The final song performed live by The Smiths
Although The Smiths burned brightly for just five years, their impact far surpassed that of many bands that endure for decades. Unlike numerous groups, the Morrissey-fronted ensemble managed to transcend the typical trajectory of success in the music industry. They gracefully exited the musical scene at the height of their popularity, avoiding a decline in their output and leaving behind an immaculate legacy.
As they had achieved so much since forming in 1982 and only seemed to be improving as an outfit, their split arrived as a surprise to the public. However, within their camp, tensions between members had made their future untenable. While it hurt them to leave everything they’d built behind, there was no viable alternative to breaking up.
There is no simple reason for The Smiths calling it a day. Instead, there was a variety of contributing factors which combined to cast the end of their tenure. Significantly, they released four albums in consecutive years, which is incredibly prolific by modern standards, and in the case of The Smiths, it proved to be unsustainable.
When they weren’t in the studio, the band were likely on the road, and after several years, it left The Smiths exhausted. Furthermore, spending such an intense amount of time with anyone over a prolonged period will also likely lead to disharmony, which requires a lengthy break.
The Smiths officially announced their split before releasing their final album, Strangeways, Here We Come, in September 1987, and they played their last show the previous December at London’s famous Brixton Academy.
At the time, The Smiths had recently signed with EMI and likely didn’t foresee Brixton Academy being their final outing, but fittingly closed the show with ‘Hand In Glove’, which closes off with the line, “I’ll probably never see you again”.
The song, which arrived in 1983 as their debut single, is a message of platonic love by Morrissey addressed to guitarist Johnny Marr. However, their friendship had dissipated when their final show in Brixton rolled around, and their once-seemingly unbreakable bond had shattered.
‘Hand In Glove’ still occupies a special place in Marr’s heart. During an interview with NME in 2013, he highlighted the lyrics as a stand-out from The Smiths’ catalogue, stating: “It’s such a statement of love and friendship and has a sense of going forward. And it has a kind of genuine spirit about it.”
Upon the song’s release in 1983, Morrissey told Star Hits: “I just wanted to use the theme of complete loneliness. It was important to me that there’d be something searingly poetic in it, in a lyrical sense, and yet jubilant at the same time.”
‘Hand In Glove’ epitomises the captivating duality of The Smiths, with Morrissey’s downbeat lyrics colliding with Marr’s euphoric input. On a sentimental level, it’s also appropriate that the song represented the start of their journey and the conclusion, adding further emotional heft to its meaning.
Watch the footage below of The Smiths performing ‘Hand In Glove’ at Brixton Academy.
