Bigmouth Strikes Again
"Bigmouth Strikes Again" | ||||
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Single by The Smiths | ||||
from the album The Queen Is Dead | ||||
B-side | "Money Changes Everything" | |||
Released | 22 May 1986 | |||
Format | ||||
Recorded | Late 1985 | |||
Genre | Post-punk | |||
Length | 3:12 | |||
Label | Rough Trade | |||
Songwriter(s) | ||||
Producer(s) |
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The Smiths singles chronology | ||||
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Professional ratings | |
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Source | Rating |
Allmusic |
"Bigmouth Strikes Again" is a song by the English rock band the Smiths. It appears on their third album The Queen Is Dead and was the lead single from the album, reaching No. 26 in the UK Singles Chart. It is also the closing song on the band's only live album, Rank.
Music and lyrics
The lyrics describe the protagonist's response to others taking issue with his comments, to which he replies "I was only joking".
During the song, the protagonist compares himself to Joan of Arc as "the flames rose to her Roman nose" and also says "now I know how Joan of Arc felt".[2] The line, "and her Walkman started to melt'", is often changed by Morrissey in live performances, to the more technologically current "and her iPod started to melt".[3]
The backing vocal is credited to "Ann Coates", a reference to the Manchester district of Ancoats; the backing vocal is Morrissey's own voice altered to a higher pitch.[4]
Track listing
7" RT192 | ||
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No. | Title | Length |
1. | "Bigmouth Strikes Again" | 3:12 |
2. | "Money Changes Everything" | 4:40 |
12" RTT192 | ||
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No. | Title | Length |
1. | "Bigmouth Strikes Again" | 3:12 |
2. | "Money Changes Everything" | 4:40 |
3. | "Unloveable" | 3:54 |
Artwork
The single version's sleeve cover contains a photograph of James Dean by Nelva Jean Thomas.
Charts
Chart | Peak position |
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UK Singles (The Official Charts Company) | 26 |
Covers
The song is covered by Placebo as a B-side to "Nancy Boy", as well as on Disc 2 of the Sleeping with Ghosts special edition and on the various artists compilation The Smiths Is Dead.