http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-cD4oLk_D0 Is this the greatest love song of all-time? Possibly, but the competition for that title is rather stiff. The story of the lyrics is simple; the protagonist is literally asking to go for a spin in a car with the person they love. 'There is a Light' was the centrepiece of their greatest album, 'The Queen is Dead,' which was recently voted by NME readers as the greatest album of all-time - and it's got everything you'd want from a song. Beautiful lyrics? Tick. Amazing tune? Tick. A chorus that sticks in your head the second you hear it? Tick. But here's the spin Morrissey puts on it: the chorus is phenomenally gloomy on first hearing, but what he is celebrating is the beauty of love - even if they are hit by a ten tonne truck, at least they'll be together. Having had the pleasure of seeing The Smiths play live, to see incredibly macho football hooligans singing along to this, rapt in every word, was a sight to behold. So here's that chorus in full. '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.'
What makes music fantastic? Star quality, amazing music, breathtaking lyrics and the ability to bring something new to the table, even if that means a new take on the classics. That's what I love to listen to and write about.
As well as writing for What Culture, I occasionally write a blog http://tedney.blogspot.co.uk and sometimes use Twitter, but sparingly @TedneyNash