The Making of "Meat Is Murder" (1985)

An eight minute feature where we see The Smiths and Steven Street in the studio putting the finishing touches on their album "Meat is Murder". We see Mark Allen interviewing Morrissey and Johnny Marr, a full version of "Nowhere Fast" and excerpts of "That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore", "Rusholme Ruffians" and "I Want The One I Can't Have", broadcasted on "The Old Grey Whistle Test", BBC 2 (12 February 1985)

[@epaj95]

Is there anything cooler than a smoking Johnny Marr playing that green telecaster?

[@epaj95]

Yeah, like its 'just another day at the office'

[@patrickdolan3772]

no

[@babyelian77]

My same thought exactly !

[@jbnb3342]

Nothing cooler. Except Paul Weller on his Rickenbacker .

[@kyledavis828]

No.... nothing cooler

[@marianaschwartz8019]

I am so in love with the way Morrissey talks

[@ericsilberstein667]

Morrissey, Marr, Rourke, and Joyce made great music together for a short period of time. The Smiths will live on forever.

[@mipchiplei350]

uve commented this on every smiths video but go off slay

[@ericsilberstein667]

@@mipchiplei350 ?

[@SuperLaney81]

I'm listening to them now. Love them

[@SonyaBladesBooty]

Rourke died

[@ericsilberstein667]

@@SonyaBladesBooty 😔

[@arnonuhm7193]

Morrissey's haircut is still modern in the year 2017... which one cannot say about all haircuts from 1985

[@drucalling2696]

The only person with better hair was Joe Strummer

[@morghan_with_an_h]

Joe was so handsome!

[@allenloken397]

Arno Nühm what i he had a mullet ?!

[@applebee6455]

Johnny Marr hair looks great too. So full.

[@alexandragatto]

Right? I was just thinking I should send it to my BF to show the barber!

[@blackbird5787]

"This song is about going to the fair and BEING STABBED . . ."

[@redlady935]

😂🤣

[@talk2tim]

which of course adds to the excitement ..!?

[@joedirt8625]

uhh ohh..kek😂

[@diouranke]

He has a knack for putting snappy tunes to some of the most morbid stuff 😍

[@bobbyrainsbury6524]

😂🤣😂 love you Morrissey

[@loknloll]

Some of the most beautiful footage of the band. What a voice, and an absolute anomaly on the guitar; Marr is an absolute treasure

[@gerardcomics7716]

Robert Fraser oh yes and he’s got a great sense of humour too

[@erindaniel2310]

One of the most interesting people

[@katitax508]

I never had the opportunity to live in "the smiths' era" (I'm 17), so it's awesome to have a glimpse on what was going on at the time of the record, it makes me feel more connected to it

[@awesomegirl1111XD]

Me too man

[@chocmint]

same here

[@benjamincatling5827]

I’m with you

[@alishalegrand6139]

You’re not the only one there me too I did not get to live in that opportunity of when the Smiths first came out but I do listen to the Smiths and I started at the age of 17 and now I am 21 years old and I still listen to the Smith’s today

[@katitax508]

@@alishalegrand6139 I’m 21 now too! I don’t listen to them as often now though

[@lilybird1977]

3:25 the most intense bongo playing ever lol

[@granthambeard]

Lily Bird Mike was making the love to that camera, man.

[@supersudds3576]

His eyes pierced the deepest corners of my soul

[@comeupandseememakeme]

Too damn bad Mo' hated his guts.

[@Mattiger888]

LMAO

[@chocmint]

as a percussionist i’m wheezing

[@HuusHuus-zc2zl]

I love The Smiths and always will 'til my last day on this earth. I've been listening to them since I was 17 years and I'm 50 years now. Long time.

[@Broomehall]

Huus67209 Huus67209 me too.....and I'm 59 !

[@lexiautoparts]

Huus67209 Huus67209 II am 48. I feel the same way as you. They’re the bees knees

[@DanFerreira_edtech]

I'm 49 next week. This band/album ushered me through puberty! Nuff said.

