Suffer Little Children

Last updated

"Suffer Little Children"
Song by The Smiths
from the album The Smiths
Released20 February 1984
Recorded1983
Genre Indie pop
Length5:28
Label Rough Trade
Songwriter(s) Morrissey, Johnny Marr
Producer(s) John Porter, The Smiths

"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".

Contents

Background

The song is about the Moors murders that took place on Saddleworth Moor, which overlooks Manchester, between 1963 and 1965. [1] At the time of their deaths, many of the victims were only a few years older than Morrissey (born 1959), who wrote the lyrics of the song after reading a book about the murders, Beyond Belief: A Chronicle of Murder and its Detection by Emlyn Williams. [2]

"Suffer Little Children" was one of the first songs that Morrissey and Johnny Marr wrote together. [2]

The title of the song is a phrase found in the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 19, verse 14, in which Jesus rebukes his disciples for turning away a group of children and says:

Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven. [3]

Lyrics

Although five children were murdered in the Moors murders case, only three are named in the song: John Kilbride ("oh John you'll never be a man"), Lesley Ann Downey ("Lesley Ann with your pretty white beads"), and Edward Evans ("Edward, see those alluring lights"). [4] The murders of Keith Bennett and Pauline Reade were not attributed to Myra Hindley and Ian Brady until 1985, [5] after "Suffer Little Children" had already been released.

The phrase "Hindley wakes and Hindley says; Hindley wakes, Hindley wakes, Hindley wakes, and says: 'Oh, wherever he has gone, I have gone'" refers to a chapter ("Hindley Wakes") in Williams's book. It may also be a pun on the title of Hindle Wakes , a silent film which made use of location filming in Blackpool and Manchester, based on a play by Stanley Houghton, one of the Manchester School of playwrights.

Reception

Controversy

First released on The Smiths in February 1984, it was re-released in May as a B-side of the single "Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now". The Manchester Evening News reported that relatives of the Moors murder victims had taken exception to the lyrics, in which three of the victims are mentioned by name. Some newspapers also claimed that the single's sleeve photo of Viv Nicholson was intended to resemble Myra Hindley. [2]

Subsequently, Boots and Woolworths withdrew both the album and single from sale. [2] Morrissey later established a friendship with Ann West, the mother of Moors victim Lesley Ann Downey, after she accepted that the band's intentions were honourable. [2] [6]

Covers

The song has been covered by several artists, including Hole throughout their 2010 tour.[ citation needed ]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Smiths</span> English rock band

The Smiths were an English rock band formed in Manchester in 1982 and composed of singer Morrissey, guitarist Johnny Marr, bassist Andy Rourke, and drummer Mike Joyce. Morrissey and Marr formed the band's songwriting partnership. The Smiths are regarded as one of the most important acts to emerge from 1980s British independent music.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frank Pakenham, 7th Earl of Longford</span> British politician and social reformer

Francis Aungier Pakenham, 7th Earl of Longford, 1st Baron Pakenham, Baron Pakenham of Cowley,, known to his family as Frank Longford and styled Lord Pakenham from 1945 to 1961, was a British politician and social reformer. A member of the Labour Party, he was one of its longest-serving politicians. He held cabinet positions on several occasions between 1947 and 1968. Longford was politically active until his death in 2001. A member of an old, landed Anglo-Irish family, the Pakenhams, he was one of the few aristocratic hereditary peers ever to serve in a senior capacity within a Labour government.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Moors murders</span> Murders in and around Manchester, England

The Moors murders were carried out by Ian Brady and Myra Hindley between July 1963 and October 1965, in and around Manchester, England. The victims were five children—Pauline Reade, John Kilbride, Keith Bennett, Lesley Ann Downey, and Edward Evans—aged between 10 and 17, at least four of whom were sexually assaulted. The bodies of two of the victims were discovered in 1965, in graves dug on Saddleworth Moor; a third grave was discovered there in 1987, more than twenty years after Brady and Hindley's trial. Bennett's body is also thought to be buried there, but despite repeated searches it remains undiscovered.

Peter Sotos is an American writer and musician. In his books, Sotos examines sadistic sexual criminals and sexually violent pornography, particularly involving children. His writings are interpreted by some as commenting on media hypocrisy around these issues. His books are often first person narratives, taking on the point of view of the sexual predator in order to explore sadistic and pedophilic sexual impulses.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hattersley</span> Human settlement in England

Hattersley is an area of Tameside, Greater Manchester, England; it is located 4 miles (6.4 km) west of Glossop and 10 miles (16 km) east of Manchester city centre, at the eastern terminus of the M67. Historically part of Tintwistle Rural District in Cheshire until 1974, it is the site of an overspill estate built by Manchester City Council in the 1960s. Hattersley is an area receiving major regeneration, which includes building new housing and additional retail stores.

