The Hand That Rocks The Cradle
| THE SMITHS song | |
|---|---|
| Name | The Hand That Rocks The Cradle |
| Album/single | The Smiths |
| Length | 4:38 (Album version) 4:47 (Monitor mix/demo) 4:57 (Troy Tate Studio) 5:15 (Troy Tate Outtake) 6:31 (Decibel Studios demo) |
| Writer/composer | Morrissey / Johnny Marr |
| Producer | John Porter |
| Release | February 1984 |
| Recorded | Autumn 1983 |
Information
- A monitor mix of this song appears on The Smiths – Unreleased Demos & Instrumentals bootleg LP.
- December, 2018 Dale Hibbert shared the full Decibel Studios demo (later removing it from YouTube).
Lyrics
Please don't cry
For the ghost and the storm outside
Will not invade this sacred shrine
Nor infiltrate your mind
My life down I shall lie
If the bogey-man should try
To play tricks on your sacred mind
To tease, torment and tantalize
Wavering shadows loom
A piano plays in an empty room
There'll be blood on the cleaver tonight
And when darkness lifts and the room is bright
I'll still be by your side for you are all that matters
And I'll love you till the day I die
There never need be longing in your eyes
As long as the hand that rocks the cradle is mine
Ceiling shadows shimmy by
And when the wardrobe towers like a beast of prey
There's sadness in your beautiful eyes
Your untouched, unsoiled, wondrous eyes
My life down I shall lie
Should restless spirits try
To play tricks on your sacred mind
I once had a child and it saved my life
I never even asked his name
I just looked into his wondrous eyes
And said "never never never again"
And all too soon I did return
Just like a moth to a flame
So rattle my bones all over the stones
I'm only a beggar-man whom nobody owns
See how words as old as sin
Fit me like a glove
I'm here and here I'll stay
Together we lie, together we pray
There never need be longing in your eyes
As long as the hand that rocks the cradle is mine
As long as the hand that rocks the cradle is mine, mine
Climb upon my knee, sonny boy
Oh, though you're only three, sonny boy
You're mine
And your mother she just never knew
As long as there's love
As long as there's love
I did my best for her
I did my best for her
As long as there's love
As long as there's love
I did my best for her
I did my best for her
Mine...
Mine...
Live History
Play count (The Smiths concert): 4
The Smiths live history:
- Manchester, England 1982-10-04 (The Smiths concert)
- Manchester, England 1983-01-25 (The Smiths concert)
- Manchester, England 1983-02-04 (The Smiths concert)
- London, England 1983-05-21 (The Smiths concert)
Play count (Morrissey concert): 0
Appears On
Cover Versions
Related Forum Threads
- "The Hand That Rocks The Cradle" original, full length (Decibelle Studios) posted on YouTube - Morrissey-solo (Dec 31, 2018)
- The Smiths A-Z: "The Hand That Rocks the Cradle" - Morrissey-solo (Feb 12, 2022)