| "Panic" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by The Smiths | ||||
| Released | 21 July 1986 | |||
| Format | 7", 12", CD | |||
| Recorded | May 1986 | |||
| Genre | Alternative rock | |||
| Length | 2:20 | |||
| Label | Rough Trade | |||
| Writer(s) | Johnny Marr, Morrissey | |||
| Producer | John Porter | |||
| The Smiths singles chronology | ||||
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"Panic" is a song by the British alternative rock band The Smiths, written by singer Morrissey and guitarist Johnny Marr. The first recording to feature new member Craig Gannon, "Panic" bemoans the state of contemporary pop music, and implores its listeners to "burn down the disco" and "hang the DJ" in retaliation. "Panic" was released by Rough Trade Records as a non-album single in 1986, reaching number 11 in the UK Singles Chart.
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The Smiths recorded "Panic" at London's Livingston Studios in May 1986. It was the group's first recording sessions since they completed work on their third album The Queen Is Dead six months earlier.[1] During the interim period, bassist Andy Rourke had been fired due to his heroin addiction. The band hired Craig Gannon to replace him, but after they rehired Rourke, guitarist Johnny Marr offered Gannon a position as second guitarist.[2]
The now five-piece band worked with producer John Porter at Livingston Studios; this was his first work with the group in two years. Porter added several layers of tracks by guitarists Marr and Gannon. Porter was concerned that the song was too short, so he copied the band's first take from 5 May and spliced a repetition of the first verse at the end to increase its length. The group was unimpressed and opted to leave the song as they originally structured it.[3]
Within weeks of release, an effigy of popular BBC Radio 1 DJ Dave Lee Travis was hung from the lampposts of High Wycombe in response to the song's lyrics. It was removed by police within hours and no arrests were made.
A story circulated as the basis for the song is that days beforehand, Marr and Morrissey were listening to BBC Radio One when the news announced the Chernobyl disaster. Straight afterwards, disc jockey Steve Wright played the song "I'm Your Man" by pop duo Wham!. "I remember actually saying, 'What the fuck does this got to do with people's lives?'" Marr recalled. "We hear about Chernobyl, then, seconds later, we're expected to jump around to 'I'm Your Man'". While Marr subsequently stated that the account was exaggerated, he commented that it was a likely influence on Morrissey's lyrics.[4] The band even commissioned a t-shirt featuring Wright's portrait and the phrase "Hang the DJ!"[5]
Journalist Nick Kent described "Panic" as a mandate for "rock terrorism".[4] Musically, the song is based around a rotation between the G and E minor chords that mimicks "Metal Guru" by the glam rock band T.Rex.[3] The song begins with Morrissey mentioning chaos unravelling throughout Britain and Ireland (specifically naming locales such as Dublin, Dundee, Carlisle and Humberside). In the second part of the song, Morrissey reveals that the source of this chaos is pop music, which in his words "Says nothing to me about my life". In reaction, Morrissey implores listeners to "Burn down the disco" and "hang the DJ", the latter lyrics repeated with the addition of a chorus of schoolchildren. Morrissey considered the fact that the song appeared on daytime British radio a "tiny revolution" in its own way, as it aired amongst the very music it criticised.[4]
"Panic" drew fire from critics who construed Morrissey's lyrics to have a racist connotation, due to their disparagement of the "disco" and the "DJ". The criticism was intensified by comments Morrissey made in a September 1986 Melody Maker interview with Frank Owen, where the singer denounced a "black pop conspiracy". Marr in particular was incensed by the article and threatened to "kick the living shit" out of the writer if he crossed the band's path. Marr countered that "disco music" could not be equated with "black music"; he argued, "To those who took offence at the 'burn down the disco' line [. . .] I'd say please show me the black members of New Order!"[6]
"Panic" reached number eleven on the UK Singles Chart and stayed on the chart for eight weeks.[7] The single also stayed on the Irish Singles Chart for five weeks, reaching a peak of number seven,[8] and reached number thirty-two on the Dutch Top 40.[9] "Panic" was voted Single of the Year by the annual NME readers poll, and also ("somewhat incongruously", noted Smiths biographer Simon Goddard) ranked sixth in the Best Dance Record category.[10] In 2007, NME placed "Panic" at number 21 in its list of the 50 Greatest Indie Anthems Ever.[11] Chris Sievey's Frank Sidebottom character released an EP in 1993, credited to The Sidebottoms, featuring nine versions of the song.[12]
All songs written by Morrissey and Johnny Marr except where noted.
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