This spectacular song was released on The Smiths final album, the spectacular and underrated "Strangeways, Here We Come" in 1987, a so-bittersweet
album because it's so good that it's a pity when we realize they broke-up afterwards, launching "Louder than Bombs" without promoting it. And one track is
better than the previous one, but this one takes the top spot for me since it's hard-hitting, melodic and full of energy. And with a flashy title as
"Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before" you can't help it but liking it.
The song was intended as a single release but then came the Hungerford Massacre that same month/year of release and the line
"...And the pain was enough to make a shy, bald, Buddhist reflect and plan a mass murder" was considered too controversial for broadcast back in the day.
Comprehensible. But the group went ahead and produced this music video, a charming and strangely aggressive if you consider the main valid points which
it presents.
Here, Morrissey wears glasses and rides a bicycle attending a famous Manchester Club where he meets several guys who look exactly like him -
they all wear glasses, ride bikes, wear same clothing and they really look twins to one another and then they storm through the streets on their bikes.
Basically, Moz is all full of vanity, ignoring his other band mates (but back then they weren't speaking at each other anymore, and the group's dissolution
didn't take much to happen) who do not appear in the video; and there's a crazed discourse where it seems that presenting people who are quite similar to him
and his fashion he's making a statement about his perfect world. Kind of crazy but some folks carry such ideals.
I don't think the images fit with the soundtrack, a very aggressive song about mistakes, confusion and troubled circumstances while the images are
somewhat amusing and happy with the Morrissey's clone troupe riding everywhere. Truth is we get two different ideas combined into one and they're both
original and interesting to look at it and hear it even though they don't make much sense when put together. Everything works in such a glorious manner that
I can't be negative about it. I love the music and I love the clip. It feels original and it is original. Au revoir, Smiths! 9/10.