[@daninusa5297]

Me since 12 and am 45 or so

[@1Helmet1]

I'm 52 and saw them 3X live. Have you checked out Johnny Marr's solo stuff?

[@marianaschwartz8019]

How does he look so cool handsome and effortless while singing such incredible lyrics I'll never get it

[@thaxtonwaters8561]

Bands today wish they were this cool. This sound defined the 80's

[@AiyanaSP64]

omfg johnny and morrissey are so adorable together

[@kirabarsmith9353]

So unique, talented, and sophisticated, The Smiths were truly something special.

[@alexc8123]

"fun faires in Machester...where communities come together for fun and frolic...and someone always ends up being stabbed...which of course, adds to the excitement" LMFAO

[@betttrbeth]

Moz & Howard Jones influenced me to stop eating meat at 16. That was over 30 years ago. 🐷🐣

[@АннаКорчева-ж2х]

That's awesome🤩

[@ThinWhiteLuke]

Fuck yeah!

[@goby999]

I’m at 23 years

[@priscilla9115]

3:02 Fuck it , Mike Joyce playing the bongos

[@JeffreySmith84]

Listening to this album’s title track as a teenager was a big reason I went vegetarian. Such an amazing album. Good to see Morrissey articulate the sentiment of “Meat Is Murder” more in depth in this video.

[@someguy2135]

Morrissey is now vegan. Neither dairy nor eggs are victimless products. In fact, dairy might be the most cruel of any animal product that is commonly consumed.

[@JeffreySmith84]

@@someguy2135 I'm vegan too. Since 2008.

[@someguy2135]

@@JeffreySmith84 Kudos! Like every vegan I know of, I wish I had gone vegan sooner. Once you know better, you do better. I was so ignorant. I really thought I had to eat animal products to thrive until I saw "Forks Over Knives."

[@someguy2135]

@@JeffreySmith84 I'm sure you were glad to be able to correct the possible erroneous perception of those reading this thread that you still support dairy and egg production. Social media can be a powerful megaphone for veganism.

[@JeffreySmith84]

@@someguy2135 I actually prefer not to be preachy about it (no offense)

[@MrDLOC11]

unbelievable footage of this most important recording! a million thanks for this flashback. ...

[@alandmcleod5988]

this is great! Morrisey and Johnny Marr at their very best...and young!

[@dommidavros2211]

He’s spot on! Sadly the apathy of people Morrissey is describing hasn’t changed much since then!

[@hannahcarrot8703]

Omg I love him so much. And his hair is just amazing

[@jackrasss]

And I find humor in a lot of his lyrics.

[@philmiller]

Jack Rasmussen that's exactly what I thought when listening to his lyrics. I never really found them depressing as I did witty and humorous.

[@gorgor6978]

Closer comes the screaming knife

[@Caulderone]

M's lyrics can be both depressing or humorous to me. It depends on my mood and which point of view I choose.

[@rozzdorianfridkin8806]

I want Morrissey saying "any" as my ringtone!

[@eddiebaby22]

4:50 OMG I have just discovered how much of a genius this man actually is! wow

[@Jerry-rm9pk]

Lmao

[@maguffintop2596]

These guys were so damn talented- that they found each other to bless humanity is another 80’s miracle. Had to laugh at Mo’s comment about these ‘serious times’. As an American there wasn’t a more lighthearted, joyful time in our history- and we long for those days to return.

[@FranFerdinanda]

What a perfect face! I love Morrissey's soul, the essence of his soul is the meaning of my existence

[@ttchignon1526]

If you ever thought The Smiths were ‘Doom and Gloom’, and didn’t see the hilarious, poignant and perfect lyrics, then simply you were never meant for The Smiths, and The Smiths were never meant for you..

[@clacclackerson3678]

Marr looks like one of the Supremes with that 'do.

