William, It Was Really Nothing: Difference between revisions

"William, It Was Really Nothing"
"William, It Was Really Nothing"
	Artwork for original 1984 single release, also used for 2008 re-release
Single by The Smiths
from the album Hatful of Hollow
B-side	"How Soon Is Now?"; "Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want";
Released	20 August 1984
Recorded	July 1984
Studio	Jam Studios, London
Genre	Alternative rock
Length	2:09
Label	Rough Trade
Songwriter(s)	Johnny Marr, Morrissey
Producer(s)	John Porter
The Smiths singles chronology

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Source	Rating
Allmusic	^[1]

"William, It Was Really Nothing" is a song by the English rock band the Smiths. It was released as a single in August 1984, featuring the B-sides "Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want" and "How Soon Is Now?", and reached No. 17 in the UK Singles Chart. The song is featured on the compilation albums Hatful of Hollow and Louder Than Bombs, as well as other best of and singles collections. In 2004, the song was ranked No. 425 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest songs of all time.

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).^[2]

Lyrics and background

Morrissey has said of the song: "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. There were never 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."^[3]

The song is popularly believed to have been about Morrissey's short-lived friendship with Billy Mackenzie, lead singer of the Associates. The Associates' compilation album Double Hipness, released in August 2000, included the song "Stephen, You're Really Something", recorded by Billy MacKenzie and Alan Rankine during the band's reunion in 1993 as a response to "William, It Was Really Nothing".

Track listing

7" RT166
No.	Title	Length
1.	"William, It Was Really Nothing"	2:10
2.	"Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want"	1:50

in original green sleeve

7" RT166
No.	Title	Length
1.	"William, It Was Really Nothing"	2:10
2.	"How Soon Is Now?"	6:43

in lilac reprint sleeve

12" RTT166/CD RTT166CD
No.	Title	Length
1.	"William, It Was Really Nothing"	2:10
2.	"How Soon Is Now?"	6:43
3.	"Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want"	1:50

Artwork and matrix message

British 7" and 12" with green tinted cover versions feature the matrix message: THE IMPOTENCE OF ERNEST/ROMANTIC AND SQUARE IS HIP AND AWARE

British 7' with lilac tinted cover: THE IMPOTENCE OF ERNEST/WE HATES BAD GRAMMER

British 12" with lilac tinted cover: THE IMPOTENCE OF ERNEST/ROMANTIC AND [ ] IS HIP N'AWARE

As well as being a reference to The Importance of Being Earnest, "The impotence of Ernest" is an allusion to the impotence that Ernest Hemingway suffered in his final years. The "romantic" line was said by John Lennon to Hunter Davies.

Charts

Chart	Peak position
Ireland (IRMA)	8
UK Singles (The Official Charts Company)	17

References

^ "William, It Was Really Nothing rating". Allmusic. Retrieved 29 October 2012.
^ Simpson, Mark (31 May 2003). "Return of the lone stranger". The Guardian. London.
^ "The Smiths - William, It Was Really Nothing". smithsonguitar.com.

External links

"Top of the Pops" Performance on YouTube

[AMG1-1] "William, It Was Really Nothing rating". Allmusic. Retrieved 29 October 2012.

[2] Simpson, Mark (31 May 2003). "Return of the lone stranger". The Guardian. London.

[3] "The Smiths - William, It Was Really Nothing". smithsonguitar.com.

[1]

[2]

