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Story Of How An 80s B Side Became This Band's Greatest Song | Professor of Rock

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The compelling story of how Morrissey and Johnny Marr created one of the greatest epics in modern history: How Soon Is Now by The Smiths from 1984. Armed with One of the most arresting guitar riffs of the Rock Era inspired by an innocuous bubble gum pop song.. The story of how it became a touchstone for disaffected use is next on Professor of Rock.
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In 1984, the mind-boggling question became a song title for an epic track that has been referred to as “the Stairway to Heaven” of the 80s….”How Soon is Now” by The Smiths. Now... to get to the bottom of “How Soon is Now” the song, we need to explore the innovative artistry of Johnny Mars, and the tortured artistry of Morrissey- the brilliant ‘fire and gasoline' duo that created one of the most compelling collaborations of the Rock Era as co-founders of the indie rock supergroup The Smiths. My personal favorite band of all time.
The duo pushed each other to extraordinary heights to create a true classic that transcends New Wave, post punk, or Alternative Rock classification. “How Soon Is Now” began with symbiotic experimentation of various guitar riffs that earned his obsession since his adolescence.
Marr wrote the music for “How Soon is Now” during a 4-day period at Earl’s Court in London in 1984. As Marr tells it, over a few days he was writing new material. He was writing along the lines of fitting three songs on a 12 incher. The first song he wrote was fast and short, one of the shortest song the Smiths would ever record, The second song he approached as the B Side, was more melancholy, he had been missing his family and so he tapped into that feeling through his instrument and it ended up behind short and waltz. He felt that next he should write something longer with some kind of a groove. He rolled a joint, plugged in his Epiphone Casino and started playing a rhythm. Marr had been a long time fan of a band called the Gun Club and he liked the style of the Swampy Blues.

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4 сен 2024

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Комментарии : 1,8 тыс.

@ProfessorofRock 3 года назад

Poll: What are some of the greatest B sides or album tracks of the 80s?

@cathleenkarlsson979 3 года назад

"You Might Recall", B side of "Paperlate" - Genesis (IMHO :) )

@TalisSolepsis 3 года назад

For outright silly value courtesy of the play on "The Young Ones", try "Nasty" by The Damned.

@jimoscuba 3 года назад

Once upon a daydream b side to the police every breathe you take. I used to buy single because they had b-sides of songs not on the album.

@surlechapeau 3 года назад

"Into the Groove" Madonna , "The Sweetest Thing" U2

@augustosolari7721 3 года назад

Your funny uncle, Pet Shop Boys. It was the b side to "Left to My own devices"

@hersheybarber1424 2 года назад

It's insane how many great songs The Smiths actually have. They made it seem effortless. And to think they were only active from 82-87 just makes you wonder.

@zarrow50 Год назад

Most bands lat about 5 years

@v-town1980 10 месяцев назад

@@zarrow50Most bands (if they're lucky) get one or two hits.😂

@_D_E_N_N_I_S_ 8 месяцев назад

I have a hard time finding a track i want to skip

@davidasamikwa8037 2 года назад

“I am human and I need to be loved, just like everybody else does” is a line that plays through my head all the time and I am grateful for it

@Skabanis Год назад

And the way morrisey sings it is heart breaking

@SynthMusicWorld 3 года назад

I'm not exaggerating or kidding when I say "How Soon is Now" profoundly changed my life when I heard it for the first time, probably in 1987. I was in the Navy at the time, and one of my co-workers was into bands like The Cure, The Smiths, etc., and he played "How Soon is Now" for me. It almost literally knocked me down, because it was the first song I had ever heard that really, truly, explained my own feelings of loneliness and isolation at the time. Up until really 1986 I had listened to top-40 radio, and there's nothing wrong with that, but none of it resonated in me quite like Morrissey's mournful singing did. I also rock a Smiths t-shirt at work, although I think 99.9% of my co-workers have no idea who they are, aside from one yesterday who said "I like your shirt!"

@chriswallace9113 3 года назад

Similar experience for me but the song was “What Difference Does it Make” and it was about 1986.

@timothymarkin4481 3 года назад

Sadly, Morrissey just comes off as a jerk these days

@vsander09 3 года назад

@@timothymarkin4481 not go everyone. Also, why do you care? What other artists do you track into old age?

@SynthMusicWorld 3 года назад

@@timothymarkin4481 yeah, I was watching some concert footage of him from within the last couple of years, and he looked like he was bothered to be there, like he was too much of a star or something. I guess it could also be an act, too. Who knows with him.

@matthewcarlton5693 3 года назад

I was in sixth grade, my friend got Meat is Murder for Christmas. (U.S. edition had the song) and he said listen to this, its called new wave, I was blown away.

@wamatt2538 2 года назад

The Smiths, the Cure, Depeche Mode, Pet Shop Boys and New Order are truly my greatest musical groups. They all have helped me in so many ways.

@JustFortheRecord66 9 месяцев назад

I’d add Echo & the Bunnymen to that list for sure.

@damirpozgaj2296 6 месяцев назад

Don't forget The Sisters of Mercy, The Stranglers, Inxs, Midnight Oil, Ice House, Alphaville, Camouflage, Ultravox, Soft Cell, Human League...........

@RadioPsychicAstrologyByPepper 5 месяцев назад

@@damirpozgaj2296and having hit a wall in my own songwriting career years ago I have recently been dipping back into just the joy of playing covers of songs by almost every band mentioned here…. Ultravox and think song were the past evening and pet shop boys and some depeche mode last week… my first album in 93 jade a cover of the cure’s last dance…. Definitely my favorite music era although I don’t think I can sing alphaville like the kate bush vocal range of my youth! ☘️🙂🍀❤️

@cloneroom 3 года назад

The number one band of my life. I feel blessed to have been a teenager at this time. I received their first Album for my Birthday from a friend, he had no idea who they were, he just thought as I was photography obsessed I would love the cover. He told me the guy just unboxed it at the store and couldn't tell him anything about it so he purchased it anyway. The next day I was home alone and stuck it on...from the first track I was hooked. Thanks, Mark for a life-changing 16th BDay present.

