The Beach Boys, “Sloop John B” (Pet Sounds, 1966)
The Smiths, “London” (Louder Than Bombs, 1987)
“London” is far from my favorite Smiths song, but I readily admit it’s probably the rockingest thing they ever recorded—brash, distorted, uncharacteristically driving, and about as long as your average Ramones song. More insolent than any of those aspects, however, is the very first note: a high C that rings just long enough for the listener to recognize it, then turns shrill and strident without warning. I’ve never heard anything to confirm that Morrissey and company were deliberately aping the beginning of the Beach Boys’ “Sloop John B,” but every time I listen to it, coincidence seems a less and less plausible explanation. They wanted their first and only punk song to make an impression, and it did so by opening with a false promise of tranquility and familiarity, making the rest of it feel that much harsher by comparison.
