Panic (single)

Cover art

THE SMITHS Single
Name	Panic
Release	Vinyl - 21 July 1986 CD - late 1988
Total Length	2:20
Recorded	May 1986
Writer/composer	Morrissey / Johnny Marr
Producer	John Porter
Art work	Cover star: Richard Bradford in the Man In A Suitcase TV series (1967) Layout: Caryn Gough
Vinyl Etching	I DREAMT ABOUT STEW LAST NIGHT UK 7" & 12" (A-side only) HANG THEM HIGH MONIKA German 12" (A & B-side)
Publisher	Rough Trade Records (UK) Sire Records (US)
Format(s)	7" Vinyl, 12" Vinyl, CD, Cassette (Brazil only)
Chart position	UK #11
Single chronology
Bigmouth Strikes Again ← Panic → Ask

Track list

7" Vinyl

UK - [Rough Trade RT 193]

1. Panic – 2:19 (Morrissey/Marr)
2. Vicar In A Tutu – 2:21 (Morrissey/Marr)

12" Vinyl / CD

UK - [Rough Trade RTT 193 / RTT 193CD]

1. Panic – 2:19 (Morrissey/Marr)
2. Vicar In A Tutu – 2:21 (Morrissey/Marr)
3. The Draize Train – 5:08 (Marr)

Lyrics

Panic on the streets of London
Panic on the streets of Birmingham
I wonder to myself
Could life ever be sane again?
The Leeds side-streets that you slip down
I wonder to myself

Hopes may rise on the Grasmere
But honey pie, you're not safe here
So you run down to the safety of the town
But there's panic on the streets of Carlisle
Dublin, Dundee, Humberside
I wonder to myself

Burn down the disco
Hang the blessed DJ
Because the music that they constantly play
It says nothing to me about my life
Hang the blessed DJ
Because the music they constantly play

On the Leeds side-streets that you slip down
Provincial towns you jog 'round

Hang the DJ, hang the DJ, hang the DJ
Hang the DJ, hang the DJ, hang the DJ
Hang the DJ, hang the DJ, hang the DJ
Hang the DJ, hang the DJ
Hang the DJ, hang the DJ
Hang the DJ, hang the DJ, hang the DJ
Hang the DJ, hang the DJ
Hang the DJ, hang the DJ
Hang the DJ, hang the DJ, hang the DJ
Hang the DJ, hang the DJ
Hang the DJ, hang the DJ
Hang the DJ, hang the DJ, hang the DJ
Hang the DJ, hang the DJ

Music Video

Credits

• Directed by Derek Jarman

Live History

Play count (The Smiths concert): 38

The Smiths live history:

• Glasgow, Scotland 1986-07-16 (The Smiths concert)
• Newcastle upon Tyne, England 1986-07-17 (The Smiths concert)
• Manchester, England 1986-07-19 (The Smiths concert)
• Salford, England 1986-07-20 (The Smiths concert)
• London, Ontario, Canada 1986-07-30 (The Smiths concert)
• Toronto, Ontario, Canada 1986-07-31 (The Smiths concert)
• Ottawa, Ontario, Canada 1986-08-02 (The Smiths concert)
• Montreal, Quebec, Canada 1986-08-03 (The Smiths concert)
• Mansfield, Massachusetts 1986-08-05 (The Smiths concert)
• New York, New York 1986-08-06 (The Smiths concert)

... further results

Play count (Morrissey concert): 81

Morrissey live history:

• London, England 2006-05-28 (Morrissey concert)
• Nürburg, Germany 2006-06-02 (Morrissey concert)
• Nürnberg, Germany 2006-06-04 (Morrissey concert)
• Landgraaf, Netherlands 2006-06-05 (Morrissey concert)
• Istanbul, Turkey 2006-06-10 (Morrissey concert)
• Imola, Italy 2006-06-16 (Morrissey concert)
• Roskilde, Denmark 2006-06-30 (Morrissey concert)
• Belfort, France 2006-07-01 (Morrissey concert)
• Budapest, Hungary 2006-07-05 (Morrissey concert)
• Zagreb, Croatia 2006-07-06 (Morrissey concert)

... further results

Appears On

• Panic (single)
• The World Won't Listen
• Louder Than Bombs
• Sheila Take A Bow (single)
• Rank
• Best...I
• The Complete Picture
• Singles
• The Very Best Of The Smiths
• The Sound Of The Smiths
• Complete

