Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now
Encyclopedia
"Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now" is a single by The Smiths
that reached #10 on the UK Singles Chart
in June 1984 before its inclusion on the compilation album
, Hatful of Hollow
. It is listed as one of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll.
's working relationship with the band. As one of his first roles as "in-house engineer" at Island Records' Fallout Shelter studios, Street engineered the session. He was well aware of the band and excited by the prospect, saying in a HitQuarters
interview, "I’d seen them just shortly beforehand on Top Of The Pops doing ‘This Charming Man’, and like most other people around that time who were into music I was really excited by them." Street says his enthusiasm must have rubbed off on Morrissey
and Johnny Marr
because they would take his name and number. Although not contacted for the subsequent recording "William, It Was Really Nothing
", he was asked to engineer their next album, Meat Is Murder
, with Morrissey and Marr producing for the first time.
The cover features Viv Nicholson
who became famous in 1961 in the UK for winning a large amount of money on the Football Pools
. The song's title was inspired by Sandie Shaw
's "Heaven Knows I'm Missing Him Now
".
The single was the subject of some controversy upon its release due to its B-side, "Suffer Little Children
", which is about the Moors murders
between 1963 and 1965.
The band's performance of the song on Channel 4's Earsay on 31 March 1984 features mixed footage of the band playing in a studio and footage of Morrissey
walking around some wasteland in Manchester
, holding gladioli flowers in his hands and back pocket of his trousers.
The Smiths
The Smiths were an English alternative rock band, formed in Manchester in 1982. Based on the song writing partnership of Morrissey and Johnny Marr , the band also included Andy Rourke and Mike Joyce...
that reached #10 on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
in June 1984 before its inclusion on the compilation album
Compilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
, Hatful of Hollow
Hatful of Hollow
-The Smiths:* Morrissey – vocals* Johnny Marr – guitars, harmonica, mandolin* Andy Rourke – bass guitar* Mike Joyce – drums-Technical staff:* John Porter – producer* The Smiths – producers* Roger Pusey – producer* Dale "Buffin" Griffin – producer...
. It is listed as one of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll.
Background
The song is notable for marking the beginning of producer Stephen StreetStephen Street
Stephen Street is an English music producer best known for his work with The Smiths in the 1980s, as well as Blur and The Cranberries in the 1990s. Street also collaborated with Morrissey on some of his most popular work after The Smiths broke up, playing instruments and co-writing songs...
's working relationship with the band. As one of his first roles as "in-house engineer" at Island Records' Fallout Shelter studios, Street engineered the session. He was well aware of the band and excited by the prospect, saying in a HitQuarters
HitQuarters
HitQuarters is an international music industry publication and contact database founded in 1999. It is noted for in-depth interviews with industry figures, with past subjects including Simon Cowell, Martin Kierszenbaum, Jason Flom, Diane Warren, Peter Edge, Ron Fair and RedOne, as well as its A&R...
interview, "I’d seen them just shortly beforehand on Top Of The Pops doing ‘This Charming Man’, and like most other people around that time who were into music I was really excited by them." Street says his enthusiasm must have rubbed off on Morrissey
Morrissey
Steven Patrick Morrissey , known as Morrissey, is an English singer and lyricist. He rose to prominence in the 1980s as the lyricist and vocalist of the alternative rock band The Smiths. The band was highly successful in the United Kingdom but broke up in 1987, and Morrissey began a solo career,...
and Johnny Marr
Johnny Marr
Johnny Marr is an English musician and songwriter. Marr rose to fame in the 1980s as the guitarist in The Smiths, with whom he formed a prolific songwriting partnership with Morrissey. Marr has been a member of Electronic, The The, and Modest Mouse...
because they would take his name and number. Although not contacted for the subsequent recording "William, It Was Really Nothing
William, It Was Really Nothing
"William, It Was Really Nothing" is a song by British band The Smiths. It was released as a single on 24 August 1984, featuring the B-sides "Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want" and "How Soon Is Now?", and reached number 17 in the UK Singles Chart...
", he was asked to engineer their next album, Meat Is Murder
Meat Is Murder
Meat Is Murder is the second studio album by the English alternative rock band The Smiths. It was released in February 1985 and became the band's sole number one album in the UK charts during the band's lifetime, staying on the chart for 13 weeks. It reached number 110 in the US...
, with Morrissey and Marr producing for the first time.
The cover features Viv Nicholson
Viv Nicholson
Vivian Nicholson became publicly known overnight within Great Britain in 1961 when she received £152,319 in a football-pools win and announced to the press that she was going to "spend, spend, spend"...
who became famous in 1961 in the UK for winning a large amount of money on the Football Pools
Football pools
A football pool, often collectively referred to as "the pools", is a betting pool based on predicting the outcome of top-level association football matches set to take place in the coming week. The pools are typically cheap to enter, with the potential to win huge money. Entries were traditionally...