@ellenmeilee 2 года назад

100 per cent get this. Me too. Songs that made me cry, songs that changed my life. I feel I can die happy for growing up in the time of the Smiths. People that don’t get this, I might like them a hell of a lot, but I can’t say we will ever truly bond.

@shokojimhollingsworth3940 2 года назад

Meant to be

@mattygee5000 3 года назад

Only Morrisey could make the phrase 'nothing in particular' totally epic

@6lillium 3 года назад

Johnny Marr is criminally underrated....

@juanr1956 3 года назад

Is not Johnny Marr... but Johnny Fucking Marr!!

@ilovetrance3036 3 года назад

F morrisey. It was Marr who wrote these anthems. Look what happened when morrisey went solo. Weho trash

@martinevensen406 3 года назад

@@ilovetrance3036 i heard that morrisey made melodies for vocal lines for the smiths. So he wrote these anthems too. Morrisey is underrated

@fifthof1795 3 года назад

Yet another fu/uckin' ...."criminally underrated" comment. Jeez, show some originality. Just who the f..k is criminally underating him....?

@novadhd 3 года назад

not underrated at all

@warrendebary2225 2 года назад

I was a Jock, a Football Player and relatively popular that never understood why I felt so alone in High School. In College, I was turned on to the Smiths and this song identified so much of why I felt the way I did. How Soon is Now was a revelation, an epiphany that I was only an outcast wearing the mask of acceptance. Thank you for framing this song, this time and the teenage angst so many of us experienced so adeptly. Best to you and bravo

@mommaluna4211 Год назад

Welcome to the club!😊

@stanettiels7367 Год назад

Well I’m a Brit so not a “jock”. Nonetheless, I totally identify with your comment. I was popular and was basically faking being popular. I was always socially awkward inside but essentially just played a role of being outgoing. That lie I told myself, well it bit me hard later in life.

@lindsaymcdade310 7 месяцев назад

@@stanettiels7367 I think he means, Jock as in the American sporty guy way lol. I am also a Jock, in the Scottish type way, finding the Smiths in my teens in the eighties changed my life too.

@RK-ti2qq 3 года назад

FYI George Eliot is the pen name of Mary Ann Evans, a female author.

@jswjanjan 3 года назад

👍🌞

@jennifermorris6848 3 года назад

Came here to make the same comment. So pleased to see so many others on the ball.

@nolongerthere 3 года назад

@@jennifermorris6848 Same here!

@johnray1067 3 года назад

I'm late to the party, I'm glad others also caght this.

@troutbreath 3 года назад

Saved me a comment. English majors unite!

@tonyvargas368 2 года назад

Ive seen Morrissey in concert several times. The juxtaposition of seeing 50 + yo olds like myself and their teen kids entranced by this song is something I can’t even express in words. It’s a small but important bonding moment that I hope they can appreciate.

@deborahbennett4386 Год назад

I'm so blessed to have seen both (and Morrisey can still rock it). As a woman in her 50s who is still gigging, I doubt I'll ever experience genius like it again.

@franksantos3418 3 года назад

I just remember when this song came on the radio (91X San Diego) everyone turned the volume to high. This song sounded like nothing else being played and was a staple for everyone on the beach and the clubs. Best times (80’s)of my life!

@patriciajackson2565 3 года назад

91X in the 1980s changed my world!👍

@KarineMichele112 2 года назад

91x was the only station in 80s San diego

@2Chickaboom2 Год назад

Lived in San Diego from 87 to 98 and 91X was a lifesaver which I had on 3 years solid as I didn’t have, nor did I want, to own a TV at the time. Go home from work, paint, write, read and listen to 91X.

@joescummer150 3 года назад

How soon is now is the ringtone I have assigned to my daughter, the song really resonated with me when I was a kid back in the 80’s and it means a lot to me and so I assigned it to the one truly beautiful thing I helped create.

@foxopossum 3 года назад

Awwwwwww. I love that

@starshake8998 3 года назад

❤️

@judeannethecandorchannel2153 2 года назад

Lovely! : )

@davecarroll4163 3 года назад

How Soon Is Now is a great song. Morrissey and Marr may have never reached those heights again. Hard to imagine in today's world that any artist could come close to doing what they did in 5 years. The 80's were possibly the last great decade for music. Thanks again for another great video, Adam.

@ProfessorofRock 3 года назад

You're welcome. What they did in 5 years is astounding for sure.

@icequeen917 2 года назад

As a teen in the eighties, I always thought of Morrisey as a modern Oscar Wilde. He certainly seemed to put on similar "affectations"! :)

@jefff2223 3 года назад

This, and so many other Smiths tracks, along with the Cure, New Order and DM, were the backing tracks to nearly every memorable moment I had in college. Thanks for the trip, Professor!

@daveshaw2342 3 года назад

All great bands

@dozer1642 3 года назад

We were listening to the same music. ✌️

@pfcampos7041 3 года назад

Highschool for me but ditto!

@boromirofmiddleearth557 2 года назад

my college girlfriend in 88 in NYC was in to these new alt Brit groups. but also INXS 10000 maniacs, wish I would have taken the opportunity to go to a concert.

@charl_k 2 года назад

It was Depeche Mode for me

@MrDLOC11 3 года назад

" I am human and I need to be loved, just like everybody else does..." A raw declaration of loneliness and vulnerability makes the Smiths like no other group.

@rickabyg7914 3 года назад

Oh man, this had me sobbing. This song and its lyrics don't just resonate with awkward, misunderstood teens. It encapsulates exactly how I feel as a 56 year old, painfully lonely man. Kudos to you, PoR, for such a detailed and respectful analysis, both intellectual and emotional, of this masterpiece. Peace and love to you all!

