound a little awkward.

One of Morrissey's finest vocals up to this point, however, and a dramatic tune from Johnny.

It deserved a higher chart position - and kinder reviews - but the group having broken up and the absence of new b-sides can't have helped.


Just to show other viewpoints and not because they should be considered in any way definitive...

In the poll on this board this song ranked 8th from 73 of the group's songs.
In the poll on the Hoffman board this song ranked 14th from 73 of the group's songs.

 

[j*e*t]

Any George Michael fans might like this cover.

 

[Nikita]

In my top 5 Smiths.

 

[ZOOM FROM GLOOM]

David Bowie said that this is his favorite Smiths song. He told Q in 1992: "I still rate Morrissey as one of the best lyricists in Britain."

 

[Nikita]

David Bowie said that this is his favorite Smiths song. He told Q in 1992: "I still rate Morrissey as one of the best lyricists in Britain."

« He’s up there with Bryan Ferry ».

 

[ZOOM FROM GLOOM]

« He’s up there with Bryan Ferry ».

actually, he’s up there with Morrissey.

 

[SuedeMoz]

It wasn't an immediate favorite at the time, but I've really come to appreciate the beauty and maturity of this one. It's songs like this that really make me wonder how a follow-up to Strangeways might have sounded.

 

[ZOOM FROM GLOOM]

Probably kinda like Viva Hate.

Didn’t Marr (when he first heard Viva Hate, or one of the singles from it ) somewhere say that he wanted to move more in that direction with The Smiths, more orchestral, like Scott Walker?

 

[Mayfly]

They really hit an artistic peak with this one : creatively, musically, vocally.
I would have found it fascinating if they had taken the orchestral route on a next album, if only there had been a next album of course.

 

[Mike Rourke]

Probably kinda like Viva Hate.

Didn’t Marr (when he first heard Viva Hate, or one of the singles from it ) somewhere say that he wanted to move more in that direction with The Smiths, more orchestral, like Scott Walker?

Nope, I think he said they wanted to be more like Roy Walker (off Catchphrase)

 

[Mike Rourke]

Here's a live version which actually has a string section. Don't think I've heard it before.
It's J Marr and the Shadow Puppets.
The music sounds awesome - the singing, less so!