At my school, in the mid 80s, the music tribes were basically divided into metal kids and indie kids. (Of course there were plenty who just liked chart pop, and plenty who didn't really care about music at all.)
When Meat Is Murder came out, I remember seizing upon "What She Said" as an example of how indie music wasn't wimpy at all, and could actually sound a bit, you know, Metal. I played the song to some of the metal kids, one afternoon, full of hope that our divides could be bridged. But oh, how they laughed!
I still think it's a brilliant song, though. (Even if Morrissey nicked some of the best lines, as per FWD post above.)
An old social media mate loves that book by Smart. I never got into it.
I think the young are better with music today. The whole tribe's thang is so f***ing lame. I never got why people buy into it. Its so much healthier now. It makes 80s kids look like cavepeople
Take Paul Weller fans, they honestly think calling yourself a "mod" is a good thing. They do not see its a mark of weakness,in some ways. It's like being a child. My friends were awesome, we listened to music because we liked it, and never got conned by the image part. I can see why people do, they want to belong
So, we listened to Smiths, M, Hip Hop, Guns and Roses, 60s girl bands, Kraftwerk, Bowie, Noel Coward, Goerge Formby, cliff Ricard, ACDC what the f*** ever. The point was the song, the art. Shit Phils Collins Lp No Jacket required is cool beans. Rod Stewart was great Who gives a shit what the NME thinks?
Most people I know though were like us, as well. Maybe Bristol just breeds people who aren't easily conned, at least in the 60s and 70s?
I have met people from different tribes in later life and guess what, I didn't meet one person who didn't like this song. Not one, at least The Rank version.
The version on Rank is beyond fire. Marr setting it up and M making that noise and the band storming into the song. It kills. No matter what type of person you are. I swear I have had people become smiths fans based on The Rank version of the song