@SeptemberGurl1 3 года назад

Tears were flowing for me as well. Sure the teenage years are difficult but it doesn’t end there. When you’re shy with a battered heart, crippling loneliness feels like a death sentence. “How Soon is Now” is exactly what I needed to hear today to keep me passing the open windows.

@gregsteckline9528 3 года назад

As many I love this song, and so do my college age children. On reflecting back on this song I find it ironic that in the goth and punk clubs I went to as a college age adult, you had a roomful of people most of which were there because they wanted to connect with others but were too shy to approach anyone. When this song would get played, the dance floor would fill up and suddenly a roomful of lonely people were connecting through a song that spoke to the feeling we all had. For this alone, it make this song a classic everyone high school and up should hear.

@nanastan9 2 года назад

Yes! I close my eyes and I'm right back in the City Club in downtown Detroit.

@spencoir1 3 года назад

This song never really leaves you…

@limiter3118 7 месяцев назад

I wish it would.

@BrooklynBaby100 5 месяцев назад

@@limiter3118😅 I know right, haunting.

@anthonydavies6980 3 года назад

I must have been about 17 in 1985 when I got to the all ages club called the Encore in Renton, Washington right after they opened the doors and they must have been testing the smoke machine. I walked into a dimly lit , smokey room with How Soon is Now playing loudly but crisply wondering what this amazing sound was by myself. Every time I hear it I remember that moment. Magical.

@RenayOpish Год назад

Ha ha- me too, up in Vancouver BC though- the smoke machine and a dance floor

@GreenLepidolite 3 года назад

It’s so gratifying to hear someone discussing this song, that feels as passionate about it as I do. It has been a comfort and validation through many painful experiences in my life. I discovered it around the same time too. late 80s, about to start high school, along with The Cure, Depeche Mode, Psychedelic Furs… and one he didn’t mention, Pixies. The music that shaped me and saved me.

@marktait2371 3 года назад

beth same here was fortunate to see cure g.mu. furs 05 comeback tour but not able to get to smiths show g.m.u. last tour depeche same big show d.c. around the same time mega tour coludnt go but have live c.d. double of the tour and ol moz. came town several years ago with ol boz borrer and bunch but irionically was in wensleydale at the time friend went said moz and boz good show small venue national rva local gal lucy dacus bright eyes this weekend anyway nephew went to johnny show messenger nville show was promoting show and new guitar he was not familar with bands music but enjoyed show pixies came down to bburg va 123 cafe went to show before they went to england have the bbc c d. but ok not as good as studio records in small club sound not great but pixies back then if came to town support them short show about an hour or so but great band in unique style hard rockers for sure too loud but good show

@andrewshippy6623 2 года назад

I discovered you while searching for songs of my youth. I'm helping my step-daughters grieve their mother who just died of COVID and I needed the music that helped me through college. I didn't fit in and the Smiths (and later Morrissey), Depeche Mode, Roxy Music and others saved me. This was my first time seeing your videos. Great job on this one. You literally took words from my mouth! Thanks!

@cirjames2540 3 года назад

How Soon is Now is both sad and beautiful at the same time. Absolutely brilliant.

@MobiusBandwidth 3 года назад

like life!

@brianfergus839 2 года назад

It’s the Major/minor thing… plus the lyrics

@Thomasmemoryscentral 2 года назад

@@brianfergus839 For some reason, the instrumental reminds me of a slowed down version of the music for Led Zeppelin's Immigrant Song

@wtrdawnlord 2 года назад

I suffer from major Depressive Disorder and when I am in "the pit" music is one of the very few things that helps me cope with my feelings of worthlessness, guilt, shame and loneliness. How Soon Is Now is absolutely one of the songs to which I will listen obsessively. The lyrics and the feel of the music tells me I'm not the only one who feels like this and that someone understands how I feel and can sympathize. Along with Tyler Joseph and a few others, I could never thank Morrissey and John Marr enough for their music

@suepedie1 2 года назад

Agree!

@paulamiles9559 2 года назад

Shoplifters and GF in s Coma also pull me out of the blues.

@Heartwing37 2 года назад

I’ve never heard of someone being actually cheered up by Smiths music but I’m glad it helps. Love the Smiths!

@WaterKreature 2 года назад

When I'm feeling depressed playing certain music from grateful dead gets me more depressed state

@judeannethecandorchannel2153 2 года назад

May It always be there for you William....

@markbock3027 3 года назад

Don’t overlook Andy Rourke and Mike Joyce, one of the best rhythm sections in rock and roll.

@maryreilly5102 2 года назад

Word!

@maxshea1829 2 года назад

Abso-lutely!

@cultureshopboys 2 года назад

maravillosos !!!

@deborahbennett4386 Год назад

R.I.P Andy Rourke 💔🖤

@rrickey360 10 месяцев назад

So true 👍

@kimberelydavis379 3 года назад

It’s so haunting, lonely and dark, but still hopeful at the same time.

@WheelTek86 3 года назад

This song resonated so deeply; I was a shy guy who was into a super cool girl and she would look right through me as if I wasn’t there. I found peace with the smiths and the cure. And hearing this song tonight gave me goosebumps. I haven’t heard it in a few years. I’m playing this on my way to work tomorrow!

@mdbrumbach1 3 года назад

Listening to this masterpiece in headphones takes it to another level.

@condemned1982 3 года назад

I LOVE Johnny Marr's solo work... he is so underrated as a guitarist and is even a pretty decent vocalist.

@robinstreets1792 2 года назад

Hi Hello is amazing, beautiful guitar melody, impossible for me to only listen to it once!

@davidparker9676 3 года назад

The Smiths was pure musical magic. The combo of Morrissey and Marr produced some of the most powerful melodies and impactful lyrics. I have no doubt The Smiths saved thousands upon thousands of teenage lives.

@joelhassig6099 3 года назад

I'm one.

@canto10mosha65 2 года назад

Don’t forget their other hit “This Charming Man”.

