The Smiths - Rusholme Ruffians

[FUKKAKE]

had a firework thrown at me by Rusholme ruffians the other night in Victoria Park

[it234561]

my god....morrisey is SO seeexy :)

[jjproudfoot]

there's still a fair in rusholme and people are still getting stabbed so obviously not a lots changed since the 80s

[babydub77]

is the room full of clones?

[SteveResin]

someone falls in love, someone gets beaten up... but my faith in love is still devout

[jimschlat]

o my god i love it

[TheJustdoitplz]

female here and saw them live in Amsterdam...long long time ago, LOVE the Smiths!!

[clintxoxox]

sweet

[Ullyses267]

my favorite smiths song

[njk213]

I think its funny how few women are ever in their audiences. I bet itd be completely opposite were they around today.

[noelwannabe]

incredible acoustic guitar playing by johnny marr.

[drummerdickens]

I'd contribute a good couple of hundred to the "Get the Smiths back together just to play Rusholme Ruffians" fund.

[fightthepower07]

What gets me is Smiths fans were portrayed as lonely, spotty, depressed teenage bedroom dwellers which simply wasn't the case. I'm from a massive council estate in Manchester and my friends and I were well into the Band we must have seen them 10 15 times. In fact, when not following the Smiths, they were causing mayhem at United games......not your archetype fans to say the least, great times! lol

[Renegademaster15]

This song is totally carried by the bass line :)

[lecrapauddejerri9]

@Renegademaster15 just like loads of their songs

[knotpass]

Why aren't there any woman- because they weren't marketing themselves as Duran Duran.

[FunkyFab89]

I love how Morrissey always wears a belt, I dont know why.That seems rare these days.

[levertrevel]

is there a way to stop listening to this tune?

[dickshagle]

@levertrevel nope

[vsister]

AMAZING

notice... why are there no women in that audience?!

[ststephen909]

@vsister women are deaf, ever heard of lady gaga?!

THE SMITHS ROCK! cant get enough of this stuff.

[8scatterbrain8]

@ststephen909 shut up you idiot.

[ststephen909]

@8scatterbrain8 aww yes. cock envy. i love it :D

[8scatterbrain8]

@ststephen909 I know you wish you had one big enough to be called "cock" :( sorry man, I feel your pain.

[Liiinnea]

@ststephen909

I love The Smiths. I hate Lady Gagas "music". And I'm a woman. Shut up.

[8scatterbrain8]

@vsister because yogurt has no backbone and the elephant behind the ear umbrella.

[geobruf123]

john porter didnt write rourkes bass parts. its obviously rourke because they dont change in style throughout the years

[DerKosmonaut1972]

From below:

Song writing credits. Rouke and Joyce felt they didn't receive any songwriting credits. They also felt that they were cheated out of pay from sales. They actually sued Morrissey in court for money. Morrissey and Marr were brilliant but they were not exclusively The Smiths. Rouke and Joyce were indispensable to the band. The pity about Rouke was his mistreatment by Morrissey and the fact he was a heroin addict.

[JHDELIVERY22]

This is one of my favourate Smiths songs :)

[DerKosmonaut1972]

This song always rolled well live. It was always the only track from the dreadful live album "Rank" which stood out best. And I agree with Karziflora, Rouke came up with the best basslines. Indeed, what first struck me about The Smiths were his basslines. All my favourite Smiths songs are the ones which have Rouke's signature basslines. He's an overlooked and underrated bassist.

[niehautw]

@DerKosmonaut1972 Rourke is great but i do believe Marr wrote the basslines as well as guitar.

[DerKosmonaut1972]

@niehautw

That isn't what Johnny Rogan says in his seminal book "Morrissey and Marr: A Severed Alliance. Rouke indeed wrote his own bass lines. Johnny Marr himself is quoted as saying so. You are correct that during the first recordings of The Smiths debut album, Rouke and Joyce were inexperienced. John Porter wrote the bass lines on the first album. However by 1985's Meat Is Murder and after Rouke wrote his own bass lines. In fact, Rouke and Joyce were sore at Morrissey and Marr over songrites

[piafedith10]

@DerKosmonaut1972 not to pick or anything, but it's rourke not rouke

[tiocfaidharla1]

Why do I like this song so much? I know why I like it, thanks, but why do I like it *so much*? I suspect it's because the line "I might walk home alone, but my faith in love is still devout" is the very apotheosis of optimism. But I've never been an optimist and never shall be. Wherefore the obsession? Serious answers only please.

[josianneRHCPinlove]

♪♫ How quickly would I die if I jumped from the top of the parachutes?♪♫

[timewillprove]

@josianneRHCPinlove Yes, isn't that an amazing line?!

