There Is A Light That Never Goes Out Analysis

In 1986, The Smiths released their third studio album which featured the song “There Is a Light That Never Goes Out”. The song was written by The Smiths’ lead singer Morrissey and guitarist Johnny Marr, featuring a variety of instruments, studio effects, and exemplifying an intimate tone. Since its release, the song has been covered by numerous artist as a symbol of their appreciation and influence from it. One artist in particular, Citizen, covered the song in 2012 and presented the same intimate tone through a simple, raw, acoustic recording. While both versions of the song show a similar intimacy, the varying ways they were produced and the decisions made by the artists influenced the intimacy in different ways.
The Smiths, formed in 1982, were an English alternative rock band from Manchester. The band has cited the works …show more content…
In terms of instrumentation and use of studio effects, Citizen’s version of “There Is a Light That Never Goes Out” is almost opposite to the original. The entire song is acoustic, featuring only vocals, guitar, and the faint whisper of a tambourine. Additionally, this version has no apparent studio effects, editing, or mixing added to the recording. Unlike the original where the sound slowly fades out, the cover has consistent vocals and guitar until nearly the end of the song and is concluded by a single chord. Comparable to the somewhat conversational nature of the lyrics and singing, having only one prominent instrument and a singer has a similar effect on the intimacy this song features. The decision to make the song acoustic increases the focus on not only the singer, but also reinforces the emphasis on the lyrics. From the perspective of a listener, with other instruments absent from the recording, the singer (who is also playing the guitar) and his audience are the only ones