A song with a strange lifecycle. Originally a B-side to William it was really nothing, How Soon is Now? carved a place of its own on indie darlings and their mixtapes. A song that you could dance alone to, specially if you were as terminally shy as the narrator. Sonically, it’s a far stride from what The Smiths were peddling. Jangly guitars, tambourine, and a slightly distant mixing now were replaced by studio trickery, tremolos, and a slick production.

Nothing wrong on both styles of The Smiths. They can coexist. The styles, not the band, though.

Always feels weird how so many classic bands like Joy Division, The Beatles, and The Smiths had songs with major appeal that weren’t on albums. Sure, the US edition of Meat is Murder has How Soon is Now? but for the United Kingdom, it was there, sandwiched between William it was really nothing and Please, please, please let me get what I want (at least on the 12 inch edition).

I was too young to “get” The Smiths when they were on radio. And to be honest, I think I was too much into The Cure or Depeche Mode to go for the poetic intimacy of The Smiths. What piqued my interest was Love Spit Love’s deft cover for The Craft, a movie almost all Gen Xer was attracted due to its cast and college radio friendly soundtrack.

Then This is England had Clayhill’s heartwrenching cover of Please Please Please let me get what I want. Then I really paid attention to The Smiths. It finally sink to me its importance. I remember going a few times to The Cookie Club in Nottingham on the gothic night, seeing people happily dancing by themselves listening to great tracks and not a single time was How Soon is Now? spared from being on the playlist.

I’ve mentioned before that you can accumulate a pile of “I’ll listen/read/watch later” stuff in your life and I know it’s unreasonable to believe you’ll be able to consume all of it. But start today, do a little bit. A page or two. An episode or two. Half an hour (or an act). A couple of songs. Never get stuck into a rut, listen to something new today, even if it was released decades ago. You won’t regret expanding your tastes.

-Sam J. Valdés López