[@MsMelissa303]

Clac Clackerson exactly! Or one of the Ronettes, lol

[@davidhodgin8900]

this is my newest 10/10 favorite album

[@thankstochicks9582]

I am in love with Moz. 😔

[@HuusHuus-zc2zl]

I bought "Meat is Murder" back in 85 and there was a track listed on the sleeve but not on the cassette. The song is called "That joke isn't funny anymore" only 300 and some were printed here in The U.S. I so wish I still had it. I wore that cassette out.

[@daninusa5297]

Huus67209 Huus67209 uh everyone knows that song it's famous

[@crunchyalmondbutter2239]

I've seen this happen in other people's lives and now it's happening in mine...

[@achair650]

@@crunchyalmondbutter2239 park the car at the side of the road....

[@patriciacollier128]

Love this, I'm veggie and it hit me like that. Had the struggle with all the non-veggies since around 1991, most just wanna take the piss and make me feel small, but hey now its 'fashionable' to be Vegetarian. I've never pushed my views on anyone but you've always got to take the challenging questions as to why you don't eat meat, most don't want to know and say your given teeth to tear flesh. If your veggie be proud of who you are, if not ok. Let's all try and live in harmony

[@someguy2135]

Kudos for being veggie, btw.

[@someguy2135]

I don't advocate for veganism in person. I use the amazing reach of social media. To see how powerful it is, consider the 2016 US presidential election and the effect Russian bots had.

[@zackzallie8735]

The whole band is good-looking. Wow.

[@s.k.9401]

FR

[@BeyondWrittenWords]

6:14 Young Gods mastering their Art

[@maxallen7979]

“Somebody always ends up being stabbed”

[@buddyollie180]

I think the bongo drummer wants to kill me

[@russellmckenzie7121]

Buddy Ollie 😂

[@buddyollie180]

Russell McKenzie yeah man. He'll mess you up

[@morghan_with_an_h]

I look that way when I drink coffee.

[@tickedoffnow]

He's such a Beautiful Man 🙏♥️

[@PaganMan1966]

Thanks for sharing this. I remember watching this back then. I am vegan thanks to that album. What a band they were.

[@someguy2135]

Kudos for being vegan! I hope you also take advantage of social media to advocate for veganism. Who knows? You could inspire the next Earthling Ed Winters, Joey Carbstrong, or Gary Yourofsky!

[@vriska1820]

"someone always ends up getting stabbed, which just adds to the excitement" ...wow

[@michaelbaker5547]

Thanks for posting this on youtube! Great interview. God save Morrissey and Marr!

[@Anna-vz5jl]

At 6-23 omg JOHNNY MAR smoking 🚬 playing the guitar shit . Perfection . And look at Morrissey hair perfection one of my favourite albums ever . Awesome footage thank you so much

[@Jasmine-tq1nq]

HIS FREAKING BOUNCY HAIR I NEED NOOWWW

[@isabelneves1319]

Take care yourself charming man, you have a little sister who loves you in South America.

[@Satsusss]

All animals ask of us is that we simply leave them alone.

[@j.w.2865]

So true! Humans don't deserve our wonderful fellow earthlings...they just want to live peacefully

[@someguy2135]

Wise words, and doubtlessly true. Is that a quote? If so, who said it?

[@fabianaamaral5999]

6:45 what a cute little thing...

[@christiangasior4244]

Johnny Marr's hair is so cool even though it's poofy like an old ladies. He also aged so well. We wasn't so bad on the guitar, either.

[@user-fh1rl9kr8x]

He’s amazing. So bright and intellectually gifted

[@shalaremcurrambo-music]

Love the Smiths is my favorite band, their music was my companion through a very harsh years and they were playing when I was like 4 years old Love Morressey.

[@sonanderson6351]

He’s in a good mood here

[@INTEL965GAMES]

Morriseey as the cool guy popular with that haircut also Marr as the chill guy with a cigar and a guitar dont given a fuck

[@lemonsweets8282]

Just as relevant then as they are now. Honesty is the bees knees.

[@nerys2263]

why does this interviewer have the exact mannerisms of Paul McCartney

[@bjw9529]

He looks just like him

[@someguy2135]

Paul is a long time vegetarian. Morrissey is now vegan.

