There is a Light that Never Goes Out
Smiths Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴Take me out tonight
Where there's music and there's people
And they're young and alive
Driving in your car
I never never want to go home
Because I haven't got one
Anymore
Take me out tonight
Because I want to see people and I
Want to see life
Driving in your car
Oh, please don't drop me home
Because it's not my home, it's their
Home, and I'm welcome no more

And if a double-decker bus
Crashes into us
To die by your side
Is such a heavenly way to die
And if a ten-ton truck
Kills the both of us
To die by your side
Well, the pleasure - the privilege is mine

Take me out tonight
Take me anywhere, I don't care
I don't care, I don't care
And in the darkened underpass
I thought oh god, my chance has come at last
(but then a strange fear gripped me and I
Just couldn't ask)

Take me out tonight
Oh, take me anywhere, I don't care
I don't care, I don't care
Driving in your car
I never never want to go home
Because I haven't got one, da ...
Oh, I haven't got one

And if a double-decker bus
Crashes into us
To die by your side
Is such a heavenly way to die
And if a ten-ton truck
Kills the both of us
To die by your side
Well, the pleasure - the privilege is mine

Oh, there is a light and it never goes out
There is a light and it never goes out
There is a light and it never goes out
There is a light and it never goes out
There is a light and it never goes out
There is a light and it never goes out
There is a light and it never goes out

There is a light and it never goes out
There is a light and it never goes out

Overall Meaning

In "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out," The Smiths paint a portrait of a lonely, alienated young man who longs for the experience of simply being alive, surrounded by others who also feel alive. He desperately desires to escape from his home, which is no longer a place of solace for him. The singer is so disconnected and lonely that he would rather die than live without feeling the joy of being alive in the world.

His yearning is so intense that he's willing to risk everything, even death, to be with the person who makes him feel alive. This romanticized death seems like a heavenly way to go if it means dying by the side of someone who understands him and makes him feel alive. The song's climax is the repetition of the phrase "There is a light that never goes out," which may suggest the singer's belief that something beyond himself exists that can offer him hope and a reason to live.

Overall, the song explores themes of loneliness, alienation, the longing for love and the value of life. The singer is clearly searching for something he cannot find at home and is willing to risk everything to find it elsewhere. The lyrics suggest that even the risk of death is worth it if it means feeling alive and being close to someone who understands him.

Line by Line Meaning

Take me out tonight
The yearning for life and community drives the desire to go out

Where there's music and there's people
The happiness and life can be found where people gather and make music

And they're young and alive
The people who possess life and vitality are the ones being sought after

Driving in your car
Being with someone who is willing to take the singer out on this journey is key to the song's chorus

I never never want to go home
The singer is actively rejecting going home because it doesn't provide a sense of belonging anymore

Because I haven't got one Anymore
The singer used to have a home, but for some reason, it is not there anymore

Because I want to see people and I Want to see life
The chorus repeats the opening line and reinforces the desire to have fun and see life

Oh, please don't drop me home Because it's not my home, it's their Home, and I'm welcome no more
The singer doesn't want to return to an unwelcoming and hostile environment

And if a double-decker bus Crashes into us To die by your side Is such a heavenly way to die
The bond being professed here is so strong that dying together feels more reassuring than living separately

And if a ten-ton truck Kills the both of us To die by your side Well, the pleasure - the privilege is mine
The love being celebrated here is not only for the good times but also for the tough times, even in death

Take me out tonight Take me anywhere, I don't care I don't care, I don't care
The chorus repeats again, emphasizing how much the singer wants to escape their current situation

And in the darkened underpass I thought oh god, my chance has come at last (but then a strange fear gripped me and I Just couldn't ask)
The singer was close to making a move, but self-doubt and anxiety held them back. It further emphasizes the need for love and connection in their life

There is a light and it never goes out
The repeated line is a metaphor for love and connection, with the singer suggesting that it will never fade away

There is a light and it never goes out
The repeated line emphasizes the value and endurance of finding true connection with others, especially when life seems dark and challenging

Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: STEVEN MORRISSEY, JOHNNY MARR

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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