Appears On Covers Compilation

• The World Still Won't Listen (A Tribute To The Smiths)
• Godfathers Of Change Vol. 1: A Tribute To The Smiths
• Romantic And Square Is Hip And Aware (A Matinée Tribute To The Smiths)
• How Soon Is Now? The Songs Of The Smiths By...
• Stop Me If You've Heard This One Before: A Tribute To The Smiths
• Please, Please, Please: A Tribute To The Smiths
• Twinkle Twinkle Little Rock Star: Lullaby Versions of The Smiths & Morrissey
• Rockabye Baby! (Lullaby Renditions Of The Smiths)

Cover Versions

• Africa Express
• Blossoms
• Carter The Unstoppable Sex Machine
• Garrison
• Kitten
• Lie
• Mexican Institute Of Sound
• Pete Yorn
• Rick Astley
• Spiritual Front
• Steven Charles Boone
• The Business
• The Guild League
• The Nolans
• The Shins
• Tiffany
• Twinkle Twinkle Little Rock Star

Mentioned In

• Oscar Wilde
• Of Which I Am Most Proud / singles: List from Morrissey - true-to-you.net (January 10, 2012)

Discogs Information

Credits

• Bass Guitar - Andy Rourke
• Drums - Mike Joyce
• Engineer - Kenny Jones (3)
• Guitar - Johnny Marr
• Guitar [Second] - Craig Gannon
• Lacquer Cut By - Tim Young
• Layout - Caryn Gough
• Model [Cover Star] - Richard Bradford (5)
• Producer - John Porter
• Sleeve, Voice - Morrissey
• Songwriter [Songs Written By] - Johnny Marr
• Songwriter [Songs Written By] - Morrissey

Notes

Some copies came with free 'Panic', 'Hang The DJ' and 'Smiths' sticker sheet.

Labels: © 1986 Warner Bros. Music Ltd. Made in England B-Side: Taken from the LP '[r=494927]'

Sleeve: Recorded at Livingston North London Mastered at CBS Music published by Warner Brothers Special thanks to Jo Slee Cover star: Richard Bradford © ITC Entertainment Ltd [Bradford was the star in a program called 'Man In A Suitcase']

Images

• Panic - Discogs master release: https://www.discogs.com/master/4235
• Panic (7" Single 45 RPM Solid Center) - Discogs release: https://www.discogs.com/release/495333-Smiths-Panic

Discogs information (additional release)

Notes

Black vinyl. Also available as transparent blue vinyl under same catalogue number.

Recorded at Livingston, North London Mastered at CBS

Cover Star: Richard Bradford © ITC Entertainment Ltd

Etchings on vinyl: Side A+B: HANG THEM HIGH MONIKA

Made in Germany ℗&© 1986 BPM: 132

Images

• Panic (12" 45 RPM Maxi-Single) - Discogs release: https://www.discogs.com/release/3159062-Smiths-Panic

Discogs information (additional release)

Notes

Originally released July 1986 on 12".

Recorded at Livingston, North London. Mastered at CBS. Cover Star © ITC Entertainment Ltd.

℗ 1988 Rough Trade Records Ltd. © 1986 Warner Bros. Music Ltd.

Made in England

Images

• Panic (Single Reissue) - Discogs release: https://www.discogs.com/release/487327-Smiths-Panic

Wikipedia Information

"Panic" is a song by the English rock band the Smiths, released in 1986 and written by singer Morrissey and guitarist Johnny Marr. The first recording to feature new member Craig Gannon, "Panic" bemoans the state of contemporary pop music, exhorting listeners to "burn down the disco" and "hang the DJ" in retaliation. The song was released by Rough Trade as a single and reached No. 7 on the Irish Singles Chart and No. 11 in the UK Chart. Morrissey considered the song's appearance on daytime British radio a "tiny revolution" in its own way, as it aired amongst the very music it criticised. Morrissey later gave a controversial interview for Melody Maker about the song's subject matter, which spurred allegations of latent racism in the lyrics and allusions to the Disco Sucks campaign of the 1970s, which some commentators at the time accused of being motivated by racism. This was strongly denied by the Smiths, who also claimed that the interview had grossly misquoted Morrissey. The affair led to debate about the song's meaning, including more recent speculation that it is in fact about Jimmy Savile and his then-veiled sexual abuse. It was later included in the compilation albums The World Won't Listen and Louder Than Bombs (both 1987).

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panic_(The_Smiths_song)

Related Forum Threads

• The Smiths A-Z: "Panic" - Morrissey-solo (May 20, 2022)