And so I have arrived at the entry that marks one full year of Songs of the Day… my 365th song. And by some cosmic coincidence — and I swear, I did not plan this at all — it comes from the same album I featured one year ago when I started this series.
Yes, it was The Smiths’ ‘I Started Something I Couldn’t Finish’ from their Strangeways, Here We Come album that kicked off the Songs of the Day. I chose it because I found the title particularly fitting considering the daunting task ahead. A year later, I’m surprised at how “easy” it was to come up with 365 songs. It took lots of time and effort, don’t get me wrong, but I never felt I was at a loss for songs, or for words.
Now back to The Smiths. The band’s fourth (and final) studio album, Strangeways Here We Come was released in 1987 after the band has broken up. It’s an excellent album that both Morrissey and Marr consider the band’s best (I rank it second to The Queen is Dead).
Strangeways features one of my very favorite Smiths songs, ‘Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me,’ a gorgeous croon that Nick Hornby name-drops in High Fidelity before this memorable paragraph:
What came first — the music or the misery? Did I listen to music because I was miserable? Or was I miserable because I listened to music? Do all those records turn you into a melancholy person? People worry about kids playing with guns, and teenagers watching violent videos; we are scared that some sort of culture of violence will take them over. Nobody worries about kids listening to thousands – literally thousands – of songs about broken hearts and rejection and pain and misery and loss.
It also contains ‘Paint a Vulgar Picture,’ a lengthy track chronicling a record studio picking over the bones of a dead superstar to capitalize on his loss. I’m sure it applies very well to what’s going on in back rooms right now as Michael Jackson re-releases are pushed into production.
The album’s first single, and one of the band’s most popular songs, is ‘Girlfriend in a Coma.’ I present it to you at the request of Kerrie, who asked for it just as I was starting this blog entry. Good timing, Kerrie! Enjoy.
I know – it’s serious
Girlfriend in a coma, I know
I know – it’s really serious
There were times when I could
Have “murdered” her
(But you know, I would hate
Anything to happen to her)
NO, I DON’T WANT TO SEE HER
Do you really think
She’ll pull through ?
Do you really think
She’ll pull through ?
Girlfriend in a coma, I know
I know – it’s serious
My, my, my, my, my, my baby, goodbye
There were times when I could
Have “strangled” her
(But you know, I would hate
Anything to happen to her)
WOULD YOU PLEASE LET ME SEE HER !
Do you really think
She’ll pull through ?
Do you really think
She’ll pull through ?
Let me whisper my last goodbyes
I know – IT’S SERIOUS
Meet Me In Montauk 
It really is hard to believe we have gone through a year’s worth of SOTDs. As one of your faithful (albeit at times more combative) commenters, I want to throw out a big thank you (or “mahalo” as they say in these parts) for giving us something to look forward to each day when we fire up our computers. We all enjoy it so much and, while we know it is a labor of love for you, it is, nevertheless, a task that you have taken on with great aplomb. (see, thought I would even throw in my own slightly pretentious word in your honor:))
Now, as for today’s song, I find this to be one of the better Smiths songs. I can see why Kerrie likes it. It leaves both arrogence and self loathing behind, which is just fine for me. Good way to end the week.
Now, you just be a good little blogger and put those Smiths songs back on the shelf for another year:)
By the way, I just looked back at the first SOTD. It’s hysterical how we started out of the gate with the disagreements, sarcasm, debates, (my) typos, and accusations of pretention that would become recurring themes in our discourse. Reading the comments reminded me of what we have often said of Seinfeld episodes, i.e., were all of those “classics” really in the same episode?
And look, that dark skinned guy with the strange name and great speeches who Amy mentioned in her comment actually became president. Who woulda thunk it?:)
Thanks you!!!! Wow, that was good timing!
This song is simultaneously so Smiths and, yet, so not. Obviously, the title sounds like it would be their song, but then it’s this short, sweet, up tempo little song that even has a hopeful edge to it (until the end…).
Anyway, this is one of those songs people can relate to (unlike a lot of Smiths stuff that is, I dare say, a bit darker than the average person’s every day existence). Who, despite loving their partner, hasn’t thought “I could strangle them” without really meaning it or ever actually wanting something terrible to happen to them. A taboo to say something like that out loud, for sure, but that’s one of the Smiths’ hallmarks, right?
Good theme week. Great finish!! Looking forward to what’s in store for the next 365. 🙂
Congratulations! And, as Dana said, thank you. I can’t tell you how much I’ve looked forward to your SOD with my morning coffee during this past year. You have added a new – and very effective – method to introduce me to music I have never heard of before. And you have given us all a chance to have that discussion together – from Vermont, Colorado, different parts of Florida (hell, even from Hawaii for a week or so!) Thank you for finding some great avenue to pursue all those obsessive, list-making tendencies you have 😉
As for the song, what am I missing? I mean, sure it’s a great sounding tune. But isn’t he wrestling with whether he wants to see his girlfirend (first, NO, then PLEASE), who is in a coma on the verge of death? This Morrissey is a strange man, indeed.
Finally, while I love the Nick Hornby passage, I don’t agree with him that there aren’t plenty of concerned adults (Tipper Gore, anyone) who do worry about the impact all sorts of music will have on young people. And after this week of Smith’s songs, I think I’m with them 🙂
SOTD? your blog, okay. I’ve looked forward to your blog each day 🙂
I think Tipper Gore is worried about the impact of violent and/or foul language, not heartbreak. I don’t think she’d want to slap a ‘parental advisory’ sticker on, say, Bonnie Raitt’s ‘I Can’t Make You Love Me.’
And thanks for the congratulations!
A huge ‘thank you’ to everybody who has contributed to the conversation through your comments… some of the best entries here owe very little to the original post and a whole lot to the back-and-forth below it.
I know I’m late, but Congratulations on your one year anniversary of the blog!!!! I may not comment every day, but I read it faithfully.