@davidparker9676 2 года назад

@@canto10mosha65 As if they were a one hit wonder. They had several hits over a few short years.

@tompaulcampbell 2 года назад

Or at least gave them some depressing lyrics from Morrissey to listen to while they end it all!

@davidparker9676 2 года назад

@@tompaulcampbell You clearly have no clue. I'd bet that you loved mainstream corporate bands and never understood any lyrics past a simple repeating chorus of "mmmmm-bop"

@raserx63 3 года назад

I got to see Johnny Marr on his last tour before covid at Irving Plaza ,NYC. He did his solo stuff , plus some Smiths ....it was brilliant. To hear “How Soon is Now?” played live was surreal. I didn’t want it to end.

@captainlou9677 3 года назад

I first heard this song when I was 15 in 1989. I wasn't bullied or mistreated in high school but I had always felt different from my peers. I was extremely introverted and this song became my anthem. It made my loneliness and isolation something to embrace. And it made me more empathetic to others who might be experiencing the same thing.

@gholwiih 3 года назад

I remember listening to a distant college radio station in TX late at night when I was a teenager and hearing this song. I was simply enthralled. They never said anything about it! It wasn't until I was in college myself a couple of years later that I found it again. I was like THAT'S THAT SONG!! I was so excited and started my journey with the Smiths from that moment on.

@dianal5087 3 года назад

I have a similar memory. Back then I listened to a college radio show based in Austin on Sunday nights, and one night this song came on. The lyrics were so different, and that guitar riff just floated around the dark room, and I was enthralled! Definitely a life changer.

@jamesw1313 3 года назад

It just meant so much more to find music back then. A snippet of a song from a distant radio station bounced around in your head for months/years and then out of nowhere-there it is. You could feel your brain light up almost an “explosion”. I know the feeling so well. Having a Public Enemy song that o heard about a minute of one time. When I found the album, tape actually, in a record store months later I couldn’t get home fast enough to play the album over and over till I learned every word of every song. It completely blew my sheltered suburban 14yo mind.

@MkeKen67 3 года назад

@@jamesw1313 - Was the song you heard called "Rise"? I think that's the first PIL song I ever heard. This Is Not a Love Song was the second song of theirs that I heard.

@ericbush3399 3 года назад

@@jamesw1313 Did you mean "Public Image Limited"?

@EmblemParade 2 года назад

When this song comes on in an 80s club everybody is on the dance floor mouthing the lyrics and dancing dramatically and we're all so together in our loneliness and, yes, it's our forever anthem.

@RFXLR 3 года назад

Excellent, excellent, EXCELLENT song!! I love listening to this song with headphones because there are so many sonic layers to discover.

@ProfessorofRock 3 года назад

I totally agree. It get richer with every passing. year.

@oscarthegrouch8992 3 года назад

This is the deep dive on How Soon is Now we have all been waiting for.. some of us since the mid eighties- solid work Prof 👏🏼

@dennisflax 3 года назад

Really enjoyed this track breakdown. I'm still marvelling about those 3 particular songs written in a week!

@ProfessorofRock 3 года назад

It's pretty mind blowing.

@dougball4769 Год назад

Thank you Adam for the backstory into one of the greatest songs of all time IMO. Timeless classic. I feel this song will still be relevant 100 years after it’s release.

@mitchb.1746 3 года назад

Johnny Marr is, IMO, possibly the most underrated song writers in my life time. He proved that not all guitar hero’s have to be shredders and technical wonders. His use of unique chords and chord progressions stood out amongst his peers and influenced many guitarists and bands behind him. I was just a tad too young to ever see The Smiths live. It’s a huge disappointment for me and I often say a Smiths Reunion would be a must-see for me. It’s a bucket list for dreamers I guess.

@rylian21 2 года назад

Johnny and Patrick both more or less said they'd rather eat broken glass and wash it down with rubbing alcohol than ever speak to each other again.

@DaveMcGarry 2 года назад

@@rylian21 so you're saying there's a chance...

@darkotto5044 2 года назад

But Marr was/is a technical wonder.

@melaniejo5296 2 года назад

@@DaveMcGarry 👍🏻

@70srollergirl Год назад

@@DaveMcGarry😂

@Necron-ez2cc 2 года назад

'You've Got Everything Now' is the one that did it for me. No one ever seems to talk about the musical depth and cathartic lyricism of that song.

@skeeterd5150 2 года назад

To the back of your carrrrrr

@skeeterd5150 2 года назад

One of my favorites too

@Necron-ez2cc 2 года назад

@@skeeterd5150 You are your mother's only son, and you're a desperate one.

@RobinMarks1313 3 года назад

I got myself a fake ID and went to the coolest club in town. It was a mix of rock, punk, new wave, dance etc, all in a club with four clubs within the bigger building. My favourite song was How Soon is Now and I always bugged the DJ to play the song. Eventually one week, he finally said, "yes, I'll play the song and I play it every weekend at the end of the night- so, stop bugging me." I then realized he would always play it around midnight and then the music took a dark more punk sound and the smash dancing and the mosh pit began. All the jocks and regular pop dancers would then leave the dance floor because they didn't like the rough play and didn't understand the code. I played hockey, so I took no grief when the jocks got a bit rougher. Then would get bored and leave the dance floor in only a few moments. Then it was loud, angst filled punk for the rest of the night and the "in crowd" left for another bar. Love The Smiths and the club "Gord's" - it's where I lost my musical virginity and popped my cherry.

@Sonnie0325 3 года назад

This song was my anthem as a high school teenager. I remember buying that album and bringing it home and playing the song over and over, feeling it wash over me. Marr's riff and Morrissey's haunting voice took me to another place, and still does whenever I hear the song!