[3]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+{{Short description|1984 song by the Smiths}}
+{{More citations needed|date=June 2011}}
 {{Use British English|date=September 2012}}
-{{Refimprove|date=June 2011}}
+{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2020}}
+{{Infobox song
-{{Infobox single <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject_Songs -->
-| Name = William, It Was Really Nothing
+| name       = William, It Was Really Nothing
-| Cover = Williamitwasreallynothing_UKorig.gif
+| cover      = Williamitwasreallynothing_UKorig.gif
+| alt        =
-| Artist = [[The Smiths]]
+| caption    = Artwork for original 1984 single release, also used for 2008 re-release
-| from Album = 	[[Hatful of Hollow]]
+| type       = single
-| B-side = "[[How Soon Is Now?]]"<br />"[[Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want]]"
+| artist     = [[The Smiths]]
-| Released = 20 August 1984
+| album      = [[Hatful of Hollow]]
-| Format = [[Gramophone record|7" single]], [[12-inch single|12" single]], <br/>[[Compact Disc|CD]] (1988)
+| B-side     = {{ubl|"[[How Soon Is Now?]]"|"[[Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want]]"}}
-| Recorded = Summer 1984
+| released   = 20 August 1984
-| Genre = [[Alternative rock]], [[jangle pop]]
-| Length = 2:09
+| recorded   = July 1984
+| studio     = Jam Studios, London
-| Label = [[Rough Trade Records|Rough Trade]]
+| venue      =
-| Writer = [[Johnny Marr]], [[Morrissey]]
+| genre      = [[Alternative rock]]
-| Producer = [[John Porter (musician)|John Porter]]
+| length     = 2:09
-| Certification =
+| label      = [[Rough Trade Records|Rough Trade]]
-| Last single = "[[Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now]]" <br />(1984)
+| writer     = [[Johnny Marr]], [[Morrissey]]
-| This single = "'''William, It Was Really Nothing'''" <br />(1984)
+| producer   = [[John Porter (musician, born 1947)|John Porter]]
-| Next single = "[[How Soon Is Now?]]" <br />(1985)
+| prev_title = [[Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now]]
-| Misc =
+| prev_year  = 1984
-{{Extra album cover
+| next_title = [[How Soon Is Now?]]
-| Upper caption  = Alternative cover
+| next_year  = 1985
-| Type=single
-| Cover          = willilac.jpg
+| misc       =
-| Lower caption  = Alternative cover featuring Billie Whitelaw
-}}
 }}
 {{Album ratings
 |rev1 = [[Allmusic]]
-|rev1score = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref name=AMG1>"[{{Allmusic|class=album|id=mw0001165496|pure_url=yes}} William, It Was Really Nothing rating]". [[Allmusic]]. Retrieved on 29 October 2012.</ref>
+|rev1score = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref name=AMG1>"[{{AllMusic|class=album|id=mw0001165496|pure_url=yes}} William, It Was Really Nothing rating]". [[Allmusic]]. Retrieved 29 October 2012.</ref>
 }}
-"'''William, It Was Really Nothing'''" is a song by British band [[The Smiths]]. It was released as a single on 20 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.
+"'''William, It Was Really Nothing'''" is a song by the English [[Rock music|rock]] band [[the Smiths]]. It was released as a single in August 1984, featuring the B-sides "[[Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want]]" and "[[How Soon Is Now?]]", and reached No. 17 in the [[UK Singles Chart]]. The song is featured on the compilation albums ''[[Hatful of Hollow]]'' and ''[[Louder Than Bombs]]'', as well as other best of and singles collections. In 2004, the song was ranked No. 425 on ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' magazine's list of the 500 greatest songs of all time.
-The original artwork depicted comes from an early 1980s advertisement for A.D.S. speakers (the object on the bed is a speaker). For 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 (actor)|Colin Campbell]] from the 1964 film ''[[The Leather Boys]]''. This artwork had previously been used in Germany for the single "[[Ask (song)|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).<ref>{{cite news| url=http://arts.guardian.co.uk/features/story/0,11710,965652,00.html | location=London | work=The Guardian | first=Mark | last=Simpson | title=Return of the lone stranger | date=31 May 2003}}</ref>
-==Lyrics==
+==Lyrics and background==
+[[Morrissey]] has said of the song: "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. There were never 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."<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.smithsonguitar.com/2008/09/william-it-was-really-nothing.html|title=The Smiths - William, It Was Really Nothing|website=smithsonguitar.com}}</ref>
-{{quote|''How can you stay with a fat girl who'll say "Oh, would you like to marry me, and if you like you can buy the ring?"/ She doesn't care about anything...''|Morrissey in "William, It Was Really Nothing"}}
-The song is popularly believed to have been written by [[Morrissey]] about his short-lived friendship with [[Billy Mackenzie]], lead singer of [[Associates (band)|Associates]]. The compilation Associates: Double Hipness, released in August 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 has said of the song:
+The song is popularly believed to have been about Morrissey's short-lived friendship with [[Billy Mackenzie]], lead singer of [[the Associates (band)|the Associates]]. The Associates' compilation album ''Double Hipness'', released in August 2000, included the song "Stephen, You're Really Something", recorded by Billy MacKenzie and Alan Rankine during the band's reunion in 1993 as a [[answer song|response]] to "William, It Was Really Nothing".
-:''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'.''{{citation needed|date=September 2013}}
 ==Track listing==
@@ Line 71: / Line 67: @@
 }}
+==Artwork and matrix message==
-==Etchings on vinyl==
-British 7" and 12" with green tinted cover: THE IMPOTENCE OF ERNEST/ROMANTIC AND SQUARE IS HIP AND AWARE
+British 7" and 12" with green tinted cover versions feature the [[Matrix number|matrix message]]: THE IMPOTENCE OF ERNEST/ROMANTIC AND SQUARE IS HIP AND AWARE
 British 7' with lilac tinted cover: THE IMPOTENCE OF ERNEST/WE HATES BAD GRAMMER
@@ Line 78: / Line 74: @@
 British 12" with lilac tinted cover: THE IMPOTENCE OF ERNEST/ROMANTIC AND [ ] IS HIP N'AWARE
-As well as being a reference to [[The Importance of Being Earnest]], "The impotence of Ernest" is an allusion to the [[impotence]] that [[Ernest Hemingway]] suffered in his final years. The "romantic" line was said by [[John Lennon]] to [[Hunter Davies]].
+As well as being a reference to ''[[The Importance of Being Earnest]]'', "The impotence of Ernest" is an allusion to the [[impotence]] that [[Ernest Hemingway]] suffered in his final years. The "romantic" line was said by [[John Lennon]] to [[Hunter Davies]].
 ==Charts==
@@ Line 94: / Line 90: @@
 ==References==
-{{reflist}}
+{{Reflist}}
 ==External links==
-*{{youtube|Op3v5hGOSfU|"Top Of The Pops" Performance}}
+*{{youtube|Op3v5hGOSfU|"Top of the Pops" Performance}}
-* {{MetroLyrics song|the-smiths|william-it-was-really-nothing}}<!-- Licensed lyrics provider -->
 {{The Smiths}}
+{{Authority control}}
-{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2011}}
 [[Category:The Smiths songs]]
@@ Line 107: / Line 102: @@
 [[Category:Songs written by Morrissey]]
 [[Category:Songs written by Johnny Marr]]
+[[Category:LGBTQ-related songs]]
 [[Category:Songs based on actual events]]
 [[Category:1984 songs]]
 [[Category:Rough Trade Records singles]]
+[[Category:UK Independent Singles Chart number-one singles]]
+[[Category:Song recordings produced by John Porter (musician, born 1947)]]