[@babyelian77]

I know that a lot of people already said that, but Jonny Marr is the coolest man EVER !

[@achair650]

I love this channel....

[@DJBFAD]

How cool is Johnny Marr??? (6:14)

[@lololop58]

After watching this video I am even more pumped about listening to a first pressing of this LP album which I recently bought on EBay. Just waiting on my turntable to arrive and that’s it!!

[@leyobahn2011]

Excellent post. Thank you! Johnny Marr's hair looks like a melted beehive! LOL

[@elliothall9956]

The 5 dislikes are from the Royals

[@cankhovich1796]

reptilians

[@ricd2821]

The best smiths album bass is off the charts

[@thenag6053]

andy rourke top lad.

[@burrenmagic]

he's a total hoot this Morrissey.

[@zDelirium]

I feel like Johnny Marr and Morrissey are the only ones in the band who got most of the attention.

[@seankilburn7200]

they are mainly responsible for the songs so that will be why. i know rourke and joyce were great but it was primarily morrissey and marr.

[@rolandmarckwort]

Great stuff - smoking in the studio!! LOL must be the 80s ; )

[@bjrnb9042]

what a subtle album title

[@briansmith9455]

Hey...uh...I'm from 'merica, what does it mean?

[@kkow27]

Brian Smith what does being from america have to do with not understanding the album title

[@someguy2135]

Maybe they were quoting Benjamin Franklin, who also said that "meat is murder."

[@samthomas7253]

Let's just face the facts: WE BRITS HAVE THE BEST MUSIC!!!!!

[@PumpkinCherub]

That used to happen at my hometown's local royal show - It probably still does. I can see now why I am a Smiths fan - haha! So much in common...

[@wallacelovecraft8942]

Good interview. To be young and making music.

[@jlouis4407]

Such a great album

[@WoodPigeonInFlight]

Amazing thankyou - fan for 25 years and not seen this - great stuff

[@boardsofwood]

The beginning of That Joke Isnt Funny Anymore is so good

[@SonicVisionX]

Rourke & Joyce were also great.

[@Tone_Jammer]

for me it's a toss up between 'meat is murder' and 'strangeways here we come' for best smiths album. They're all brilliant but these two are perfect to me.

[@tim3198]

Meat is Murder is my favorite. Strangeways loses me towards the end. Everything after Last Night I Dreamt I am not fond of.

[@Tone_Jammer]

™ ™ even 'I won't share you'?!

[@aboosermc2794]

™ ™ I love every track except "Death at ones elbow" love everything else, especially Paint a vulgar picture

[@matheus_codex95]

The Queen Is Dead is most certainly the best. But Hatful of Hollow is my favourite

[@tim3198]

Matheus Costa, Hatful of Hollow is fantastic. I view it as their second attempt on a debut LP, given that they have been on record saying they weren't happy with how their first album turned out.

[@jvfrizzo]

"Is there anything worst in life than an meat eating member of the royal family?"

[@davesmith3075]

Certainly not but I’m on the lookout and I’ll let you know if I find anything

[@dougie0109]

what a treat. Happy New Year!!!!

[@emartinezr]

The making of... a classic. Yeah Johnny looks cool, but Morrissey singing, for some reason looks more epic. Love J Marr but the last segment where Morrissey is singing is more like... magic.

[@anth00000]

3:23 the best part

[@harveyhearse]

im 53.. and i love it.

[@alistaircooke3233]

Hearse Bus This music of our generation. I'm 50

[@someguy2135]

I'm in my mid 60's and also love it. Like Morrissey, I am vegan too, btw.

[@ldred2604]

Geniuses

[@TheGreatAlan75]

I can't believe how great this band is and that I waited so long to listen beyond HOW SOON..... and CHARMING MAN.

[@ChefTips]

Love this album and love a nice rib eye.

[@Enjoytheshow435]

Just came from Morrissey concert in Dallas and he didn’t sing meat is murder. Just the pull fighting song 😭

[@mamaburra69]

Johnny was such a cool cat in the 80s. Still is!