@shoulderoforion8067 3 года назад

A beautiful and heartfelt episode about an indie masterpiece, thank you PoR. Like yourself, I was a kid (in England) who grew up on (my older brother's!) classic heavy rock records: Van Halen, Iron Maiden, Blue Oyster Cult, Foreigner, Journey and my all time faves, UFO. Then it was Duran Duran and Simple Minds (alt rock bands fused with electro) and British 'new romantic' outsider music, but it wasn't until I heard The Smiths that I finally knew I wasn't alone in feeling different any more. Exactly as you say, How Soon Is Now gave me a lifeline to realise that there were others like me that felt lonely, different and ignored. We were not the cocky, cheeky lads out on the pull, but sensitive souls hoping to somehow find love. This song spoke to me like nothing had before. I still love all the heavy rock from the classic years, but this song has been a saviour to me throughout my life. Many thanks for putting that gratitude into such articulate words.

@spuds6423 2 года назад

UFO, a band that influenced just about every hard rock artist in the 80's and beyond. The boys will be wrapping it up for good in Greece. I just might be there.

@KingAlveric 2 года назад

Funny you mention Duran Duran - “New Romantic” was coined from a lyric in “Planet Earth,” off their debut album (1981)… (John Taylor is an amazing funk bassist)

@fizzyplazmuh9024 2 года назад

As a frustrated and mixed-up teen in the late 80s driving home alone from the bars and clubs back to my lonely rural life was the first time I heard this song. It was winter and I rolled down the window to let the cold in while this song changed me. Fucking awesome. So haunting.

@alliswede42 3 года назад

Oh man, the last time you posted videos about The Smiths I went on a massive Smiths listening binge! And really, are there any more relatable lyrics than "You say it's gonna happen now, but when exactly do you mean? See, I've already waited too long, and all my hope is gone..." Also, I love the little details like random "Whistle While you Work" whistle towards the end and the bass offbeat hits! Marr + Moz= Musical magic 🤩

@ProfessorofRock 3 года назад

Love it. You should go on another Smiths binge!

@mollysreadings4845 Год назад

Morrissey is the man. One of my earliest musical memories is hearing "How Soon is Now?" at a friend's house as it randomly came on the radio. From the first note I froze. Writing this I am back in that moment- 1986 Incredible. ❤

@lizmarch4000 3 года назад

In the 80s, my older brother would bring home his college music influences. This song was one. I was blessed.

@mlesmar 2 года назад

You refer to The Smiths as a “life changing band.” I agree You said “The Smiths really saved a lot of lives.” I am proof

@highmileagehusband1915 Год назад

Right On Brother.b

@FatherAndTeacherTV 3 года назад

I don't know how to explain this song, but when I heard "How Soon is Now" I had to stop because the music kind of caught me off guard. The lyrics are different, but Morrissey's words and voice just works with the music. Again, I love this RU-vid channel.

@ProfessorofRock 3 года назад

Thank you for your most loyal support my friend!

@crashjones9575 2 года назад

I was 15 when this song came out and just before it’s release, my family moved from Florida to Oklahoma. I was the new kid in a high school full of kids that had known each other since pre-school. It was 4 months before another student spoke to me. I was the weird new surfer kid that looked different and liked different music. It was a lonely time for me- and it’s safe to say that my Smiths, New Order, Depeche Mode and Cure cassettes got me through some lonely times. How Soon is Now stands above all though- I felt like it was my theme song walking those lonely high school halls. Thanks to those guys, I was able to make it through 2 years of hell in Oklahoma. I graduated in 86, immediately left for college in Florida and have never returned to the state. I have turned my kids on to all those wonderful alternative bands of my youth- they love it.

@eponatwospirithorse4980 3 года назад

I really appreciated this breakdown of a song by a band I never got into. As a result I never heard the lyrics, but understanding them now 36/37 years later, I feel touched by them in a way I was not ready to appreciate back then. So thank you for opening my eyes. Blessings!

@Dimonstrik 3 года назад

One of the few songs that i still remember when, where and how I've heard for the first time... I went to a Depeche Mode party in one of the classic Tel Aviv clubs. Now, before you enter the main hall where a party takes place there were a smaller hall with classic "alternative" 80's songs. I entered the club and How Soon is Now just started to play. I was totally shocked. Can't say this about too many songs. Still one of my all-time favs and always will be.

@missilotze2985 3 года назад

Teenage me felt completely disconnected from the larger music and pop culture of the mid to late eighties. My high school was awash in metal hair bands, and hip hop. But our little gang of misfits - the drama and music and computer nerds, who read the classics for fun, we gravitated towards the Smiths like moths to flame. HSIN is the generational anthem for the dispossessed. I remember getting it played at the under 21 club, and watching all the cool kids scatter to the wind, as the freaks came out onto the dancefloor to twist and gyrate and sway, independent of each other. Before, it had been all these well dressed popular people dancing in lines to the Humpty Dance ( and other, less memorable stuff) and then they were replaced with all these lone dark figures, geeking out in solitude. Beautiful memory.

@Scottocaster6668 3 года назад

Nice! The popular ones will never understand. You guys knew it all along.

@ThoughtWave64 3 года назад

Your words…I know you, I’ve been you, I am you.

@chrisb5823 3 года назад

This was my experience to a T

@vintagethrifter2114 2 года назад

It's ironic that you mention The Humpty Dance because Humpty was just like you. He knew he looked funny and was an outcast but didn't care. The opening lines were "I'm about to ruin the image and the style that you're used to." Humpty danced to his own music and had is own dance moves. He called it the Humpty Dance and didn't care what anyone else had to say.

@Engelbird 2 года назад

@@Scottocaster6668 remember: popular is just another word for "common".

@TheComedyGeek 2 года назад

That guitar hook.....the way it shimmers over the surface of my mind..... *shiver*

@JasonSavorn 3 года назад

When you rattled off the bands that harmonized with your soul, DM, NO, Cure, I smiled with agreement. And when you spoke of your 💡 moment, I too reflected upon the same truth in my past life; a life that has also been “saved” by music. In the 80’s is was the aforementioned and in the 90’s it was U2,The Cranberries, Elvis Costello, and The Stranglers… if only I could impress upon my children the healing powers of music.

