This is 'my favourite 10' at the present moment rather than a definitive all-time 'best song' list.
10 "Handsome Devil"
Dark, malevolent. Lyrically, unlike anything else before or since. Musically, established the Smiths as a pop band with a harder, sharper edge than their early 80s counterparts. The crisp chords and jaunty guitar sound suggest a Stones influence in Marr's playing, possibly for the first time.
9 "Paint a Vulgar Picture"
Morrissey somehow combines biting cynicism and the tender romance of adolescent hero-worship within a Dylan-esque 'essay-type' lyric. The chiming guitars, languid rhythm and classic song structure predicted Britpop a decade ahead of time. The archetypal 'indie song?'
8 "Last Night I Dreamt"
An ode to self-pity, loneliness and despair so dripping in pathos and irony, was 'Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now' strictly necessary? The closest Morrissey has ever come to the torch singers and girl singers he admired and admires. Begins in understated fashion and builds to a self-mocking climax of biblical proportions. Your mother is guaranteed to wince and 'not get it.'
7 "Don't Make Fun of Daddy's Voice"
This glam-punk stomper eclipses much of You Are The Quarry in terms of quality. Simple, powerful guitars and a mightily impressive rhythm section with discordant keyboards drive the song into T-Rex territory, minus naivety.
6 "What She Said"
Simple powerpop with a slight rockabilly/punk tinge. The oxymoron of Marr's feisty playing and Morrissey's reflective lyric replete with references to 'tattoo'd boys from Birkenhead' and cigarette smoking creates a seminal Smiths moment: conflictedness, gritty realism and re/dejection all in one 3 minute pop moment.
5 "First of the Gang to Die"
Morrissey's voice sounds... blissfully light. Buddy Holly tackles 'Everyday is Like Sunday' with a touch of black comedy thrown in.
4 "Dear God, Please Help Me"
Morrissey's most tender moment. The strings are so much a part of the song, it feels very natural.
3 "Seasick, Yet Still Docked"
The most wonderful live vocal performance ever by a pop singer on 'Beethoven Was Deaf' gives this wistful number a new lease of life. The live version is soaring, subtle and played beautifully by a band at the height of their powers and about to begin work on 'Vauxhall And I.' Has longing ever sounded so attractive?
2 "Mama Lay Softly On The Riverbank"
My favourite song from 'Years of Refusal.' The anti-authority lyrics and military drum beat amidst a maelstrom of impassioned singing and subtle melody make for an enveloping song. I love it. It's a protest song, Morrissey style.
1 "I Know It's Over"
Just remember the teenage tears.
Don't forget your reasons why.