. The song's title was inspired by Sandie Shaw
Sandie Shaw
Sandie Shaw is an English pop singer, who was one of the most successful British female singers of the 1960s. In 1967 she was the first UK act to win the Eurovision Song Contest...
's "Heaven Knows I'm Missing Him Now
Heaven Knows I'm Missing Him Now
"Heaven Knows I'm Missing Him Now" is the twenty-third single by 1960s British girl singer Sandie Shaw, and her final single of that decade, marking the end of a string of singles which had made her the most successful British female singer of that era...
".
The single was the subject of some controversy upon its release due to its B-side, "Suffer Little Children
Suffer Little Children
"Suffer Little Children" is a song by the Manchester band, The Smiths, that was included on their eponymous debut album in 1984. The song is about the Moors murders that took place on Saddleworth Moor in the West Riding of Yorkshire between 1963 and 1965...
", which is about the Moors murders
Moors murders
The Moors murders were carried out by Ian Brady and Myra Hindley between July 1963 and October 1965, in and around what is now Greater Manchester, England. The victims were five children aged between 10 and 17—Pauline Reade, John Kilbride, Keith Bennett, Lesley Ann Downey and Edward Evans—at least...
between 1963 and 1965.
The band's performance of the song on Channel 4's Earsay on 31 March 1984 features mixed footage of the band playing in a studio and footage of Morrissey
Morrissey
Steven Patrick Morrissey , known as Morrissey, is an English singer and lyricist. He rose to prominence in the 1980s as the lyricist and vocalist of the alternative rock band The Smiths. The band was highly successful in the United Kingdom but broke up in 1987, and Morrissey began a solo career,...
walking around some wasteland in Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
, holding gladioli flowers in his hands and back pocket of his trousers.
Trivia
- The journalist Andrew CollinsAndrew Collins (broadcaster)Andrew Collins is the creator and writer of Radio 4 sitcom Mr Blue Sky. His TV writing work includes EastEnders and the sitcoms Grass and Not Going Out .-Personal life:Collins was a member of the Labour Party between the late 1980s and early 1990s, leaving after Labour's...
borrowed the song's title for the name of his autobiographical book, Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now: My Difficult Student 80s, published in 2004. - The song was covered in 1988 by ActAct (band)Act were a short-lived synthpop group signed to ZTT Records in the late 1980s, and comprising Thomas Leer and ex-Propaganda vocalist Claudia Brücken. Besides electro-pop and disco the group were also influenced by psychedelic rock and musical theatre...
as a bonus track of the 12" single "I Can't Escape from YouI Can't Escape From You"I Can't Escape from You" is the fourth and final single from Act. Due to previous single "Chance" being withdrawn, ZTT Records hurriedly released "I Can't Escape from You" on . The single reached #90 in the UK Singles Chart....
" and the CD version of the album Laughter, Tears and RageLaughter, Tears and Rage- CD :*UK: ZTT / ZQCD1- Cassette :* UK: ZTT / ZQMC1- CD :* UK: ZTT / ZTT185CD- Box set :* UK: ZTT / ZTT185CDXDisc one: " Laughter, Tears and Rage"Same tracks as 2004 CD.- Personnel :Act...
, featuring scat singing from "Lucky" GordonAloysius GordonAloysius "Lucky" Gordon is a British-based Jamaican jazz pianist and singer who came to public attention during the Profumo Affair. He arrived in London from Jamaica in the late 1940s.-Profumo Affair:...
, infamous for his role in the Profumo affairProfumo AffairThe Profumo Affair was a 1963 British political scandal named after John Profumo, Secretary of State for War. His affair with Christine Keeler, the reputed mistress of an alleged Russian spy, followed by lying in the House of Commons when he was questioned about it, forced the resignation of...
. - Jeremy HardyJeremy HardyJeremy James Hardy is a British alternative comedian who is also known for his socialist politics.-Career:Hardy was born in Farnborough, Hampshire. He attended Farnham College and studied Modern History and Politics at the University of Southampton...
famously attempted a rendition of the song on comedy panel show I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue. - Gary Sparrow, the protagonist from the BBC sitcom Goodnight SweetheartGoodnight SweetheartGoodnight Sweetheart is a sitcom that ran for six series on BBC1 from 1993 to 1999. It stars Nicholas Lyndhurst as Gary Sparrow, an accidental time traveller who leads a double life after discovering a time portal allowing him to travel between the London of the 1990s and the same area during the...
made an effort to sing the song in the episode London Pride from season 5, accompanied by piano-playing, although it was not well received by Phoebe.As with a running gag in the series, Gary passes the song off as his own creation.
Track listing
- in original green sleeve
Chart performance
| Chart (1984) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
10 |
| Irish Singles Chart Irish Singles Chart The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured... |
11 |