@ProfessorofRock 3 года назад

You nailed it! Great bands you listed.

@JasonSavorn 3 года назад

@GxV sounding better than ever 👍

@boromirofmiddleearth557 2 года назад

key I think is to listen to the album whilst driving, or out walking, just let your kids listen to the whole album. not the videos. the music itself the lyrics.

@ToddBadger-vp2nr 21 день назад

As a guitarist, I always loved the heavy reverb/digital delay and flanger of Johnny Marr's playing. I never thought of the harmonizer part which might also be hard to reproduce. I think these days it might be easier to link effect chains rather than amplifiers, but it's whatever works. Iconic 80s.

@craigs1266 3 года назад

I saw the Smiths on The Queen is Dead tour at the Fox theatre in Detroit. The T-shirt I got had the album art printed on white t-shirt. (Phrank opened the show)

@ProfessorofRock 3 года назад

Wow! I would give my left arm to see them.

@ibtaba 3 года назад

I saw Morrissey in Atlanta in ‘90 at the fox theatre and Phrank also opened then.

@craigs1266 3 года назад

12th row, main floor, house left.

@scarbourgeoisie 3 года назад

I saw them at the Kingswood Music Theatre, north of Toronto, on that same Queen is Dead tour which I think was back in '86. The new album had been out only a few weeks and I was blown away how the entire crowd knew the lyrics to every new song that was played live that night - word for word. What a great summer '86 was as I saw The Cure at that same venue a few weeks later.

@ryancampbell2192 2 года назад

For literally decades I thought the words were "sun & the air" rather than "son & the heir" but that changed nothing about how this song hits me when I hear it.

@intentionallyleftblank3016 2 года назад

Works both ways!

@RenayOpish Год назад

Wait- I am just seeing this now. 😂

@frydaze13 3 месяца назад

I always thought it was superbly written lyrics that could be interpreted both ways

@nononsenseBennett 3 года назад

THIS is why I keep coming back to this channel. So interesting. So factual. So educational. Keep up the great work.

@ProfessorofRock 3 года назад

Much appreciated

@troyundroy1 3 года назад

Professor, i’ve been listening and a patreon for a while now, and your breakdown and heartfelt synopsis of this masterpiece is some of your best work.

@80sJayOfficial Год назад

There is no doubt that The Smiths helped me immensely in those awkward years. They were the first band I connected with after punk. Moz is highly intelligent, and his lyrics were the perfect fit with Johnny Marr's music. Let's not forget the brilliance of Andy Rourke (RIP), Mike Joyce, Craig Gannon & all their producers.

@kimberlyvespa 10 месяцев назад

I stated in my other comment, that I was previously a punk rocker and did not like The Smiths until Louder Than Bombs came out and I REALLY LISTENED to The Smiths and fell in love with their music! 🎶

@viviansprivatekitchen1437 Год назад

I had the very same experience when I first found The Smiths. It was as if the wind was knocked out of me and a lightning bolt electrified me from my ears to my head to my heart. No other music has ever spoken to me like The Smiths have.

@gingerbreadorgingerbell1045 3 года назад

R I P WDRE. That’s where I first heard this sound. The station is gone, Tower Records is mostly gone but that right after college graduation was when my musical tastes exploded.

@robgesualdi206 2 года назад

WDRE in Philadelphia?

@yestoadventure007 Год назад

I'm 56 years old and I was there man, with you, I was there. The Smiths, The Cure, Depeche Mode, Joy Division/New Order, Siouxsie and the Banshees. I bought the first Smiths album on its debut and it saved me as well. I was there.

@danellis-jones1591 3 года назад

Thank you for being so vulnerable. And this is such an amazing track, that calls to my heart even now, at almost 50.

@kelst75 3 года назад

It's still as fresh and hypnotic as first time I heard it decades and decades ago.

@77inthehouse 3 года назад

One of the greatest songs ever recorded. I love this song and always have ever since I heard it for the first time.

@rorororo9430 3 года назад

The Smiths saved my life as a teen and I still go back to them to lift me when times are hard. Thank you for such an informative, heartfelt and eloquent take on an incredible song. Can you believe I met Mozza when he came to New Zealand. He was gracious and I was a bumbling mess! x

@azmesarc 3 года назад

Perfect report on a perfect song. Thank you for this.

@ProfessorofRock 3 года назад

You're welcome.

@woolgathered 2 года назад

I have to be in just the right mood to go back and listen to The Smiths at my age now. It’s tough to go back to those teenage years emotionally but I feel like when I’m able to listen to them, it’s like I’m crawling out of a hole again. They were and are still a lifeline to me.

@MyName-pl7zn 3 года назад

The Smiths should have gotten waaaaay more airplay. This song is an absolute statement for feelings so many us had so many times. A masterpiece! We love you and your work professor, agree with you maybe the most under played and under played bands that influenced alternate music forever.

@JamesJoyce12 3 года назад

the Smiths kinda wrote the same song time after time over-and-over again - the fact that they have no current currency now speaks to that - I liked them a great deal when I was younger but now I listen and simply think they are lame

@tarp11z 3 года назад

@@JamesJoyce12 Factually, the Smiths are more popular now than they were in the day. They did it with nearly zero airplay. Similarly, Moz himself is in a cultural status which can only be compared to Elvis Presley. In my opinion, Johnny Marr was the greatest guitarist of the 80s. Moz's lyrics are like none other as is his voice. I understand your current disdain for certain music of the past, but you must acknowledge that you've never heard anything like them before or since.

@MyName-pl7zn 3 года назад

@@JamesJoyce12 I suppose most bands repeat their styles and sound each time, remember also they were together 5 years most bands sound the same for 5 years

@JamesJoyce12 3 года назад

@@tarp11z if you liked them and still like them then have at it - I liked them and can't stand to listen to them now - I also note many films and book written in the last decade make fun of the Smith listeners. If this is sensitive territory - sorry - they totally are the greatest band ever.