v t e The Smiths
Morrissey Johnny Marr Andy Rourke Mike Joyce Craig Gannon
Studio albums	The Smiths Meat Is Murder The Queen Is Dead Strangeways, Here We Come
Live albums	Rank
Compilation albums	Hatful of Hollow The World Won't Listen Louder Than Bombs Stop Me Best I Best II Singles The Very Best of The Smiths The Sound of The Smiths The Smiths Singles Box Complete
Extended plays	The Peel Sessions
Singles	"Hand in Glove" "This Charming Man" "What Difference Does It Make?" "Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now" "William, It Was Really Nothing" "How Soon Is Now?" "Shakespeare's Sister" "Barbarism Begins at Home" "That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore" "The Boy with the Thorn in His Side" "Bigmouth Strikes Again" "Panic" "Ask" "Shoplifters of the World Unite" "Sheila Take a Bow" "Girlfriend in a Coma" "I Started Something I Couldn't Finish" "Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me" "Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before" "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out" "Sweet and Tender Hooligan"
Other songs	"Still Ill" "Suffer Little Children" "Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want" "The Headmaster Ritual" "Asleep" "The Queen Is Dead" "Cemetry Gates" "I Know It's Over" "Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others" "A Rush and a Push and the Land Is Ours"
Related articles	Discography Songs Live performances The Smiths Is Dead Shoplifters of the World