‘Shoplifters of the World Unite’: The Smiths song that Morrissey said was during their peak
Say what you want about the miserly figure of controversy that Morrissey has become in recent years, but his work with The Smiths in their 1980s heyday was nothing short of incredible. The pure displays of poetry in his lyricism and the theatrical style in which he delivered his prose were unlike any of his peers, and his style continues to be referenced and has helped shape indie rock into what it is today.
From their self-titled debut album in 1984 to the three subsequent albums released in consecutive years after, The Smiths were undeniably a tour de force when it came to writing hook-laden pop songs, and the rate at which they wrote and released music of the highest quality was nothing short of astounding. It wasn’t just on their four studio releases that they exercised this songwriting talent, though, as many of their most beloved songs never even featured on their albums, which only makes the consistent rate of their output all the more staggering.
A large part of what made The Smiths so popular was the lyrical content, and while it was often verbose and flowery, its often political angle was something that galvanised listeners and set them apart from their contemporaries. In the grim political landscape in the UK during the decade, with Margaret Thatcher and her Conservative reign of terror over the country taking up the entirety of the 1980s, having a band like The Smiths rally against the ruling classes and speak for the rights of the little man was a much-needed antidote.
Towards the tail end of their time together as a band, their output arguably only got better, and some of the singles that they released in the back end of their career were among some of their best and most celebrated. One particular single, ‘Shoplifters of the World Unite’, was released in 1987 to great acclaim and features some of the strongest lyricism and punchiest melodies that the band ever created together.
The song’s title is a direct reference to the Marxist slogan from the Communist Manifesto, ‘workers of the world, unite’, but makes a direct play on the motto by turning it into a stab at the draconian laws that were often being enforced in the country. At a time when the UK was actively involved in conflicts around the world and was manufacturing nuclear weapons, Morrissey was quick to ask the question of why this was not widely considered a harmful sin, but shoplifting and other smaller crimes often carried a tougher punishment or prison sentence.
“It’s more or less spiritual shoplifting, cultural shoplifting, taking things and using them to your own advantage,” Morrissey said of the song’s subject matter. He wasn’t directly encouraging people to steal from their local shop, but was instead calling upon his fellow citizens to take back what’s theirs.
Speaking to KROQ in 1997 about his thoughts on the single, he said that ‘Shoplifters of the World Unite’ came from a time when the band were at their creative peak. “Very, very witty single and a great moment for The Smiths in England,” he told the radio station. “I think it was probably the best days of our career. It was just a very funny time and a time of very sparky rebellion, and this song, more than any, I think, exemplifies that. I like it.”
It’s more than disheartening to see that Morrissey’s moral compass has flipped in the years since, with his ideologies only getting increasingly more conservative as he has gotten older. That said, this particular moment was something he was fully tuned into and one that he was absolutely right about, and his sense of youthful rebellion is palpable on this track in a way that perfectly exemplifies why The Smiths were so important at the time.