[desasterz]

Naah, this one and How Soon Is Now never work for me... They are good songs but its like paintings really, some just pass by without feeling anything and some might look at it for an hour... Best Smith songs for me, Nowere Fast, Bigmouth, Queen Is Dead, These Things Take Time, This Charming Man. And Morrissey's solo stuff, gotta be Angel Angel Down We Go Together (live electric guitar vertion (riviting)), National Front Disco and We Hate It When Our Friends Become Sucessful.

[heymamawolf]

Not even Hand in Glove?!

[geobruf123]

rourke should have got a songwriting credit for this. apart from the vocal the bass is the main hook of the song!

[unspeakable7skipton]

But they got that from 'Marie's the name his latest flame' by Elvis so neither Marr nor Rourke wrote it...

[geobruf123]

yes thats true but the main things that are original in this song is the bass and vocal. the chords were nicked yes which is why (with no disrespect to marr) its funny that he got credit for chords he nicked where as rourke didnt get credit for an original bassline!. anyway generally marr is the man but in one or 2 cases they should have shared the credit around a bit more

[unspeakable7skipton]

I agree - share the love guys!

BTW I think that was the most civilised reply I've ever had on youtube! I wouldn't expect any less from a smiths fan :)

[luciadigi]

amazing bass line

[GameBoyz2]

YEAH!!!!

[harrymeek]

:-)

[stezothewhitenegro]

my faith and love is still

deeeevooouuuuutttttt

[PasoliniIsMe]

When Morrissey dies, I will probably kill myself. There will be no point left in living.

[cromwellian13]

Don't do it. No matter what happens to him.... he lives on forever. :)

[beowulven]

Agreed.

[bridgetown1966]

People need to respect what an incredible bassist Rourke was in this group. Probably Top 10 in rock.

[reden0024]

so true, all his bass lines have so much power.

[ryanamays]

absolutely!!!! and people who under estimated marr r fuckin idiots!!!! he is a god!!!! johnny marr made guitar cover magazine 3 times!!!!!

[RisforRockit]

Many critics look for the three-finger-pick-technique and other virtuoso signs, and under-value bass players who use a plectrum. Pfft - i just love Rourke's bouncy lines!

[LyricalWax]

when was this recorded?

[swatelaere]

in 1985

[LyricalWax]

thanks

[BouncingHotdog]

the bass is so amazing in this song

[wwgt]

Yes it great

and it paved the way for ..

The WoodenTops !!

from England too ..

[skeletonsuit]

A skirt ascends for a watching eye, it's a hideous trait on her mother's side.

This song is genius; sounds pretty menacing sped up like this as well!

[shadygiz]

cant help but feel, this tune was wasted on the spanish crowd ;(

absolute classic...RIP smiths, you gave me so many happy memories

[karziflora]

Rourkey deserves all the credits for his basslines....it's not JM's work!!!!

LOVE U ROURKEY!!!

[escriticapop]

@karziflora been saying this for years now. hats off to andy rourke and his gems like this one or barbarism begins at home.

[LenaimTopf]

YES!!!

[sheilatakeabow1990]

THE SMITHS WIN AT LIFE (:

Epic (:

[anythingfinn]

go Johnny!!!!X

[rabbitisrich]

Imagine needing the loo in the middle of that lot.

[themysticknight]

LoL I'm with ya' on that.

[glaetze]

@rabbitisrich

That's an hysterical comment. I'm still laughing. You're a funny bloke.

[ellycat]

@rabbitisrich Ha ha. You'd have to give someone a golden shower, lol. I'd have loved to have been there. The Spanish have very good taste in music. ANDY ROURKE ALL THE WAY ON THIS TRACK!!

[MrStripedwhite]

@rabbitisrich piss on the floor

[lecrapauddejerri9]

@rabbitisrich I'd just piss myself. Fuck missing any of that gig haha

[UnderTheAffluence]

@rabbitisrich I may have that situation at Glastonbury with Morrissey. Help.

[1013637]

@rabbitisrich The loo be the lot.

[proclaimer500]

is this the song that played on gilmore girls?

[iheartbillywilder]

yes, it is. good ear. that's also why I looked it up.  I had heard the Smiths elsewhere, and thought I new they were on Gilmore Girls. And guess what, they were!

[proclaimer500]

i'm obsessed with all the music on gilmore girls so every time they mention a band or song i always have to look it up!

[robbieonguitar]

Johnny Marr composed everything, guitar, bass, drums... True genius.

[elephantstone222]

andy rourke wrote the bass lines

[robbieonguitar]

I'm sure it was Marr...

Anyway, What difference does it make? Epic band =)

[valterjose]

Morrissey forever

[lvampira]

Greatest Band EVER! Hands Down!!

[crackity72]

Agreed

you have impeccable taste

[pytski]

Andy Rourke just sick bassist!

[jackbrady1]

god are you black or somthink who says sick ?

