The Boy with the Thorn in His Side
"The Boy with the Thorn in His Side" is a song by the English rock band the Smiths. It was released as a single in September 1985, reaching No. 23 in the UK Singles Chart. A remixed version appeared on their third album The Queen Is Dead in June 1986.
Not to be confused with the film The Boy with a Thorn in His Side."The Boy with the Thorn in His Side"
"Rubber Ring"
"Asleep"
16 September 1985
August 1985
Drone Studios, Manchester
3:17 (single version)
3:15 (album version)
3:18 (alternate mix)
The Smiths (single); Morrissey and Johnny Marr (album version)
This was the first single by The Smiths to be accompanied by a promotional music video, something the band had previously resisted. They also performed the song on an episode of Top of the Pops. The main difference between the single version and the album version is in the use of synthesised strings. They are largely absent from the single version, only appearing in the song's coda. In 2003, Morrissey named it his favourite Smiths song.[2]
Background[edit]
Margi Clarke asked Morrissey if this song was inspired by Oscar Wilde, and Morrissey replied: "No, that's not true. The thorn is the music industry and all those people who never believed anything I said, tried to get rid of me and wouldn't play the records. So I think we've reached a stage where we feel: if they don't believe me now, will they ever believe me? What more can a poor boy do?"[3]
Artwork and matrix message[edit]
The jumping man on the sleeve cover of the single release is a young Truman Capote.
The British 7" and 12" versions contain the etchings: ARTY BLOODY FARTY/IS THAT CLEVER...JM. "Is that clever" is an allusion to the words in "Rubber Ring", a title which itself is a line from The Importance of Being Earnest, a play that was referenced in the etchings of "William, It Was Really Nothing" and Hatful of Hollow. "JM" is a reference to Johnny Marr, and was also an etching on the Sandie Shaw version of "Hand in Glove".
Cover versions[edit]
The song was covered by Scottish band Bis on the tribute album The Smiths Is Dead. Reviewer Stephen Thomas Erlewine harshly criticised the cover, writing: "Bis utterly disembowel 'The Boy with the Thorn in His Side' with a single-minded stupidity that is just bewildering."[5]
A cover version recorded by Jeff Buckley in 1993 was distributed by Columbia Records as a 7" in 2016.[6]
American indie rock bands Jejune and Lazycain released a split EP together in 1999 where they each covered Smiths songs; Jejune covered "The Boy with the Thorn in His Side", Lazycain covered "Handsome Devil".[7]
The song was additionally covered by Belle & Sebastian, Scott Matthews, Emilie Autumn, Xiu Xiu, Dinosaur Jr's J Mascis and The Cat Empire[8] in live performances.