LogFAQs > #957199615

39. The Smiths How Soon is Now? (1984)
from the album Hatful of Hollow

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OztC_7nkAd8

Key lyrics:
I am human and I need to be loved
Just like everybody else does

How Soon is Now? is far from a typical Smiths track. Even brooding, the band tended toward a jangle pop aesthetic, but this track finds them embracing a post-punk feel. Morrissey takes on a more muted presence, choosing to strike with a few key phrases than dominate the entire song. With the relatively small number of lyrics, Morrissey pulls off some of his most relatable pained lines. A breakdown in the middle sends shockwaves. Morrissey seemingly encourages his listener to try and find love at a club, only to immediately remark upon the inevitable failure. How Soon is Now? is a club hit self-aware of the overwhelming feeling of trying to go out and meet people.

Johnny Marr and his reverberating guitar stand at the forefront of How Soon is Now? If Morrisseys words paint a doomed picture, Marrs echoing guitar suggests a full-on apocalypse. The cataclysmic tone plays on two distinct levels, an emotive cry and a sparkling rhythm. The guitar as an instrument rarely touches upon such a striking combination, bridging together pure atmosphere and dance music. A slide note serves the ultimate strike, a shivering dose of dread preying upon the songs vulnerability.

Despite his unbearable demeanor, Morrissey can tap into human emotions better than most lyricists. Pairing that with a guitar part which would sound more at home in a subtle noise rock track grants an unforgettable power. How Soon is Now? is inimitable, a fusion of so many aesthetics that plays to the best elements of them all. With this track, The Smiths briefly shed their twee proclivities to play the coolest band on earth.

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