William, It Was Really Nothing

"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
Alternative cover
	File:Willilac.jpg Alternative cover featuring Billie Whitelaw

Professional ratings
Review scores
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' album, Double Hipness, released in August 2000, included the song "Stephen [sic], 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

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 from the 1964 film The Leather Boys. This artwork had previously been used in Germany for the single "Ask".

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 on 29 October 2012.
^ Simpson, Mark (31 May 2003). "Return of the lone stranger". The Guardian. London.
^ http://www.metrolyrics.com/ml-discussions-william-it-was-really-nothing-lyrics-the-smiths/1296.html

External links

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

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

[3] ttp://www.metrolyrics.com/ml-discussions-william-it-was-really-nothing-lyrics-the-smiths/1296.html

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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