One of The Smiths’ most recognizable songs didn’t amass widespread acclaim when it was initially released in 1986. “There Is a Light That Never Goes Out” appeared on the band’s third album, The Queen Is Dead. But once it was released as a single in 1992, it became one of their signature songs. Unfortunately, The Smiths had already been broken up for five years.
“There Is a Light That Never Goes Out” received an official single release in the U.K. on October 12, 1992, to promote the upcoming compilation album, …Best II. Five years earlier, The Smiths suddenly disbanded, wrung out from touring and personal conflicts within the band. Several band members launched solo careers, notably Morrissey and Johnny Marr.
Releasing the single brought The Smiths renewed attention. The song went from the second-to-last album track to a notable single. It received praise from critics and more love from die-hard fans, despite only peaking at No. 25 on the U.K. Singles Chart.
Still, “There Is a Light That Never Goes Out” put The Smiths on a lifetime pedestal from then on. The song title alone made it an apt choice for release. “There is a light that never goes out” on The Smiths, as they continue to gain new generations of fans.
Everyone Wanted ‘There Is a Light’ as a Single, but the Smiths Guitarist Johnny Marr Had Other Plans
Johnny Marr and Morrissey co-wrote “There Is a Light That Never Goes Out” around 1985. The Smiths recorded it during those late-year sessions, with Marr later describing the process as “magical”. However, he told NME in 2011 that magic also came a bit out of nowhere.
“We did it at the start of the day,” he said at the time. “It was an enjoyable 40 minutes. When we all got together … it was the first time all four of us had heard what it sounded like. It was magical. Someone told me that if you listen with the volume really, really up you can hear me shout ‘That was amazing’ right at the end.”
In 1993, Marr said that he didn’t anticipate the track becoming an anthem later on. “But,” he admitted, “when we first played it I thought it was the best song I’d ever heard.” So why is it that Marr pushed for “Bigmouth Strikes Again” as the single off The Queen Is Dead when The Smiths’ label boss wanted “There Is a Light That Never Goes Out”?
“For a long time I worked on the premise that we should always have a song on each album that people said, ‘That should be a single.’ But in fact really wasn’t,” he told Uncut in 2008. “I thought it was a sign of a really great album that there was a track that everyone wanted as a single, but you had stronger singles instead.”
This led to the track becoming something of a hidden secret for die-hard Smiths fans in 1986. It had beloved deep cut status for six years. Then, as an official single, it became a mainstream hit. In the U.K., it’s now certified 2x Platinum. Not bad for a band broken up for five years.
Photo by Pete Still/Redferns
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