William, It Was Really Nothing
Encyclopedia
"William, It Was Really Nothing" is a song by British band The Smiths
. It was released as a single on 24 August 1984, featuring the B-sides "Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want
" and "How Soon Is Now?
", and reached number 17 in the UK Singles Chart
. The song is featured on the compilation album
s Hatful of Hollow
and Louder Than Bombs
as well as other best of and singles collections. In 2004 the song was ranked number 425 on Rolling Stone
magazine's list of the 500 greatest songs of all time.
The original artwork depicted comes from an early 80s advertisement for A.D.S. speakers (the object on the bed is a speaker), however due to legal reasons later pressings were produced with new artwork, a lilac-tinted still of Billie Whitelaw
from the film Charlie Bubbles
, directed by Albert Finney
. The sleeve for the 1988 CD single reissue shows Colin Campbell from the 1964 film The Leather Boys
. This artwork had previously been used in Germany for the single "Ask
".
When the band performed the song on Top of the Pops
, Morrissey ripped open his shirt to reveal the words "MARRY ME" written on his chest ("Would you like to marry me?" is one line of the song).
about his short-lived friendship with Billy Mackenzie
, lead singer of Associates. The compilation Associates: Double Hipness released in Aug 2000 included the song "Stephen You're Really Something" recorded by Billy MacKenzie and Alan Rankine during the Associates reunion in 1993 as a tribute to "William, It Was Really Nothing". Morrissey himself has said of his song:
The Smiths
The Smiths were an English alternative rock band, formed in Manchester in 1982. Based on the song writing partnership of Morrissey and Johnny Marr , the band also included Andy Rourke and Mike Joyce...
. It was released as a single on 24 August 1984, featuring the B-sides "Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want
Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want
The Dream Academy covered "Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want" in 1984. This version peaked at #83 in the UK Singles Chart. The instrumental version of the song is the better known cover version, since it was used in the film Ferris Bueller's Day Off along with an other Dream Academy...
" and "How Soon Is Now?
How Soon Is Now?
"How Soon Is Now?" is a song by the British alternative rock band The Smiths. Written by Smiths singer Morrissey and guitarist Johnny Marr, it was originally a B-side of the 1984 single "William, It Was Really Nothing"...
", and reached number 17 in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
. The song is featured on the compilation album
Compilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
s Hatful of Hollow
Hatful of Hollow
-The Smiths:* Morrissey – vocals* Johnny Marr – guitars, harmonica, mandolin* Andy Rourke – bass guitar* Mike Joyce – drums-Technical staff:* John Porter – producer* The Smiths – producers* Roger Pusey – producer* Dale "Buffin" Griffin – producer...
and Louder Than Bombs
Louder Than Bombs
Louder Than Bombs is a compilation album by the English rock band The Smiths. It was released as a double album in March 1987 by their American record company, Sire Records. Its highest chart position was number 63. Popular demand prompted their British record company, Rough Trade, to issue the...
as well as other best of and singles collections. In 2004 the song was ranked number 425 on Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
magazine's list of the 500 greatest songs of all time.
The original artwork depicted comes from an early 80s advertisement for A.D.S. speakers (the object on the bed is a speaker), however due to legal reasons later pressings were produced with new artwork, a lilac-tinted still of Billie Whitelaw
Billie Whitelaw
Billie Honor Whitelaw, CBE is an English actress. She worked in close collaboration with Irish playwright Samuel Beckett for 25 years and is regarded as one of the foremost interpreters of his works...
from the film Charlie Bubbles
Charlie Bubbles
Charlie Bubbles is a British film of 1967 starring Billie Whitelaw and Albert Finney, and also featuring a young Liza Minnelli. It was listed to compete at the 1968 Cannes Film Festival, but the festival was cancelled due to the events of May 1968 in France.The film made great play of its...
, directed by Albert Finney
Albert Finney
Albert Finney is an English actor. He achieved prominence in films in the early 1960s, and has maintained a successful career in theatre, film and television....
. The sleeve for the 1988 CD single reissue shows Colin Campbell from the 1964 film The Leather Boys
The Leather Boys
The Leather Boys is a 1964 British drama film about the rocker subculture in London featuring a gay motorcyclist. This film is notable as an early example of a film that violated the Hollywood production code, yet was still shown in the United States, as well as an important film in the genre of...
. This artwork had previously been used in Germany for the single "Ask
Ask (song)
Later re-releases of the "Ask" single would include the album version, which runs for 3:15, instead of the single version included on the original pressings.-Etchings on vinyl:UK 7" and 12":ARE YOU LOATHESOME TONIGHT? / TOMB IT MAY CONCERNGerman 12":...
".
When the band performed the song on Top of the Pops
Top of the Pops
Top of the Pops, also known as TOTP, is a British music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly from 1 January 1964 to 30 July 2006. After 25 December 2006 it became a radio program, now hosted by Tony Blackburn...
, Morrissey ripped open his shirt to reveal the words "MARRY ME" written on his chest ("Would you like to marry me?" is one line of the song).
Lyrics
The song is popularly believed to have been written by MorrisseyMorrissey
Steven Patrick Morrissey , known as Morrissey, is an English singer and lyricist. He rose to prominence in the 1980s as the lyricist and vocalist of the alternative rock band The Smiths. The band was highly successful in the United Kingdom but broke up in 1987, and Morrissey began a solo career,...
about his short-lived friendship with Billy Mackenzie
Billy Mackenzie
William MacArthur "Billy" Mackenzie was a Scottish singer, with a distinctive falsetto voice best known as a member of The Associates.- Biography :...
, lead singer of Associates. The compilation Associates: Double Hipness released in Aug 2000 included the song "Stephen You're Really Something" recorded by Billy MacKenzie and Alan Rankine during the Associates reunion in 1993 as a tribute to "William, It Was Really Nothing". Morrissey himself has said of his song:
- What 'William It Was Really Nothing' is about is... it occurred to me that within popular music if ever there were any records that discussed marriage they were always from the female's standpoint - female singers singing to women: whenever there were any songs saying 'do not marry, stay single, self-preservation, etc'. I thought it was about time there was a male voice speaking directly to another male saying that marriage was a waste of time... that, in fact, it was 'absolutely nothing'.
Track listing
- in original green sleeve
- in lilac reprint sleeve