475:
381:, which contained the line "Nature has a language, you see, if only we'd learn to read it." Goddard additionally commented on the lyric as a whole, writing: "...a superficial plea to liberate one's inhibitions, the crux of 'Ask' appears to be its protagonist's own fizzling sexual repression, amplified in Morrissey's exaggerated use of upper case in its printed lyrics and his vivid metaphor of sexual desire as a unifying explosive."
584:(2001) fades out slightly sooner and has the vocal track lasting until the end of the song. The backing vocals in this version are also mixed differently and are louder. The version that appears on all albums (save for the one listed above) fades out later (though the end of the track is audible, albeit at a very low level) and has the vocal track ending before the fade begins.
533:
by Porter at Jam
Studios. "Originally "Ask" was a bit of a tour de force and it was pretty complicated. ... Then there was this bit in the middle where they wanted the sound of a waterfall crashing, all with guitars. It was a jigsaw puzzle. You needed six hands to mix it properly and we didn't have
441:
Me and Johnny were sat in the library playing acoustic guitars and they must have been miked up as we were probably putting down the acoustic tracks for 'Panic'. I just started playing the chord sequence which would later become 'Ask' in exactly the way it appears on the record. The only section of
446:
Goddard states that "s a common ascending chord configuration, it's not beyond reason that Gannon may have stumbled across something very close to it. However, without necessarily disputing Gannon's claim Marr had used the exact same chord sequence within a home demo of what later became 'Is It
546:. Marr was unhappy with the song's final mix, commenting, "I couldn't understand why it was being tampered with because it all came together very simply and with a definite sense of purpose. wasn't dramatically different, but it felt kind of a little bit muted. Less spirited, absolutely".
31:
293:, "Ask" is an ostensibly upbeat, positive pop song built around major chords. Its lyrics discuss shyness and encourage listeners to overcome their inhibitions. Its multiple guitar parts and complex production led to disagreements regarding its final mix.
442:
the chord structure that I didn't come up with for 'Ask' was the middle eight section with the chords E-minor, D and C. That was actually what Johnny came up with. Up until the release of 'Ask' I still thought I'd be given a writing credit.
447:
Really So
Strange?' several months earlier and was subconsciously predisposed to those specific chords to use them again as the basis of 'I Won't Share You'." Marr himself disputed Gannon's claim in the book
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acoustics. Gannon was briefly a member of the band that year as rhythm guitarist, and has claimed he wrote the song's opening chord sequence and was cheated out of royalties:
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Later re-releases of the "Ask" single would include the album version, which runs for 3:15, instead of the single version included on the original pressings.
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at Jam
Studios," Porter said. Goddard reports that Morrissey was threatened by Porter and Marr's camaraderie in the studio, and instead requested that
349:". Morrissey said: "If the next single had been a slight protest, regardless of the merits of the actual song, people would say, 'Here we go again'".
1688:
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608:, the group's sole live album; it was directed by Peter Fowler and takes its footage from a live show while Gannon was still a member of the band.
561:. In 1995, the single was re-released, and charted on the UK Singles Chart again, peaking at number 62. The single's sleeve cover depicts actress
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release of the Smiths' videos and promotional films. In 1988, another video of the band playing live was issued to promote the release of
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549:"Ask" was released as the Smiths' twelfth single on 20 October 1986 on both 7" and 12" formats; a limited release in the USA via
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directed the song's music video. A version mixing in live performance footage of the band was created; it is available on
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of the song is made from the progression G - Am - C - D. Morrissey's vocals in the song span from the note of G
316:. Like most of the Smiths' singles, it was not included on a studio album. It can be found on the compilations
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during the week ending 2 November 1986. The song also charted in
Ireland, where it peaked at number 9 on the
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occurred the next month. It continued a streak of top 20 singles for the group, peaking at number 14 on the
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356:", which has been interpreted as a reference to Morrissey's youth, in which he frequently wrote letters to
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There are two versions of this song. The version that appears on the single releases and the compilation
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provides backing vocals on the song. According to the sheet music published at
Musicnotes.com, by
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300:"Ask" continued the Smiths' top-20 streak in their native country, peaking at number 14 on the
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The song's lyric includes the couplet "Writing frightening verse / To a buck-toothed girl in
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The Smiths FAQ: All That's Left to Know About the Most
Important British Band of the 1980s
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Songs That Saved Your Life (Revised
Edition): The Art of The Smiths 1982-87
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section of "Ask", including its subsequent incorporation of
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451:. In terms of genre, "Ask" has been variously described as
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281:. It was released as a single on 20 October 1986 through
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Credits adapted from the 12" single sleeve and label.
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1178:: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (
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389:"Ask" was recorded in June 1986 with producer
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1192:Guitar Player Magazine, January, 1990, p. 73
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1560:Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me
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1038:"The Smiths "Ask" Sheet Music in G Major"
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273:" is a song recorded by the English
1504:The Boy with the Thorn in His Side
14:
1655:Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others
573:Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others
1135:"Official Singles Chart Top 100"
1096:"Official Singles Chart Top 100"
520:Problems playing this file? See
489:
378:Me! I'm Afraid of Virginia Woolf
304:. It reached number nine on the
1141:. Retrieved 21 September 2017.
