Sire Records chief Seymour Stein called it “the ‘Stairway to Heaven’ of the Eighties”, while co-writer Johnny Marr described it as “possibly our most enduring record. It’s most people’s favourite, I think.” Despite its prominent place in The Smiths' repertoire, however, it is not generally considered to be representative of the band’s style.
Although a club favourite, “How Soon Is Now?” did not chart as well as writers Morrissey and Marr had expected. Most commentators put this down to the fact that the song had been out on vinyl in a number of forms before being released as a single in its own right. The original track runs for nearly seven minutes; however, the 7" single edit cut the length down to under four minutes. The complete version is generally used on compilations. The song has been widely praised for the artistry of its lyrics.
The heavily-reverbed riff that propels the song is a wonderfully repurposed version of Bo Diddley’s “Who Do You Love.”
<< How Soon Is Now Song Lyrics >>
[Verse 1]
I am the son and the heir
Of a shyness that is criminally vulgar
I am the son and heir
Of nothing in particular
[Chorus]
You shut your mouth, how can you say
I go about things the wrong way?
I am human and I need to be loved
Just like everybody else does
[Verse 1]
I am the son and the heir
Of a shyness that was criminally vulgar
I am the son and heir
Of nothing in particular
[Chorus]
You shut your mouth, how can you say
I go about things the wrong way?
I am human and I need to be loved
Just like everybody else does
[Verse 2]
There's a club, if you'd like to go
You could meet somebody who really loves you
So you go and you stand on your own, and you leave on your own
And you go home and you cry and you want to die
[Verse 3]
When you say "it's gonna happen now"
When exactly do you mean?
See I've already waited too long
And all my hope is gone
[Chorus]
You shut your mouth, how can you say
I go about things the wrong way?
I am human and I need to be loved
Just like everybody else does