“Where has all the wildness and daring got to? Some of it has found its way onto the Smiths’ record, ‘This Charming Man’. It jangles and crashes and Morrissey jumps in the middle with his mutant choir-boy voice, sounding jolly and angst-ridden at the same time. It should be given out on street corners to unsuspecting passers-by of all ages.”
– The Face
Back to the apex of The Smiths with this classic early track – This Charming Man, their very second single after Hand in Glove. Woohoo! It’s one of the first songs I remember hearing by them and remains among my top ten favourites. It’s also arguably one of their most accessible and irresistibly catchy tunes – the kind I’d readily share with someone as an introduction to their music. Speaking of newcomers, I actually came to The Smiths – and Morrissey’s solo work – quite late in my musical journey. Oh, I’d heard them before, of course, but it wasn’t until a dear local friend, Tatiana – who’s all hip to UK punk and alternative music – finally got me revelling in their sound.
One of my favourite quotes about The Smiths’ is: “The Smiths are the band from the ’80s – most anti-’80s.” Much of their work (especially production wise) still sounds as modern, alternative, and progressive as anything being released today – and best of all, this rebel music still sounds f%#king awesome. If anything, time has been kinder to their music and legacy than to almost any other ’80s group – which says a lot about their musical acumen and creative genius. Between Morrissey’s unfamiliar yet yearning voice and transparent lyrical outpourings, and Johnny Marr’s jangly, metallic guitar textures, they crafted a wholly unique soundscape one that remains as provocative and vital as ever. Music like theirs helps fill the gaping void left by the increasingly hollow, “nothing” pop culture we find ourselves surrounded by today.
The following was mostly abridged from the Wikipedia article below:
This Charming Man was released on 31 October 1983 by the independent record label Rough Trade. It is defined by Marr’s jangly guitar riff and Morrissey’s characteristically morose lyrics, which revolve around the recurrent Smiths themes of sexual ambiguity and lust.
Feeling detached from the early 1980s mainstream gay culture, Morrissey wrote “This Charming Man” to evoke an older, more coded and self-aware underground scene. The singer said of the song’s lyrics: “I really like the idea of the male voice being quite vulnerable, of it being taken and slightly manipulated, rather than there being always this heavy machismo thing that just bores everybody.“
Although only moderately successful on first release – the single peaked at number 25 on the UK Singles Chart- “This Charming Man” has been widely praised in both the music and mainstream press. Re-issued in 1992, it reached number 8 on the UK Singles Chart. Mojo magazine journalists placed the track at number 1 on their 2008 “50 Greatest UK Indie Records of All Time” feature.
[Verse 1]
Punctured bicycle on a hillside desolate
Will nature make a man of me yet?
When in this charming car
This charming man
Why pamper life’s complexity
When the leather runs smooth on the passenger seat?
I would go out tonight
But I haven’t got a stitch to wear
This man said, “It’s gruesome
That someone so handsome should care”
[Chorus]
Ah, a jumped-up pantry boy
Who never knew his place
He said, “Return the ring”
He knows so much about these things
He knows so much about these things
[Verse 2]
I would go out tonight
But I haven’t got a stitch to wear
This man said, “It’s gruesome
That someone so handsome should care”
Na, na-na, na-na, na-na
This charming man
Na, na-na, na-na, na-na
This charming man
[Chorus]
References:
1. This Charming Man – Wikipedia
“The more I live, the more I learn. The more I learn, the more I realize, the less I know.”- Michel Legrand
Observation Blogger 
“This Charming Man” is a great song. In particular, I love Johnny Marr’s jangly guitar playing. My only challenge is Morrissey’s voice. It’s not that he is a bad vocalist, but there’s just something about his voice, and I can only take a few songs at a time before it starts to annoy me. I feel similar about Axl Rose of Guns ‘N Roses.
That’s entirely understandable, and I imagine it’s a fairly common barrier for people when it comes to appreciating Morrissey’s melodramatic voice. Initially, I had the same misgivings too, but I’ve grown more accustomed to it as my appreciation for their music as a whole has deepened.
One do the truly great singles of all time. Any where. Ever