'Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now'
Released May 21, 1984, 'Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now' is the Smiths' 4th single. Reaching number 10 on the UK Singles Chart, it was the Smiths' first top-ten single. Significantly, the song is listed as one of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll.
The cover art for the single consists of a photograph of a forlorn Viv Nicholson from her 1978 autobiography, Spend, Spend, Spend. Viv Nicholson was an English woman who became famous when she told the media that she would "spend, spend, spend" after her husband Keith won £152,319 (equivalent to £4,249,149 in 2024) on the football pools in 1961. Nicholson became the subject of tabloid news stories for many years because of the couple's subsequent rapid spending of their fortune and her later chaotic life
.
The 7-inch single had "SMITHS INDEED" and "ILL FOREVER" etched on its A and B sides, respectively. The 12-inch single had "SMITHS PRESUMABLY" and "FOREVER ILL" etched on its A and B sides, respectively.
The song's title was inspired by English singer Sandie Shaw's 1969 single 'Heaven Knows I'm Missing Him Now'*. Incredibly, the music for the song was written in only an hour by Johnny Marr in a New York City hotel room on January 2, 1984. While sitting down for NME’s Song Stories series in 2013, Marr shared the tale of how a new guitar that was bought for him by a record executive was the catalyst for the music that became ‘Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now’. In the interview, Marr recalled that when the Smiths were in New York City meeting with Sire Records president Seymour Stein, Stein fulfilled a promise he had made to Marr that solidified the deal between Sire and the band:
“He [Seymour Stein] was telling me about when he took Brian Jones to get a guitar in New York, so I saw my opportunity right there. I told him, ‘Well, if you take me to get a guitar in New York, we’ll sign to your record label.’ And in a moment of weakness, he took the bait and said, ‘Sure, I’ll get you a guitar’”.
The Smiths had just had their North American concert debut at Manhattan's Danceteria on December 31, 1983 when Stein fulfilled his promise. The band was to continue on to additional gigs in the United States, but according to Morrissey in Autobiography, the rest of the short tour was scuttled due to an infectious illness that suddenly came upon Mike Joyce. While the band languished in New York City awaiting Joyce's recovery, Marr met with Seymour Stein on January 2, 1984. The two took a stroll down 48th Street when they came upon a guitar shop. A 1959 Gibson 335 with a Bigsby tailpiece caught Marr's eye. Marr told Stein that he had found his guitar. At the time, Marr was relying on the Rickenbacker 330/6 and a Fender Telecaster to create his signature guitar sound. The Gibson provided an entirely different sonic palette, and when Marr opened the guitar case back at his hotel room, the first thing he played was a series of major seventh chords that eventually became ‘Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now’.
Marr goes on to explain in the interview how after finishing the song, he proceeded to write the music for what would be on the 12-inch single's B-side, "Girl Afraid", the very same evening! Marr considers the two songs "a pair". See the NME interview here:
'Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now' is a delicate, mesmerizing piece of music magic in the author's assessment. Andy Rourke's bass is absolutely sublime as it accompanies Johnny's guitar. Notwithstanding his masterful performance on 'This Charming Man', Marr seemingly reaches the apogee of his signature 'jangle' guitar style throughout 'Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now' as evidenced by its inclusion on 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll. While the song's lyrics speak of misery, it is not initially clear if this state of mind is the consequence of circumstance or one of choice. Morrissey speaks of finding temporary solace in drink followed by misery. Employment doesn't lessen his misery, and the sight of a couple ('Two lovers entwined pass me by') seemingly leaves him feeling miserable. Morrissey then utters what may be the most unique and unforgettable line in modern music: 'What she asked of me at the end of the day/Caligula would have blushed!'; This line is followed by 'You've been in the house too long" she said/And I naturally fled'. This denouement underscores the lament that punctuates the song: 'In my life/Oh, why do I give valuable time/To people who don't care if I live or I die?'. In fact, it would seem that Morrissey doesn't wish to participate in endeavors for their own sake, much less because of what may be expected of him (e.g. getting a job, getting married, etc.); rather, he has tired of continuing to invest time and effort with people who ultimately do not really care for him. The lyrics mark a profound statement on one recognising the futility of living a life that can never bring true happiness and genuine fulfilment insomuch as not being true to oneself will invariably reap unhappiness in its worst form; misery.
Watch and listen to the Smiths performing the song on Channel 4's Ear Say** from March 31, 1984:
*See Sandie Shaw performing' Heaven Knows I'm Missing Him Now' in Trafalgar Square, London here:
**Ear Say was a music show that briefly aired between March and September 1984. A magazine style program, it was somewhere between Top of the Pops and Whistle Test with pop acts performing in the studio, reports about the music business and interviews.