For other uses, see This Charming Man (disambiguation).
"This Charming Man"
Single by the Smiths
B-side
"Jeane"
"Accept Yourself"
"Wonderful Woman"
Released
31 October 1983
Recorded
October 1983
Studio
Strawberry, Stockport, England
Genre
Indie pop
jangle pop
Length
2:41
Label
Rough Trade
Songwriter(s)
Johnny Marr
Morrissey
Producer(s)
John Porter
The Smiths singles chronology
"Hand in Glove" (1983)
"This Charming Man" (1983)
"What Difference Does It Make?" (1984)
"This Charming Man" is a song by the English rock band the Smiths, written by guitarist Johnny Marr and singer Morrissey. Released as the group's second single in October 1983 on the independent record label Rough Trade, it is defined by Marr's jangle pop guitar riff and Morrissey's characteristically morose lyrics, which revolve around the recurrent Smiths themes of sexual ambiguity and lust.[1] A different version, from the John Peel Show on BBC Radio 1, was included on the compilation album Hatful of Hollow in 1984.
Feeling detached from the early 1980s mainstream gay culture, Morrissey wrote "This Charming Man" to evoke an older, more coded and self-aware underground scene. The singer said of the song's lyrics: "I really like the idea of the male voice being quite vulnerable, of it being taken and slightly manipulated, rather than there being always this heavy machismo thing that just bores everybody."[2]
Although only moderately successful on first release—the single peaked at number 25 on the UK Singles Chart—"This Charming Man" has been widely praised in both the music and mainstream press. Re-issued in 1992, it reached number 8 on the UK Singles Chart (making it the Smiths' biggest UK hit by chart position). In 2004, BBC Radio 2 listeners voted it number 97 on the station's "Sold on Song Top 100" poll.[3]Mojo magazine journalists placed the track at number 1 on their 2008 "50 Greatest UK Indie Records of All Time" feature.[2] It was certified double platinum by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) in 2023.
^Strong 2000, p. 901.
^ abSnow 2008.
^"BBC – Radio 2 – Sold On Song Top 100: 'This Charming Man' – The Smiths". BBC Radio 2. 2004. Retrieved 23 November 2005.
"ThisCharmingMan" is a song by the English rock band the Smiths, written by guitarist Johnny Marr and singer Morrissey. Released as the group's second...
along with Michael Volpe, Chris Clementi and Mike Leboeuf, founded ThisCharmingMan. Fallon and Volpe remained the only original members when Benny Horowitz...
Married, Rachel's Holiday, Last Chance Saloon, Anybody Out There, and ThisCharmingMan, which, although written in a light and humorous style, cover themes...
was "Hand in Glove" (May 1983); it failed to chart. Its follow-up, "ThisCharmingMan" (October 1983), met with critical approval and reached number 25...
A CharmingMan (Czech: Roztomilý člověk) is a Czechoslovak comedy film directed by Martin Frič. It was released in 1941. Oldřich Nový as Viktor Bláha Ladislav...
target for revisionist fairy tales. "Prince Charming" is also used as a term to refer to the idealized man some people dream of as a future spouse. Charles...
resident CharmingMan, who hopes to use the rock to investigate his brother's disappearance at Hualālai. At Paco's suggestion, CharmingMan is offered...
the band rerecord it with a new producer, John Porter. The singles "ThisCharmingMan" and "What Difference Does It Make?" reached numbers 25 and 12 on...
was also in three different movies in the same year: Beau Brummell: ThisCharmingMan, The Painted Veil (starring Naomi Watts), and The Truth (starring...
Records in January 1984 when it and the group's next two singles, "ThisCharmingMan" and "What Difference Does It Make?", held the top three position...
heures du Mans : Roland Walter Ratzenberger". www.24h-en-piste.com (in French). Retrieved 20 June 2023. Cooper, Adam (May 2014). "Thischarmingman". Motor...
2022. Retrieved 1 July 2022. Halperin, Shirley (2 December 2020). "ThisCharmingMan: Why We're Wild About Harry Styles". Variety. Archived from the original...
during their headline set on the Pyramid Stage to play guitar on "ThisCharmingMan" and "Mr. Brightside" as part of the band's encore. As Hans Zimmer...
interviews in music magazines NME and Sounds. The follow-up singles "ThisCharmingMan" and "What Difference Does It Make?" fared better when they reached...
"Nowhere Fast". Some of Rourke's other noted performances include "ThisCharmingMan" and "How Soon Is Now?". Suffering from heroin addiction, Rourke was...
Ben Lee, Ione Skye". People magazine. Retrieved August 30, 2010. "THISCHARMINGMAN: DAVID NETTO". Todd Snyder. Sykes, Plum (February 2003). "A Tale of...
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