[glasses92]

a black guy would say something on the lines of "Damn that nigga on bass is tight as fuck yo"

[pytski]

Are you a dick much or just rude?

[jackbrady1]

re you middle class or just up your own arse. twat

[HestinLostwood]

i say 'sick'... im asian

[jackbrady1]

asian are aloud to say sick there cool ;)

[JimijaymesGuitarist]

Most white caucasians in australia said sick for ages with other words such as rad and dude and totally. Very 90's maybe but race has nothing to do with it.

[jackbrady1]

cant any one take a joke lol everyone is so fucking serious on youtube.

[JimijaymesGuitarist]

I wasn;t taken any anger out on you or anything. U just made a quick comment not exactly harmless but its not bloody world war III like everyone acts. I just gave my two cents worth on the word sick cos I grew up saying it alot.

[maddoglinz]

just makes me want to dance

[insomniacsuicide]

well, andy is a good musician, its true but i think morrissey is THE ARTIST...

[Cornelius71176]

Andy was The Smiths about 40% !!!

[woodycoat]

An incredible song! Looking through the vids for this song they're all ancient...does he not play this song in concerts for some reason?

Viva Moz

[arcx1972]

Though I walk home alone, my faith in love is still devout!

[karziflora]

Andy Rorke ur a bass hero n legend.

[ams1725]

love this song!

[kensal27]

scratch my name on your arm with a fountain pen!

[bridgetown1966]

I. Must. Learn. This. Bass. Part.

[kusraback]

Amazing Bass indeed, as all bass parts by Andy. He is a fucking bass genius. His bass lines matches Johnny's guitar tunes.

[ccccrsraasfsdf]

lmao spanish people dancing to a song about rusholme!!

[Ulmeyda08]

this song is about "getting stabbed at a fairground"

[heidirh]

metaphorically...

[ridupnow]

Xaverian college is in rusholme. Dick.

[VomitAllIdeals]

Oh yea, i live there in halls.

[mogabby23]

It's a fantastic song.I saw Marr with Modest Mouse at The Garden,and he's still great. I'll also bet stezothewhitenegro is till a DICK. just thought I'd share.

[stezothewhitenegro]

Cmon...........baby I swear I done changed!

ahha

[ridupnow]

i go to college in rusholme

[VomitAllIdeals]

there isn't a college in Rusholme. Dick.

[stezothewhitenegro]

I'm sure this song means different things to different people. I had a girlfriend named Faith. lol i was in a rehab, and this song, among other things got me through. My Faith and love was waiting for me for 9 months!

And When I graduated I ran off with another girl that was also in there.......I was such a DICK back then.......just thought id share!

Great song

[crackhead661]

theyre most under rated song along with these things take time, smiths at theyre very amazing best

[crackhead661]

brilliant, brilliant, brilliant

[OllyHutton]

Goddamn, I love this song!!!

Tonite it was the last nite of the fair of my fucking little hometown -

I wanna dedicate this song to all the jinxed and the bastards and the bitches I saw tonite!

Cheers!!!

[musicshag]

I love how fucking pumped morrissey is haha

it looks like so much fun

[bugsonmyskin]

it pisses me off that andy never got enough credit.

[ninmat]

Because, people tend to not be able to tell the difference between him and Mike Joyce. And people fucking hate Mike Joyce, for some reason.

[chaosknig31]

Maybe because he sued Morrissey over royalties i think

[justinsvs]

My favorite Smiths song, this version really does it justice. Thank you for posting it!

[rockeee]

Fucking brilliant.

[smithsfan92]

nice dancing morrissey

[ihatetheeaglesalot]

It's the same chord progression of "His Latest Flame" by Elvis Presley.

Not that I give a shit

[kksandy71]

good observation! And on the Rank album, during that concert he sung a few lyrics from that song in the intro.

[aaronb01]

no, it isnt.

[curroprr]

that's rockabilly. i love it.

[IanSchultz13]

gay...

[reden0024]

ummmm, only one member. it's about the music. go watch 50 cent videos because that's totally butch

[jordanwarner1]

is this morrissey guy gay or is it just his syle of dancing

[reden0024]

morrissey is a hair dresser on fire...DUDE

[wungabunga]

Hard to imagine this on-stage lunatic was stuck in his bedroom for all those years.

Great live band.

[hulksterchile]

amuzing

[wallyallyally]

If I had been around in the 80s The Smiths would have been my permanent soundtrack. I adore them. :)

[ellycat]

Rourke's bass playing in this is sublime.

[jimmythemullet]

i was there!!!!

jk :(

i wish!!!

[spadesghost]

love this song, thank you mr. morrissey

[martypartyy]

can anyone tell the guitar tabs/chords for this song?

[thewanderer213]

Do you mean from Elvis' Marie's the Name?? The Smiths actually used to play that in medly with this song...

