The Smiths

The Smiths. Out of Manchester: Morrissey, Johnny Marr, Andy Rourke and Mike Joyce, together from 1982 to 1987. Marr's chiming guitar under Morrissey's wry, literate lyrics. 'Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now' came out as a single on Rough Trade on May 21st, 1984, and peaked at number 10, their first UK top-ten single. Marr wrote the music in a New York hotel room on January 2nd, 1984, on a red Gibson ES-355 that Sire Records boss Seymour Stein bought him that day. The title nods to Sandie Shaw's 1969 single 'Heaven Knows I'm Missing Him Now'. It was the first Smiths session engineered by Stephen Street, who went on to co-produce the band, and it later turned up on the compilations Hatful of Hollow (1984) and Louder Than Bombs (1987). The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame lists it among its 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll.

From the notes for EKHO Sonic Chill #15 · fact-checked Oct 4, 2026.