The Smiths - Paint a Vulgar Picture (early demo)

Earlier version of the song where the lines containing the title of the song can be heard:
Double-pack with a photograph,
extra track and a tacky badge.
And they paint a vulgar picture
of the way they say that you were
but they can never really hurt you my darling.
and
And still they paint a vulgar picture
of how you really were
but they can never change you in my eyes,
they can never hurt you now.
They can never touch you my darling,
never hurt you now,
but me and my true love
we will never meet again.

[@joachim595]

It’s cool how this song is a loop and the only thing that really changes a lot is the vocals and lyrics. And it never gets boring.

[@drewdunn1823]

Absolutely

[@shannonposton1463]

So underrated in my opinion...the lyrics are genius and I catch myself laughing at a lot of it just because of how true it is. I love this cut!

[@jotapeeventos]

the smiths always on my mind!!!great songs!!!

[@PaganMan1966]

Shannon Poston I prefer this version to the album version. The lyrics are better and the title now makes sense.

[@WillieWagglestick]

".....and it's too late to tell him, how great he really was" ".....and they paint a vulgar picture of the way they say that you were" My favourite Smiths song from them all (and i love them all). This is a great version.

[@davidmcdonald6804]

WillieWagglestick I feel the same pal,they are the best

[@frederick909]

It's slowly becoming my favorite too, it gets better with every listen

[@johnsmith-xk2sj]

one of the smiths best songs.god this band was so good you will never see the like again

[@ianhall4130]

That bass line 🙌🏼

[@RaulRivera-ws4cy]

Ian Hall the bass line Is perfect!

[@andrewcounts7136]

Andy is good👌

[@luddyvd]

God bless Andy. RIP.

[@davidd4447]

Where is the special edition of “Strangeways here we come” This album was truly abandoned..

[@jamesmessina2554]

Re-issue/re-package 😝

[@teib757]

Please them please them...

[@davidmcdonald6804]

The Smiths were and are the best EVER 😊

[@drewdunn1823]

By a country mile

[@BurtonRdForever]

Best band today,tomorrow and twice on Sunday...class

[@mazrio128]

Axiomatic

[@jujuvoodoo]

"Please them! Please them! Please them! Sadly this was your life." So relatable.

[@ermath123]

I always loved that the title wasnt a part of the track....gave individual interpretations of the song

[@sandrade28]

Great song! The bass line is so beatiful and mesmerizing...

[@thunor3656]

That bassline

[@decaffeinatedafrican5997]

i do prefer this one in many ways, but you can tell how all over the place the lyrics are. glad they were cleaned.

[@simonnaylor3536]

My all time fave Smith's songs! Great to hear this demo.

[@edmundblackaddercoc8522]

That bass line though...happy new year from Manchester

[@wildmercuryfilms]

edmund blackadder coc That guitar solo though....happy spring from Omaha

[@alisa2702]

those smug lyrics though.......happy easter from toronto

[@cynthiaf.7324]

Such entertaining truths of our world's realities and the awkwardness felt.

[@dlrjr3000]

proof that morrissey was not infallible towards the end. the boys should have stuck with something closer to this version for Strangeways. i've listened to this 20 times and so far i've cried every time. this time included.

[@claremcnulty3473]

Love this demo, didn't know the title was ever in the lyrics. Wondering what else I don't know now (fan for 38 years ever since I saw The Boy with the Thorn in His Side on TOTP in 1985.

[@strikefirst5650]

Better version then on strangeways

[@earlspace]

THANK YOU!!! Please more of these demos! :)

[@johnboykim246]

this song has made my christmas thank you so much pease

[@stuartmorley3836]

This tune is so true ..

[@THESM1THS]

I am a sycophantic slag

[@jostscalemodelling9078]

unsurpassed - thank you for this song

[@Seancunnuningham01]

Awesome

[@douglasalves9340]

Amo vocês Smiths

[@ELPORKIPRODUCTIONS]

Great song :-)

[@darthranger1538]

changing my life! skate fight skate!

