Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now (single)

Cover art

THE SMITHS Single
Name	Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now
Release	21 May 1984
Total Length	3:35
Recorded	Fallout Shelter, Hammersmith, London March 1984
Writer/composer	Morrissey / Johnny Marr
Producer	John Porter
Art work	Viv Nicholson Layout: Caryn Gough
Vinyl Etching	SMITHS INDEED (7" A-side) ILL FOREVER (7" B-side) SMITHS PRESUMABLY (12" A-side) FOREVER ILL (12" B-side)
Publisher	Rough Trade Records (UK) Sire Records (US)
Format(s)	7" Vinyl, 12" Vinyl, CD
Chart position	UK #10
Single chronology
Hand In Glove (Sandie Shaw release) ← Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now → William, It Was Really Nothing

Track list

7" Vinyl

UK - [Rough Trade RT 156]

1. Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now – 3:34 (Morrissey/Marr)
2. Suffer Little Children – 5:27 (Morrissey/Marr)

12" Vinyl / CD

UK - [Rough Trade RTT 156 / RTT 156CD]

1. Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now – 3:34 (Morrissey/Marr)
2. Girl Afraid – 2:46 (Morrissey/Marr)
3. Suffer Little Children – 5:27 (Morrissey/Marr)

Lyrics

I was happy in the haze of a drunken hour
But Heaven knows I'm miserable now
I was looking for a job, and then I found a job
And Heaven knows I'm miserable now

In my life
Why do I give valuable time
To people who don't care if I live or I die?

Two lovers entwined pass me by
And Heaven knows I'm miserable now
I was looking for a job, and then I found a job
And Heaven knows I'm miserable now

In my life
Why do I give valuable time
To people who don't care if I live or I die?

What she asked of me at the end of the day
Caligula would have blushed!
"You've been in the house too long" she said
And I naturally fled

In my life
Why do I smile
At people who I'd much rather kick in the eye?

I was happy in the haze of a drunken hour
But Heaven knows I'm miserable now
"Oh, you've been in the house too long" she said
And I naturally fled

In my life
Oh, why do I give valuable time
To people who don't care if I live or I die?

Music Video

Credits

• Performed On Top Of The Pops, BBC, 31 May 1984

Live History

Play count (The Smiths concert): 107

The Smiths live history:

• Sheffield, England 1984-01-31 (The Smiths concert)
• London, England 1984-02-12 (The Smiths concert)
• Norwich, England 1984-02-14 (The Smiths concert)
• Nottingham, England 1984-02-15 (The Smiths concert)
• Leicester, England 1984-02-16 (The Smiths concert)
• Colchester, England 1984-02-18 (The Smiths concert)
• Bournemouth, England 1984-02-21 (The Smiths concert)
• Reading, England 1984-02-22 (The Smiths concert)
• Swansea, Wales 1984-02-23 (The Smiths concert)
• Bristol, England 1984-02-24 (The Smiths concert)

... further results

Play count (Morrissey concert): 0

Appears On

• Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now (single)
• Hatful Of Hollow
• Louder Than Bombs
• ...Best II
• The Complete Picture
• Singles
• The Very Best Of The Smiths
• The Sound Of The Smiths
• The Smiths Singles Box
• Complete

Appears On Covers Compilation

• The World Still Won't Listen (A Tribute To The Smiths)
• The String Quartet: Tribute To The Smiths
• Stop Me If You've Heard This One Before: A Tribute To The Smiths
• Rockabye Baby! (Lullaby Renditions Of The Smiths)

Cover Versions

• Act (band)
• Blossoms
• Erlend Øye
• H2O
• Rick Astley
• Steven Charles Boone
• Sweet And Tender Hooligans
• The Vitamin String Quartet

Discogs Information

Credits

• Bass Guitar - Andy Rourke
• Drums - Mike Joyce
• Engineer - Bob Potter
• Guitar, Music By - Johnny Marr
• Layout - Caryn Gough
• Model [Cover Star] - Vivian Nicholson
• Producer - John Porter
• Voice, Words By, Sleeve - Morrissey
• Written-By - Johnny Marr
• Written-By - Morrissey

Notes

Labels: © 1984 Warner Bros. Music Side B: From the ROUGH TRADE album "The Smiths" (Rough 61)

Back cover: Cover star: VIV NICHOLSON shot from SPEND SPEND SPEND (V Nicholson and Steven Smith) Photograph by courtesy of Syndication International Layout [...] at Ai Recorded at Matrix (London) Feb 1984 ℗ © 1984 ROUGH TRADE RECORDS Ltd.

Images

• Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now - Discogs master release: https://www.discogs.com/master/4157
• Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now (7" 45 RPM Single Push-out Centre) - Discogs release: https://www.discogs.com/release/410864-The-Smiths-Heaven-Knows-Im-Miserable-Now

Discogs information (additional release)

Notes

Cover Star: Viv Nicholson shot from Spend Spend Spend (V Nicholson and Steven Smith) Photograph by courtesy of Syndication International Recorded at Matrix (London), Feb 1984

B2 taken from the Rough Trade Album "[r=370207]" (Rough 61)

© 1984 Warner Bros. Music ℗ © 1984 Rough Trade Records Ltd

Female vocals "Annalisa Jablonska" and the Engineers "Phil Bush", "Neill King" are not credited on this release. "Bob Potter" is credited as engineer on back cover in general (not only for tracks A and B1)

Images

• Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now (12" 45 RPM Single CBS) - Discogs release: https://www.discogs.com/release/678391-The-Smiths-Heaven-Knows-Im-Miserable-Now

Wikipedia Information

"Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now" is a song by English rock band the Smiths. Released as a single in May 1984, it reached No. 10 on the UK Singles Chart, making it the band's first top ten single. It was later included on the November 1984 compilation album Hatful of Hollow. The song is listed as one of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll.

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heaven_Knows_I%27m_Miserable_Now

Related Forum Threads

• The Smiths A-Z: "Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now" - Morrissey-solo (Feb 19, 2022)