That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| "That Joke Isn’t Funny Anymore" | ||
|---|---|---|
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| Single by The Smiths | ||
| from the album Meat Is Murder | ||
| Released | 5 July 1985 | |
| Format | 7" single, 12" single | |
| Recorded | Late 1984, Liverpool, England | |
| Genre | Alternative rock | |
| Length | 4:59 | |
| Label | Rough Trade | |
| Writer(s) | Johnny Marr Morrissey |
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| Producer(s) | The Smiths | |
| Chart positions | ||
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| The Smiths singles chronology | ||
| "Shakespeare’s Sister" (1985) |
"That Joke Isn’t Funny Anymore" (1985) |
"The Boy with the Thorn in His Side" (1985) |
"That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore" is a song by British rock band, The Smiths. It first appeared on their album Meat is Murder, and was released as their eighth single. It was composed by guitarist Johnny Marr and singer/songwriter Morrissey.
The song is about a car ride where the driver is insulting those who are suicidal and lonely. It is a monologue spoken by the passenger, who is played by Morrissey. It starts with a command to “park the car by the side of the road”, followed by a threat that “time’s tides will smother you”. The passenger is clearly depressed, and takes offence to the joke. Because it hurt him greatly, the passenger commits murder to “drive the point home.” The song closes with a statement that it suddenly strikes the passenger that he “just might die with a smile on my face, after all,” an ironic statement implying suicide. Then Morrissey repeats “I’ve seen this happen in other people’s lives, and now it’s happening in mine" as the song fades out with a backwards guitar.
A unique single, it was the second-lowest charting Smiths single, reaching only #49. The repetition and sad tone conveyed are unusual for a Smiths single. This has raised suspicions that the song is about a journalist with whom Morrissey had a relationship. According to Dave Simpson in his Uncut article (August 1998), the unnamed journalist steadfastly refuses to discuss Morrissey to this day. [1]
Contents |
[edit] Track listing
[edit] 7”: Rough Trade / RT186 (UK)
- “That Joke Isn’t Funny Anymore” – 4:57
- “Meat Is Murder (live)” – 5:34
[edit] 12”: Rough Trade / RTT186 (UK)
- “That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore” – 4:57
- “Nowhere Fast (live)” – 2:31
- “Stretch Out and Wait (live)” – 2:49
- “Shakespeare's Sister (live)” – 2:12
- “Meat Is Murder (live)” – 5:34
[edit] References
| The Smiths |
| Morrissey - Johnny Marr - Andy Rourke - Mike Joyce |
| Craig Gannon - Dale Hibbert |
| Discography |
|---|
| Albums: The Smiths | Meat Is Murder | The Queen Is Dead | Strangeways, Here We Come | Rank (live) |
| Singles: Hand in Glove | This Charming Man | What Difference Does It Make? | Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now | William, It Was Really Nothing | How Soon Is Now? | Shakespeare's Sister | That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore | The Boy with the Thorn in His Side | Bigmouth Strikes Again | Panic | Ask | Shoplifters of the World Unite | Sheila Take a Bow | Girlfriend in a Coma | I Started Something I Couldn't Finish | Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me | There Is a Light That Never Goes Out |
| Band-assembled compilations: Hatful of Hollow | The World Won't Listen | Louder Than Bombs |
| Other compilations: Stop Me | Best...I | ...Best II | Singles | The Very Best of The Smiths |
| Related |
| Rough Trade Records |
