‘Well I Wonder’: The Smiths song Johnny Marr knew would be a hit
The story of indie icons The Smiths is a classic underdog tale. Taking on the glittery optimism and indulgence of 1980s pop music was never going to be easy for youngsters armed with guitars and melancholic lyrics, while also being released on an independent record label and based in the north of England. Against all the odds, though, the yearning words of Morrissey and the ethereal, tremolo-laden guitar riffs of Johnny Marr soon broke into the mainstream, and they still provide the soundtrack to the moody teenagers of the world well into the 21st century.
Inspired by the DIY attitude of the punk and new wave scene, The Smiths formed in the musical haven of Manchester in 1982. Blending the signature moody northern post-punk sound with the sanguinity of 1960s pop, the band soon signed to the independent record label Rough Trade. The young lads proved instantly successful, with their debut single ‘This Charming Man’ entering the singles chart and their self-titled debut record reaching number two – kept off the top spot by The Thompson Twins’ Into the Gap, signifying the band’s plight.
Despite their indie underdog nature, the triumph of The Smiths is hardly surprising given the intense brilliance of the songwriting partnership between Morrissey and Marr. Much like the gold-standard songwriting partnership of John Lennon and Paul McCartney, the two complimented each other perfectly. Although their partnership ended with the split of The Smiths in 1987, their time together has had a lasting impact on pop music.
The band’s second studio album, Meat is Murder, was the only record to reach the top of the UK album charts, and it received both critical and commercial praise globally. Adopting a more adventurous sound than their debut, Meat is Murder also saw the group become more politically charged – promoting vegetarianism, condemning capital punishment and using interviews to express their views on Margaret Thatcher, the Royals, and a variety of other topics – perhaps harking back to the politically charged punk music which had inspired both Marr and Morrissey to form a band.
When it comes to independently released guitar-led music among the synth-dominated pop factory singles charts of the 1980s, there are no guaranteed hits. For Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr, however, he was always confident in their songwriting ability. One track, in particular, stuck out to him as being destined for success. The first track from Meat Is Murder to be written, ‘Well I Wonder’, is the epitome of the longing melancholy that The Smiths are known for.
The songwriting partnerships had both moved down to London by the end of 1984, but it was Marr’s move back up to his native Manchester that he credits with the success of ‘Well I Wonder’. “I moved back to Manchester very deliberately – to get the atmosphere right for the instrumental tracks I was writing”, he told Uncut in 2008, “that worked out immediately because ‘Well I Wonder’ came out of that, with the rain and everything. When we did it we knew it would be popular because it had that real sense of yearning in it”.
The track was released as the B-side to the band’s hit single ‘How Soon is Now?’, which reached 24 on the singles chart upon its initial release. Although it is not the most popular Smiths track, the “sense of yearning” that Marr describes makes the track a cult favourite among fans of the band.
