I have to start by saying that I find Morrissey an absolutely reprehensible human being. That said, he has a way with words that occasionally taps into great sentiment. And the main hook of “How Soon Is Now?” (“I am human and I need to be loved…”) is one of the great lyrics in rock history.

Lyrics aside, “How Soon Is Now?” is a tentpole in alternative rock history. It’s the most danceable of The Smiths’ songs and lives to this day in goth clubs, on ’80s nights, and certainly in karaoke bars.  Johnny Marr’s jagged guitar part is instantly recognizable (and unique as hell), and I have no shame in admitting that I initially was drawn to it as a fan of “Hippychick”, the dance hit by one-hit wonder Soho that sampled “How Soon”s intro. A few years later, I discovered the source and fell in love all over again. So while I might have some issues with the lyricist, I can’t deny the awesomeness of the song.