<i>The Very Best of The Smiths</i> 2001 greatest hits album by The Smiths

The Very Best of The Smiths is a compilation album by English rock band The Smiths. It was released in June 2001 by WEA in Europe, without consent or input from the band. It reached number 30 on the UK Albums Chart. The album was not released in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now</span> 1984 song by the Smiths

"Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now" is a song by English rock band the Smiths. Released as a single in May 1984, it reached No. 10 on the UK Singles Chart, making it the band's first top ten single. It was later included on the November 1984 compilation album Hatful of Hollow. The song is listed as one of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">This Charming Man</span> 1983 single by The Smiths

"This Charming Man" is a song by the English rock band the Smiths, written by guitarist Johnny Marr and singer Morrissey. Released as the group's second single in October 1983 on the independent record label Rough Trade, it is defined by Marr's jangle pop guitar riff and Morrissey's characteristically morose lyrics, which revolve around the recurrent Smiths themes of sexual ambiguity and lust.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A635 road</span> Road in England

The A635 is a main road that runs between Manchester and Doncaster running east–west through Stalybridge, Saddleworth Moor, Holmfirth, Barnsley and the Dearne Valley. The section forming the eastern part of the Mancunian Way is a motorway and is officially designated as the A635(M) though there is no road sign with this designation, and the signs at the entrance of Mancunian Way westbound show A57(M).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saddleworth Moor</span> Moorland in northwest England

Saddleworth Moor is a moorland in North West England. Reaching more than 1,312 feet (400 m) above sea level, it is in the Dark Peak area of the Peak District National Park. It is crossed by the A635 road and the Pennine Way passes to its eastern side.

<i>See No Evil: The Moors Murders</i> 2006 British made-for-television docudrama film

See No Evil: The Moors Murders is a two-part British television serial, directed by Christopher Menaul, produced by Granada Television and broadcast on ITV on 14 and 15 May 2006. The serial tells the story of the Moors murders, which were committed, between July 1963 and October 1965, by Myra Hindley and Ian Brady. The narrative is from the viewpoint of Hindley's sister, Maureen Smith, and her husband David.

<i>Beyond Belief: A Chronicle of Murder and Its Detection</i>

Beyond Belief: A Chronicle of Murder and its Detection is a semi-fictionalized account of the Moors murderers, Ian Brady and Myra Hindley, by the Welsh author and playwright, Emlyn Williams. As such, it may be classified as a nonfiction novel.

Events from the year 1965 in the United Kingdom.

<i>Longford</i> (film) 2006 British TV series or programme

Longford is a 2006 British biographical crime drama television film directed by Tom Hooper and written by Peter Morgan. The film centres on Labour Party peer Lord Longford and his campaign for the parole of Moors Murderer Myra Hindley. It was produced by Granada Productions for Channel 4, in association with HBO, and stars Jim Broadbent and Samantha Morton. The film was first broadcast on Channel 4 on October 26, 2006 and was an Official Selection at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival. Broadbent won the British Academy Television Award for his role.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Smiths Indeed</span>

The Smiths Indeed are a tribute band dedicated to The Smiths. The band are from Liverpool in the North West of England. Morrissey Indeed and The Smiths Presumably are a continuation of The Smiths Indeed and are based in Antwerp, Belgium.

<i>The Smiths Singles Box</i> 2008 box set by The Smiths

The Smiths Singles Box is a limited edition box set compilation of 45 RPM 7-inch single releases by English rock band The Smiths. It contains repressings of the Smiths' first ten 7-inch singles released in the United Kingdom between May 1983 through May 1986, as well as the Dutch-only single for "The Headmaster Ritual" and the DJ promotional single of "Still Ill," housed in reproductions of their original picture sleeves. The box also includes a 14x14 poster of the single sleeves, four collector's pins and a download code for the mp3 versions. It was released on 8 December 2008 in the UK.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">How Soon Is Now?</span> 1985 song by the Smiths

"How Soon Is Now?" is a song by English rock band the Smiths, written by singer Morrissey and guitarist Johnny Marr. Originally a B-side of the 1984 single "William, It Was Really Nothing", "How Soon Is Now?" was subsequently featured on the compilation album Hatful of Hollow and on US, Canadian, Australian, and Warner UK editions of Meat Is Murder. Belatedly released as a single in the UK in 1985, it reached No. 24 on the UK Singles Chart. When re-released in 1992, it reached No. 16.

Carol Ann Lee is an English author and biographer who has written extensively on Anne Frank, the Holocaust and on the crimes of Moors Murderers Myra Hindley and Ian Brady.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barbarism Begins at Home</span> 1985 song by The Smiths

"Barbarism Begins at Home" is a song by the English rock band the Smiths. Featured on their second studio album, Meat Is Murder (1985), the song has a lyric condemning child abuse and a funk-inspired track based around Andy Rourke's bass line.

References

  1. "Hindley 'has not served long enough'". BBC News. BBC. 6 October 1998. Retrieved 29 December 2011.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Middles, Mick (1985), The Smiths. Omnibus Press. ISBN   0-7119-0693-9.
  3. Matthew 19:14
  4. "The song the Smiths wrote about serial killers". 29 April 2022.
  5. Moors murders#Later investigation
  6. "Suffer little children: how Ian Brady cast a dark shadow over popular culture". The Guardian. 16 May 2017. Retrieved 22 January 2021.