Shakespeare's Sister (single)

Cover art

THE SMITHS Single
Name	Shakespeare's Sister
Release	March 18, 1985
Total Length	2:09
Recorded	January 1985
Writer/composer	Morrissey / Johnny Marr
Producer	The Smiths Stephen Street (Recording Engineer)
Art work	Cover star: Pat Phoenix in "Coronation Street" Layout: Caryn Gough
Vinyl Etching	UK 7" & 12": HOME IS WHERE THE ART IS / blank
Publisher	Rough Trade Records (UK)
Format(s)	7" Vinyl, 12" Vinyl
Chart position	UK #26
Single chronology
How Soon Is Now? ← Shakespeare's Sister → Barbarism Begins At Home

Track list

7" Vinyl

UK - [Rough Trade RT 181]

1. Shakespeare's Sister – 2:09 (Morrissey/Marr)
2. What She Said – 2:40 (Morrissey/Marr)

12" Vinyl

UK - [Rough Trade RTT 181]

1. Shakespeare's Sister – 2:09 (Morrissey/Marr)
2. What She Said – 2:40 (Morrissey/Marr)
3. Stretch Out And Wait – 2:37 (Morrissey/Marr)

Lyrics

Young bones groan, and the rocks below say
"Throw your skinny body down, son"

But I'm going to meet the one I love
So please don't stand in my way
Because I'm going to meet the one I love
No, mama, let me go

Young bones groan and the rocks below say
"Throw your white body down"

But I'm going to meet the one I love
At last, at last, at last!
I'm going to meet the one I love
La-de-da, la-de-da
No, mama, let me go
No, no, no, no, no, no

I thought that if you had an acoustic guitar
Then it meant that you were
A protest singer
Oh, I can smile about it now
But at the time it was terrible
No, mama, let me go
No, no, no, no, no, no

Live History

Play count (The Smiths concert): 64

The Smiths live history:

• Chippenham, England 1985-02-27 (The Smiths concert)
• Guildford, England 1985-02-28 (The Smiths concert)
• London, England 1985-03-01 (The Smiths concert)
• Portsmouth, England 1985-03-03 (The Smiths concert)
• Reading, England 1985-03-04 (The Smiths concert)
• Poole, England 1985-03-06 (The Smiths concert)
• Brighton, England 1985-03-07 (The Smiths concert)
• Margate, England 1985-03-08 (The Smiths concert)
• Ipswich, England 1985-03-11 (The Smiths concert)
• Nottingham, England 1985-03-12 (The Smiths concert)

... further results

Play count (Morrissey concert): 19

Morrissey live history:

• Hultsfred, Sweden 2004-06-19 (Morrissey concert)
• London, England 2004-06-25 (Morrissey concert)
• London, England 2004-06-26 (Morrissey concert)
• Glastonbury, England 2004-06-27 (Morrissey concert)
• Fuengirola, Spain 2004-07-01 (Morrissey concert)
• Roskilde, Denmark 2004-07-03 (Morrissey concert)
• Kristiansand, Norway 2004-07-05 (Morrissey concert)
• Manchester, England 2004-07-11 (Morrissey concert)
• Chicago, Illinois 2004-07-17 (Morrissey concert)
• Edinburgh, Scotland 2004-08-31 (Morrissey concert)

... further results

Appears On

• Shakespeare's Sister (single)
• Barbarism Begins At Home (single)
• The Headmaster Ritual (single)
• That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore (single)
• The World Won't Listen
• Louder Than Bombs
• ...Best II
• Singles
• The Very Best Of The Smiths
• The Sound Of The Smiths
• The Smiths Singles Box
• Complete

Discogs Information

Credits

• Bass Guitar, Cello - Andy Rourke
• Drums - Mike Joyce
• Engineer - Stephen Street
• Guitar, Piano, Music By - Johnny Marr
• Lacquer Cut By - Tim Young
• Layout - Caryn Gough
• Model [Cover Star] - Pat Phoenix
• Plated By - Z (2)
• Producer - The Smiths
• Sleeve, Voice, Words By - Morrissey

Notes

B-Side: 'From the Rough Trade LP "Meat Is Murder" (Rough 81)'

Recorded January 1985. ℗ 1985 © 1985 Made in the UK

Images

• Shakespeare's Sister - Discogs master release: https://www.discogs.com/master/20111
• Shakespeare's Sister (7" 45 RPM Single Lyntone Pressing) - Discogs release: https://www.discogs.com/release/10052424-The-Smiths-Shakespeares-Sister

Discogs information (additional release)

Notes

Full-size, full-colour inner sleeve features a tinted photo of cover star Pat Phoenix (from the UK television programme "Coronation Street") on one side, and pictorial Smiths discography on the other.

Recorded at Ridge Farm Surrey, January 1985.

Unlike "Shakespeare's Sister", this edition is pressed by Lyntone Recordings.

Images

• Shakespeare's Sister (12" 45 RPM Single Lyntone) - Discogs release: https://www.discogs.com/release/5383652-The-Smiths-Shakespeares-Sister

Wikipedia Information

"Shakespeare's Sister" is a song by the English rock band The Smiths. Released in March 1985, it reached No. 26 in the UK Singles Chart. It is also featured on the compilation albums Louder Than Bombs and The World Won't Listen. The front cover to the single features former Coronation Street star Pat Phoenix, dressed up as her character Elsie Tanner.

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shakespeare%27s_Sister_(song)

Related Forum Threads

• The Smiths A-Z: "Shakespeare's Sister" - Morrissey-solo (Jun 24, 2022)