Shakespeare's Sister (song)

"Shakespeare's Sister" is a non-album single by British band The Smiths, released in March 1985. It first appeared on albums in 1987 via the Louder Than Bombs and The World Won't Listen compilations.

Its title refers to a section of Virginia Woolf's feminist essay A Room of One's Own in which Woolf argues that if William Shakespeare had had a sister of equal genius, as a woman she would not have had the opportunity to make use of it.^[1][2] (In reality, William Shakespeare had four sisters, but only one who survived past the age of eight and into adulthood: Joan Shakespeare.)^[3]

Another interpretation of the title is that it refers to the Tennessee Williams play The Glass Menagerie. The Gentleman Caller, who is courting Tom Wingfield's sister, refers to Tom as "Shakespeare",^[4] and there are other allusions to the play in the song's lyric.^[5]

The original single's sleeve featured Pat Phoenix, best-known for her long-running role in the UK TV series Coronation Street.

The song reached number 26 in the UK Singles Chart.

The band Shakespears Sister [sic] took their name from the song.^[6]

Track listing

Etchings on vinyl

• UK 7" and 12": HOME IS WHERE THE ART IS / none
• Holland: HOLLAND CUTTING / none

References