[@FelixEmpanadas]

"However, even vegetarianism in your hands, would make a capital article -- its connection with philosophy is very curious-- dating from the earliest Greek days, and taken by the Greeks from the East -- and so is its connection with modern socialism, atheism, nihilism, anarchy and other political creeds. It is strange that the most violent republicans I know are all vegetarians: Brussels sprouts seem to make people bloodthirsty, and those who live on lentils and artichokes are always calling for the gore of the aristocracy and for the severed heads of kings. Your vegetarianism has given you a wise apathy-- so at least you told me once -- but in the political sphere a diet of green beans seems dangerous." -Oscar Wilde, The Complete Letters, p. 334, from a letter dated Nov. 12, 1887.

[@tim3198]

Thats quite interesting. I am trying to become a vegetarian and also aim to become a politician in the near future haha

[@FelixEmpanadas]

I posted it cause Morrissey is a huge Wilde fanatic

[@someguy2135]

Vegetarians who are bloodthirsty? I don't think so. Some intelligent, widely admired people who chose not to eat meat- Pythagoras, Socrates, Leonardo da Vinci, Voltaire, Newton, Benjamin Franklin, Nikolai Tesla, Albert Einstein, Gandhi, Albert Schweitzer, George Bernard Shaw, Tolstoy, Thoreau, Saint Francis of Asisi, Nobel laureate and holocaust survivor Isaac Bashevis Singer, and many more. Some on this list switched late in life, but stayed on it to the end. "Nothing will benefit human health and increase chances for survival of life on Earth as much as the evolution to a vegetarian diet." -Einstein (Of course today, he would be vegan. So would the others on this list.) The famous Professor of Physics Brian Greene is vegan. You may have seen him on PBS hosting science shows for the layman. Jane Goodall recently went from a long time vegetarian to vegan. Greta Thunberg is vegan. Jon (Daily Show) Stewart is not only vegan, he owns a farm animal sanctuary!

[@yatesy117]

Love the way Moz pronounces 'Any' 😊

[@shannonc.5837]

morrissey: meat is murder! also morrissey: someone being stabbed at the fair adds to the excitement

[@Jason-Scott]

class

[@jonnyenvideos]

Strange how elvis -like morrisey is

[@jordanp619]

He's the Elvis of the 80s. I've always thought so. lol

[@ngvot]

what does johnny say at 5:32 ??? I could only make out "incurable"

[@ridew3072]

GeekStinkLaura Incurable macho man?

[@ngvot]

ahh thanks!

[@gustavoromani8370]

Who's here for Live? 02/11/2020

[@VVIPWORLDUSA]

When Morrissey and Johnny Marr split, these type songs with this feel were never made again, his new stuff after was just ok.

[@TheGreatAlan75]

I got the humor straight away. The song titles are hilarious. VICAR IN A TUTU ?? that is great

[@mikesgarage18]

The guitar playing is so complex but the way it's recorded they kinda squashed the EQ and pushed it back in the mix which doesn't do well to showcase tbe brilliant playing but that was the mixing style of the time.

[@paigelou1se]

can’t believe johnny invented smoking

[@ceso5427]

Could anyone make a subtitle to this video? I'm brazilian and I can't understand very well

[@eancurtis9333]

Smiths lyrics are so funny yet still serious

[@someguy2135]

Not all of them are funny. "Meat is Murder" title track, for example! Serious subject was treated seriously.

[@garycorfield7312]

Great band. Morrissey superb

[@yourmom7819]

6:45

[@someguy2135]

"Since the early 1980s, British singer-songwriter Morrissey has been a vegan. In an interview with NME in 1983, he stated, “I am not at all interested in the pursuit of meat. ...Johnny Marr has been a vegan since 2019. He announced his veganism on Instagram, saying “I've been a vegetarian since 1982 and a vegan since ..."-Simply Healthy Vegan

[@SardonischerDean]

I love how he talks about stabbings in England when nowadays they are completely rampant all over London.

[@AlejandroGonzalez-fj6pk]

She is faithful she is funny