Suffer Little Children

The Smiths

About Suffer Little Children

"Suffer Little Children" is a song by the English rock band the Smiths, written by singer Morrissey and guitarist Johnny Marr. It was included on The Smiths in February 1984 and as a B-side to the May 1984 single "Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now".


Year:
1984
5:29
427 
#4

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Over the moor, take me to the moor 
Dig a shallow grave 
And I'll lay me down 

Over the moor, take me to the moor 
Dig a shallow grave 
And I'll lay me down 

Lesley-Anne, with your pretty white beads 
Oh John, you'll never be a man 
And you'll never see your home again 
Oh Manchester, so much to answer for 

Edward, see those alluring lights ? 
Tonight will be your very last night 

A woman said : "I know my son is dead 
I'll never rest my hands on his sacred head"

Hindley wakes and Hindley says : 
Hindley wakes, Hindley wakes, Hindley wakes, and says : 
"Oh, wherever he has gone, I have gone"

But fresh lilaced moorland fields 
Cannot hide the stolid stench of death 
Fresh lilaced moorland fields 
Cannot hide the stolid stench of death 

Hindley wakes and says : 
Hindley wakes, Hindley wakes, Hindley wakes, and says : 
"Oh, whatever he has done, I have done"

But this is no easy ride 
For a child cries : 

"Oh, find me...find me, nothing more 
We are on a sullen misty moor 
We may be dead and we may be gone 
But we will be, we will be, we will be, right by your side 
Until the day you die 
This is no easy ride 
We will haunt you when you laugh 
Yes, you could say we're a team 
You might sleep 
You might sleep 
You might sleep 
BUT YOU WILL NEVER DREAM ! 
Oh, you might sleep 
BUT YOU WILL NEVER DREAM ! 
You might sleep 
BUT YOU WILL NEVER DREAM !" 

Oh Manchester, so much to answer for 
Oh Manchester, so much to answer for 

Oh, find me, find me ! 
Find me ! 
I'll haunt you when you laugh 
Oh, I'll haunt you when you laugh 
You might sleep 
BUT YOU WILL NEVER DREAM ! 
Oh... 
Over the moors, I'm on the moor 
Oh, over the moor 
Oh, the child is on the moor

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The Smiths

The Smiths were an English alternative rock band, formed in Manchester in 1982. Based on the song writing partnership of vocalist Morrissey and guitarist Johnny Marr, the band also included bassist Andy Rourke and drummer Mike Joyce. Critics have called them the most important alternative rock band to emerge from the British independent music scene of the 1980s. The group was signed to the independent record label Rough Trade Records, on which they released four studio albums, several compilations, and numerous non-LP singles. Although they had limited commercial success outside the UK while they were still together, and never released a single that charted higher than number 10 in their home country, The Smiths won a significant following, and remain cult an… more »

4 fans

Written by: STEVEN MORRISSEY, JOHNNY MARR

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind


10 facts about this song

Band Formation
"Suffer Little Children" is a song by the popular English rock band "The Smiths". This band was formed in 1982 by vocalist Morrissey, guitarist Johnny Marr, bassist Andy Rourke and drummer Mike Joyce.
Album Debut
The song was one of the first songs to be recorded by The Smiths and it appeared on their debut self-titled album "The Smiths," which was released in 1984.
Title Reference
The title "Suffer Little Children" is a line from the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament of the Bible. It is spoken by Jesus, "Suffer the little children to come unto me," as he invites children to come to him.
Song Theme
The song is written about the Moors murders that took place in Manchester, England between 1963 and 1965. The murderers, Ian Brady and Myra Hindley, killed five children aged between 10 and 17.
Band Origin Influence
The members of The Smiths, including songwriter Morrissey, originated from Manchester, the same place where the Moors murders occurred. This likely influenced the decision to write about this traumatic event.
Controversial Nature
Due to its subject matter, "Suffer Little Children" attracted a significant amount of controversy. It was wrongly reported by some media that the song was an exploitation of the tragedy, leading The Smiths to go on record to clarify its true purpose.
Misunderstanding and Apology
The song upset the relatives of the victims as they misunderstood The Smiths' intentions and perceived the song as disrespectful. Morrissey wrote an apology letter to the victim’s mother, explaining that the song was a sincere tribute.
Press Misrepresentation
The song was also misrepresented in the press, which claimed that it contained actual names of the murder victims. However, this was rectified when the band stated that they have used fictitious names.
Avid Popularity
Despite the initial controversy surrounding its release, "Suffer Little Children" has since become one of The Smiths' most popular tracks, demonstrating The Smiths' willingness to confront challenging and uncomfortable themes in their music.
Musical Style
The song showcases the band's signature style of haunting melodies, with an intricate, jangling guitar line from Marr, a rhythmically complex bass part from Rourke, and a steady, driving beat from Joyce. Morrissey's evocative and emotional lyrics are delivered with his distinctively mournful vocal style.

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