@tarp11z 3 года назад

@@dudetime8933 Go into Central America and find out how popular Morrissey is. Need I mention the UK? Regarding Elvis, he's great but hardly as great as his longstanding PR campaign (much of it posthumous.). Not all, but many people like Elvis because they're told to. Not so with Moz or the Smiths.

@MrCharlesray 3 года назад

Traveled 3 hours to see morrisey in 2019, the opening song was HOW SOON IS NOW, and never felt soooo alive! :) the smiths has definitely had a great emotional influence in my life with many of their songs. Love them. Great video mate, I know exactly what you mean to find a song that gives you relief from suffering and brings rest to your heart for the moment you are listening. Great video.

@gerrygleason9340 3 года назад

I remember when this song first came out and I but the tape at a local import record shop. I would listen to it over and over again with my headphones at night. Morrisey seemed to speak directly to me and my pain in my high school years. Between The Smiths and Joy Division, high school became tolerable, and it started with How Soon Is Now.

@markmurphy4616 2 года назад

Greetings from Ireland, where I was a teenager with this song, and it deserves your praise

@carlosprieto773 3 года назад

Wow, still getting goosebumps from this song. Was almost overwhelming to the point that it felt magical as a teenager. This is what music is supposed to feel like with and to every inch of your body and soul!

@chrishobson6431 Год назад

I didn't really start to appreciate the smiths until I was about 27...... I'm currently 42. The smiths are the perfect antidote to the bubblegum pop of the 80s.... they have really grown on me and and now I "get" them..... they are literally a fine wine.... they get better with age.

@christianhelwig 3 года назад

I still can't believe this was not on an album. So many great songs were b-sides from the Smiths that were album/single worthy. Thanks for your passion Adam. Especially the 80s New Wave / Alt, etc.

@luminol 3 года назад

Meat is Murder 1985

@seang3019 3 года назад

It was on the Australian release of Meat is Murder. Rough Trade were notorious for repackaging, reissuing, hence Morrissey's scathing lyrics from Paint a Vulgar Picture: Best of! Most of! Satiate the need Slip them into different sleeves! Buy both, and feel deceived

@christianhelwig 3 года назад

@@luminol Depends on what release you have. On the initial release, the US may have been the only one or one of the very, very few that had it.

@christianhelwig 3 года назад

@@seang3019 Reissue, repackage, repackage...

@dragonsgrrl 3 года назад

One of the GREATEST tracks by any band in existence. Hands down. It never gets old, overplayed or tired. Still gives me chills every time I hear it. And this song spoke (and still speaks) to me in such a personal way as someone who has always struggled with painful shyness and an overwhelming feeling that I don't belong in social situations because I'm not "good enough". The Smiths were simply one of the best bands out of the 80s, and the soundtrack to a giant part of my kidhood.

@lewiscrow 3 года назад

Not a Smiths fan, but I LOVE this song. It's the guitar....

@craigcrawford6595 3 года назад

Johnny Marr is a great guitarist for sure. .

@lisaahmari7199 2 года назад

You don't like Big Mouth Strikes Again? Cracks me up every time I hear it. Both of these guys were dark and poetic yet they each had a wicked sense of humor.

@davidroll8758 2 года назад

I'm with you. I love this song but I cannot stand Morrissey, then and even to this day. But I can listen to this song over and over and I know it all comes down to the guitar.

@St.Linguini_of_Pesto Год назад

I spent most of my youth muzzled, afraid to talk to people about what was troubling me at home. The Smiths helped me through those years.. I'd love to extend my gratitude to The Smiths, bc I'd not be here, I'd never met Jeff, we wouldn't have our sons. I wouldn't have outlived my mother if it wasn't for this track & Strangeways, Here We Come. I remember all the uses of this track in TV & films. The first couple of notes & lines of lyric, even if it's a cover version, catch my ears.. I sit up fast, straining to hear more of the song that helped me K.I.T. It's amazing to hear that this song is so impactful, and it gives me hope when I read some of these comments. I am human and I need to be loved.. just like everybody else does.

@brendanfromireland 3 года назад

I absolutely love the version that Johnny Marr did live with his band on the Jimmy Fallon show.

@brimstonebrimstone8617 3 года назад

I can remember the first time I heard it and it was unlike anything I had ever heard before - and I grew up with all of the 60s and 70s rock. It spoke to a whole generation - no matter which age group you were in at the time. It seemed like it was the perfect song at the perfect time. That sound, those lyrics, nothing has ever surpassed it or even matched it.

@buttholewasabi 3 года назад

One of the most important bands in all of modern music. Thanks for covering them again Adam!

@ProfessorofRock 3 года назад

I agree. My favorite band ever.

@henrywallace7996 3 года назад

@@ProfessorofRock Simply beyond comparison. Morrissey, Marr, Rourke, and Joyce - it doesn’t get any better than this.

@PopeSalty1 3 года назад

Holy cow! I can't believe you referenced the WFNX poll of the greatest songs of the 80s. I spent a summer in Boston in '91 or '92, and I remember listening to that countdown over the 4th of July weekend. I remember being blown away by the Smiths being #1 (#2 was the Violent Femmes - "Blister in the sun", if memory serves me.).

@michaelrochester48 3 года назад

I do like Morrissey because he is very quotable when it comes to attacking public figures. He can be hilarious. 2013: Morrissey refers to David and Victoria Beckham as “The Peckhams,” describes them as “insufferable” and says they should be “dragged to the edge of the village and flogged.”

@henrywallace7996 3 года назад

Viva Morrissey

@fluidikons 3 года назад

👍👏🏏💥🤴💀💨🏴🥂🚬☕🇬🇧🌅

@alliswede42 3 года назад

Moz is based AF

@coptermonk 3 года назад

One of the few standing up to the sjw mob.

