The Smiths song that made Johnny Marr quit the band
The Smiths seemed to be on the verge of collapse at the best times. Considering how much Morrissey was able to run his mouth and be outspoken about his opinions on non-music-related topics, it’s practically a miracle that the band made as many records as they did during the 1980s, with Johnny Marr contributing one classic rock and roll riff after the next across their career. Although Marr would typically let his music do the talking, he admitted that one of the group’s songs made him walk out on his bandmates.
Before the band had even become known as one of the best indie acts in England, Marr wasn’t satisfied with playing traditional rhythm guitar. Taking cues from the early alternative giants like The Police and Talking Heads, most of Marr’s greatest moments involved creating landscapes of different sounds, from the different open tunings he would use on every record to the effects that went into songs like ‘How Soon Is Now?’.
By the time the band had hit The Queen is Dead, Marr had developed a unique vocabulary whenever he played his signature Rickenbacker guitar. Although there were always a few lead breaks that felt reminiscent of artists like The Rolling Stones, no one was going to create a sonic world like Marr would, taking only a handful of notes and turning songs like ‘There is a Light That Never Goes Out’ into sweeping epics.
Even though the interband tension was wearing thin when working on their swan song, Strangeways Here We Come, Marr and Morrissey would single it out as one of their favourite Smiths projects. Despite the high praise, Marr didn’t see the merit in working on some leftovers for as long as they did.
Starting with the single ‘Girlfriend in a Coma’, Morrissey delivered some of his greatest vocals ever put to tape, trying to put on a happy face when looking at a tragic series of events going on in front of him. Marr would be proud of the song, but the B-side ‘Work is A Four Letter Word’ would become one of his most despised Smiths songs.
Being a cover of the Cilla Black of the same name, Marr thought the track was against everything the group stood for. Despite making a different take on the old pop song, Marr seriously considered leaving the band behind as they went through with the final take of the song.
Recalling the sessions later, Marr remembered walking out of the studio never to return, saying, “’Work Is A Four Letter Word’ I hated. That was the last straw, really. I didn’t form a group to perform Cilla Black songs. That was it, really. I made a decision that I was going to get away on holiday. The only place I could think of was L.A. L.A. was the only place I knew where there’d be sunshine, so off I went. I never saw Morrissey again”.
Although the band wouldn’t release anything else after Strangeways Here We Come, Marr quickly became known as a living legend in rock and roll in the years that followed, often contributing to records by Noel Galagher and Modest Mouse while being invited to play with rock giants like The Killers. While Marr’s legacy was already secure when he walked out of the studio that day, the idea of The Smiths working together in any professional capacity was now a pipe dream.