[Reint25]

Something like this:

Intro:

D D D D

A A G# G

Basic riff:

D Bm D Bm

A A G# G

Very simple, yet succesfull.

[oglockwood]

yeah that's how all the tabs are. but after watching this video, its much easier to put a capo on the 2nd fret and play C and Am instead of having to switch between D and Bm you know?  plus its the way marr plays it.

[Reint25]

I think you're right. In that case it would be (to be complete):

Intro:

C C C C

G G F# F

Basic riff:

C Am C Am

G G F# F

[aaronb01]

D D D D

A A G# G

D BM D BM

A A G# G

[aaronb01]

just realised you were talking about the capo version!

[Reint25]

Never mind. ;)

[KickMeAndCancel]

Ha, I'm not gay or anything but Morrissey looks a heck of a lot better today

[dioncat]

Sex Drugs and The Smiths!

[smgnyc]

No drugs, no sex, no meat! More Morrisey!

[halfghan]

christ, what a show man. He looks like he is on drugs. I love how his lyrics notably quicken the pace at which theyre playing

legends

[corporeal98]

I saw them on their last american tour right before they broke up. It was kick ass. The smiths visiting Texas was an event in its self.

[jenton70]

I saw them in Milwaukee that year. It was incredible. Or maybe it was the Queen is Dead tour? I can't remember anymore. Guess I'm getting old...

[shaykari]

holy shit.. fucking AMAZING live. i love the smiths.

[nugstoker]

Love the Smiths! Its mostly guys in the audience, Madrid, notice that? Like going to a Indigo Girls show, mostly girls..

[ninelivecat]

There is something magical about this that is impossibke to recreate even if you reformed the band

[rherrick123]

Anybody know the chords to this?

[onemorejoe]

who dares to fight that the beatles were better than this live? (that should clear the ridiculous debate once and for all)

[ninelivecat]

The Beatles where a long time before The Smiths The Beatles broke ground with their music and where an important force for cultural change !

Although just as important The Smiths where an Indie band, on a small record label, that didn't have the same mass global appeal until after they broke up and then became famous !

[TimeWarper75]

andy rourke is an amazing bass player

Smiths rule!

[TheySayHesMental]

y the f*** hav they never released a live dvd of the smiths? theres acres of this stuff on utube yet no dvd.

[ellycat]

A shop in manchester sells all this stuff on DVDs and the live concert in madrid can be bought on a DVD.

Wow just how massive were the Smiths?

[ninelivecat]

Yes but the quality isn't good enough for Dvd It's mostly bootleg footage

[chrisman1444]

imagine actually being there....

[ninelivecat]

My school mates got to go in 1986 and asked me if I wanted to go I said no because I wasn't so interested in music when I was 14 It's a big regret of mine but my mates where ahead of the game

[nina4morrissey]

he realy does make me laff with his dancing lol

[deathlyhallows1]

if you like how they dance here check out this video. on the search bar type "morrissey and johnny marr dancing together" this is an awesome video they are dance to barbarism begins at home its so funny.

[losidan]

i was in rusholme the other week. got me a lovely curry there

[robbo1234567889]

Brilliant song...obviously it's meant to be about the fun fairs Morrissey went to in Manchester, particular Rusholme in his youth! Though it is allowed to take on different meanings or bring back memories ya know...looking at cazstarr

[OuhSailor]

This is one of my favorite smiths songs, I love the line about the parachutes, reminds me of coney island.

[desson40]

....a hideous trait on her mothers side...funny as f**k

[Gipsieboy]

tis true though...especially in Hull! Oh...the women there!!!

[PunkyTina]

i love the live version of this track dead excellent listen to the cd Rank now what an excellent live album that is

[amococadiz]

RANK - Best CD ever made...Factamundo

[caucazoidandroid]

It's about a kid getting stabbed at a fair. Not that happy of a concept to me...

[cazstarr]

thats one line in the song, that's not what it's about, you meat head

[Stillillgal]

thanx. love the smiths

[aaronb01]

think the version from the palladium off the 'rank' album is vastly superior, just for the way they launch into 'maries the name' at the start. I was half expecting it when i began to watch this!

[gymnarch]

I just want to make sure. People don't actually think this is a happy song right? You've heard the lyrics? The song is all about violence and pitiful attempts to find real love.

[amyjohnson11]

It's not, in essence a happy song, but Morrissey often makes no attempt to match melody with lyric and often fuses the most bizarre/disturbing things with Marr's jangly guitar pop :). Its what made him so unique I think.

[gymnarch]

I agree, that is particularly evident on "Girlfriend in a Coma".

[amyjohnson11]

Agreed, in fact, "Girlfriend In A Coma" is probably the perfect example, though I have to put in a mention for "Bigmouth Strikes Again" and "What She Said":)

[susme101]

humille MOZ humille!