[@arricammarques1955]

Corporate greed rarely sounds this spot on. :)

[@jeorge29s]

This demo version is better than the album version

[@mhildack]

The best version

[@RichardHumphries2006]

Tragic that they broke up before they toured their last album.

[@drstevie]

Brilliant ....all the way :)

[@ronalddevries-buss5426]

😍

[@lucalone]

REMASTER

[@BurtonRdForever]

About Meeting Marc Bolan at the Midland Hotel in Manchester. Morrissey asked for his autograph and Bolan said NO. Obviously they brought out tonnes of T-Rex after Bolan's death?

[@BeyondWrittenWords]

less underline the better with moz...very nice

[@lukemccormack2796]

a very stratocaster sound in the beginning

[@edmundblackaddercoc8522]

They said the 80's were dead musically...dunno what NME been listening to recently.

[@njf669x]

I refer this to the original

[@karamazovbrothers1]

The guitar sounds great in this. It's a bit low in the mix on the album version in my opinion.

[@DarlinJacq]

My DroL Gniki NevetS is as 'Spec'tacular as I AM (it is all in the name)!!!

[@chrisedwards1333]

Smiths Zenith at this time.

[@chillyinchile]

Marr thought the opposite 😔

[@holdencaulfield4230]

"So, in my bedroom in those ugly new houses, I danced my legs down to the knees... but me and my true love will never meet again..."

[@carlosdaniel058]

¿Am I the only one who thinks that this song serves as a prophecy at the end of The Smiths? They fit the stanza in which they talk about the funds of the Lp, the critics by the musical means of the big chains, and of course the alarmed sound tests.

[@joelhassig6099]

Lurv.

[@jiumahn]

Haha picture of dorian grey.

[@hackum1]

@earlspace /watch?v=xFsjT-m-aeA

[@315Bodhi17]

At the record company meeting On their hands - a dead star And oh, the plans they weave And oh, the sickening greed At the record company party On their hands - a dead star The sycophantic slags all say : "I knew him first, and I knew him well" Re-issue! Re-package! Re-package! Re-evaluate the songs Double-pack with a photograph Extra track (and a tacky badge) A-list, playlist "Please them , please them !" "Please them !" (sadly, this was your life) But you could have said no If you'd wanted to You could have said no If you'd wanted to BPI, MTV, BBC "Please them ! Please then!" (sadly this was your life) But you could have said no If you'd wanted to You could have walked away ...Couldn't you? I touched you at the soundcheck You had no real way of knowing In my heart I begged "Take me with you ... I don't care where you're going..." But to you I was faceless I was fawning, I was boring Just a child from those ugly new houses Who could never begin to know Who could never really know Oh... Best of! Most of! Satiate the need Slip them into different sleeves! Buy both, and feel deceived Climber - new entry, re-entry World tour! ("media whore") "Please the Press in Belgium!" (This was your life...) And when it fails to recoup ? Well, maybe : You just haven't earned it yet, baby I walked a pace behind you at the soundcheck You're just the same as I am What makes most people feel happy Leads us headlong into harm So, in my bedroom in those 'ugly new houses' I danced my legs down to the knees But me and my 'true love' Will never meet again... At the record company meeting On their hands - at last! - A dead star ! But they can never taint you in my eyes No, they can never touch you now No, they cannot hurt you, my darling They cannot touch you now But me and my 'true love' Will never meet again Songwriters: Steven Morrissey / Johnny Marr

[@jimnewcombe7584]

Those aren't the words he's singing here though,

[@Stephen-os6tr]

These aren't the lyrics to this version... lazy of you to post the album version.

[@Lyndanet]

The bass line on here is sooo different 🤔

[@clvrswine]

Not really.

[@frederick909]

Does anyone think the beginning sounds like the chords from Rainbow in the Dark?

[@andrew55656]

Love the guitar

[@andrew55656]

and where's my tacky badge?