@BudSchnelker 3 года назад

Moz just wants Britain and Manchester to remain the way they were. I'm not sure why anyone has an issue with that. He lived there, it's his right to say so.

@charmkenpo 3 года назад

I absolutely love this song and most of the Smith's other songs. I loved how you seemed so emotionally touched by this song. I have the same feeling. My wife hates the Smiths. She lived an idyllic life with little conflict or negative interactions. I think she doesn't want to experience "bad" thoughts. I, on the other hand, have had more than a few disappointments. It's made me stronger, but How Soon Is Now speaks to me more than any other song I've heard.

@LaurenOliviArt 3 года назад

Maybe one day she will be in touch with her dark side. It comes around eventually, and when it does - The Smiths helps you get through!! 😇

@Sashman077 3 года назад

Your presentation of this absolutely amazing song is truly incredible.

@notthatjohnwatson1813 3 года назад

So Love The Smiths. I was on a camping trip with 2 friends and all they played was Strangeways Here We Come that weekend. I knew every song by Monday. Had another friend that let me borrow the tape (yes cassette tape lol) of The Queen is Dead. I was Totally hooked after that. Was devastated to learn they had already broken up when I got into them my Junior year of High School. I couldn’t wait to get off from my job just to listen to them. They spoke to me in a way no band at the time did. Marrs guitar and Moz’s lyrics and falsettos were amazing. This band helped me through my teenage years and I felt I wasn’t alone anymore in the thoughts and feelings I had. Thanks PoF great video

@TesterAnimal1 3 года назад

Strangeways. One word. It’s the name of a grim northern prison. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HM_Prison_Manchester

@notthatjohnwatson1813 3 года назад

@@TesterAnimal1 fixed now. That’s great though. I never knew that’s what it was so thx for telling me!! 🤜🏼🤛🏼

@whichgodofthousandsmeansno5306 3 года назад

One of those songs that can never be played loud enough. I recall hearing it all the time in clubs back in the day and it sounded so good blasting. Like others have said and I have to agree... it is a masterpiece.

@scd6969 3 года назад

Man oh man you got me hooked on your analysis, and took me for a joyride down memory lane. Thank you. I'm with you, bud. I just turned 50 and to this day the Smiths are still forever the greatest band, and the words of Moz rings truer than ever for our generation. Thanks for all the incredible insights you've put into this discussion. 👏

@notgone03 3 года назад

Please interview Johnny Marr.

@pammoore3447 3 года назад

It's majestic. Can't think of a better word for this song, and it never fails to give me the tingles every time I listen to it.

@bsprogis 3 года назад

I agree with most everything you've said. "Asleep" is my goto Smiths song. Same motif , different mood.

@jsauce666 3 года назад

I got chills when you listed the 3 tracks.

@DJAvalonArizona 3 года назад

This is the song that got me into the Smiths. Everyone told me I should check them out, so I bought the 12” with “William…” and “Please Please…” on the B side. What a PERFECT introduction to a band I became obsessed with over the years..! 3 epic songs. It was printed on this amazing colored vinyl that was orange, yellow and a few others splashed. It was a big moment for me for sure..!!

@andrewpetik2034 3 года назад

This is the way I see this song.... I have no doubt in my mind that this song has saved lives and has made the lives of many outcast teenagers' lives bearable. It brought a light to my teenage years.... I personally believe in God. My take here is these people Marr, Morrissey, Rourke and Joyce used their God given talents and inspirations to Bless (encourage, better, enrich) their generation and generations to come with what they created. I believe that you use your God given talent, inspiration and passion for the material to create something that Blesses others...I am Blessed by your work here. I believe that this is how God works. Imagine the world where each and every human being were nurtured and allowed to do this.....utilizing their God given talents and inspiration for Blessing their fellow human beings. My wish. My hope. My prayer. Thank you 😊

@ericmiller5603 3 года назад

Strangely, hearing “How Soon is Now” on MTV or VH1 didn’t turn me into the huge Smiths/Morrisey fan I became. It took hearing their earliest songs, and really exposing myself to their discography. Incredible band. Legendary!

@rrdream2400 3 года назад

same here, I liked the song, sadly it was the 1st song I heard on the radio by them, but when I heard the older stuff I was knocked out

@MikeSadlerAU 3 года назад

My 'road to Damascas moment' came with 'I know it's over', which seemed to resonate with my experience of pretty girls running off with buffoon Jocks who inevitably treated them like dirt. I just didn't get it, but at least then I knew I wasn't alone... and that someone else knew that it DID "take guts to be gentle and kind". HSIN ( year later?) was perhaps more anthemic, but it never approached the rawness Morrisey exposed in 'I know it's over' IMHO. Luckily, I met a pretty girl with a Smiths collection in 1989, and 33 years later, we still love the Smiths :-)

@ericmiller5603 3 года назад

@@rrdream2400 When I heard “What Difference Does it Make?” and “Reel Around the Fountain,” it was over! Still listened to rock and metal, but had found something REALLY different and cool!

@ericmiller5603 3 года назад

@@MikeSadlerAU I could put together a Top Ten of my favorite Smiths songs but I love about 90% of their music so a lot would be left off (and that would just be sticking with the Smiths, not bringing solo Morrisey into it). When I start listening to the Smiths, it’s hours of re-discovery and close listening! I could listen to the intro to “Last Night I Dreamt Somebody Loved Me” 9 or 10 times in a row!

@jaydasrylander3324 3 года назад

POF - This was your best episode ever, thanks for this. You captured exactly how I felt when I heard this song for the first time.

@sawyerboy13 3 года назад

The Smiths were my favorite band as well. When I was younger, me and the other outcasts would go to a club. We also went to the James Dean festival one year, it was soon after Morrissey went to the area to film the video for suedehead. We broke into the school where James Dean went. I had an early video camera with me, and filmed some things. Morrissey wrote some things all over the school on some of the blackboard. He wrote "We can't go home again". I'll never forget those days.