Rubber Ring

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This article is about the Smiths' song. For the life-preserving devices found by water see Lifebuoy

“Rubber Ring”

Song by The Smiths
Released	1987
Genre	Alternative rock
Length	3:48
Label	Rough Trade
Writer	Johnny Marr Morrissey

"Rubber Ring" is a song by The Smiths, featured alongside Asleep as a b-side to their 1985 single "The Boy with the Thorn in His Side".

The song's lyrics are addressed to the then-growing base of dedicated fans who would write impassioned letters to lead singer Morrissey. The address, however, is from the point of view of an older Morrissey speaking to these same fans after they have grown out of their obsession; he encourages them not to "forget...the songs that saved your life" and to "think of me kindly."

Morrissey felt quite empathetic with these fans, as he had grown up an avid music fan, writing letters to the New Musical Express and even a book about the New York Dolls. He said, speaking of the song, "I understand that form of expression, that form of drama...if you are quite isolated and you hear this voice that you identify with, it's really quite immensely important."

While never performed live in its own right, Rubber Ring was occasionally combined with What She Said as a medley. A performance of this is included on the live album, Rank.

The song samples an audio recording of Morrissey icon Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest and an obscure 1971 recording called "Breakthrough: An Amazing Experiment In Electronic Communication With The Dead."

A line from the song gave the title to the book The Smiths: Songs That Saved Your Life by Simon Goddard.