1102:. Retrieved 21 September 2017.
1532:Shoplifters of the World Unite
1469:William, It Was Really Nothing
1462:Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now
790:
735:
413:, and moves at a tempo of 167
255:Shoplifters of the World Unite
1:
1497:That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore
1455:What Difference Does It Make?
529:The song was initially to be
405:, the song is written in the
1739:Songs written by Johnny Marr
565:on the set of the 1965 film
1749:Rough Trade Records singles
1384:The Very Best of The Smiths
625:Recorded at Jam Studios in
581:The Very Best of The Smiths
328:(both 1987) as well as the
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1734:Songs written by Morrissey
979:Luerssen, John D. (2015).
1581:Sweet and Tender Hooligan
1299:Strangeways, Here We Come
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385:Recording and composition
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18:1986 single by The Smiths
1702:Shoplifters of the World
1490:Barbarism Begins at Home
1168:. London. 1986. RTT 194.
544:London Borough of Ealing
1391:The Sound of The Smiths
1139:Official Charts Company
1100:Official Charts Company
1046:Alfred Music Publishing
1009:Goddard, Simon (2013).
939:Goddard, Simon (2010).
403:Alfred Music Publishing
285:. Credited to vocalist
1606:Suffer Little Children
1511:Bigmouth Strikes Again
1398:The Smiths Singles Box
1342:The World Won't Listen
806:"Ask" (single version)
751:"Ask" (single version)
600:(1992), a compilation
508:, including waves and
478:
444:
319:The World Won't Listen
1620:The Headmaster Ritual
612:Credits and personnel
477:
1546:Girlfriend in a Coma
1483:Shakespeare's Sister
598:The Complete Picture
312:directed the song's
1174:cite AV media notes
1157:Rough Trade Records
1120:Irish Singles Chart
1048:. 16 September 2013
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568:Catch Us If You Can
559:Irish Singles Chart
306:Irish Singles Chart
283:Rough Trade Records
1695:The Smiths Is Dead
1327:Compilation albums
1069:"Ask - The Smiths"
983:. Backbeat Books.
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479:
393:at Jam Studios in
226:singles chronology
1711:
1710:
1689:Live performances
1634:The Queen Is Dead
1539:Sheila Take a Bow
1448:This Charming Man
1423:The Peel Sessions
1349:Louder Than Bombs
1292:The Queen Is Dead
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1672:Related articles
1648:I Know It's Over
1476:How Soon Is Now?
1335:Hatful of Hollow
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555:UK Singles Chart
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828:"Golden Lights"
817:"Cemetry Gates"
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721:Track listing
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180:Songwriter(s)
176:
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154:
153:The Very Best
135:
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60:Cemetry Gates
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1729:1986 singles
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1283:
1276:
1261:Craig Gannon
1188:
1155:
1151:
1146:
1076:. Retrieved
1062:
1052:21 September
1050:. Retrieved
1041:
1010:
980:
942:
837:
687:Craig Gannon
615:
605:
597:
594:Derek Jarman
591:
579:
577:
566:
563:Yootha Joyce
551:Sire Records
548:
528:
448:
445:
440:
431:Craig Gannon
388:
376:
370:Alan Bennett
365:
351:
344:
332:
323:
317:
310:Derek Jarman
308:. Filmmaker
299:
295:Craig Gannon
270:
268:
245:
155:... version)
152:
15:
1679:Discography
1591:Other songs
1309:Live albums
1251:Andy Rourke
1246:Johnny Marr
1162:liner notes
702:John Porter
682:bass guitar
678:Andy Rourke
652:Johnny Marr
588:Music video
391:John Porter
314:music video
291:Johnny Marr
214:John Porter
205:Producer(s)
194:Johnny Marr
172:Rough Trade
1744:1986 songs
1718:Categories
1278:The Smiths
1256:Mike Joyce
1230:The Smiths
1166:The Smiths
1078:2 December
917:References
901:UK Singles
872:UK Singles
706:production
673:percussion
665:Mike Joyce
602:home video
592:Filmmaker
536:automation
522:media help
461:jangle pop
354:Luxembourg
341:Background
330:live album
279:the Smiths
224:The Smiths
124:jangle pop
43:The Smiths
1599:Still Ill
1241:Morrissey
947:. Plume.
895:position
859:Ireland (
854:position
660:harmonica
643:Morrissey
637:Personnel
620:Locations
457:indie pop
366:Mozipedia
287:Morrissey
189:Morrissey
119:indie pop
83:June 1986
1405:Complete
1073:Allmusic
784:RTT194CD
510:seagulls
374:teleplay
372:'s 1978
358:pen pals
337:(1988).
80:Recorded
72:Released
1433:Singles
1377:Singles
1370:Best II
1356:Stop Me
631:England
467:Release
411:G major
259:(1987)
250:(1986)
241:(1986)
99:England
1627:Asleep
1363:Best I
1017:
987:
951:
842:Charts
798:Length
780:RTT194
743:Length
656:guitar
647:vocals
627:London
502:chorus
459:, and
435:Martin
395:London
133:Length
95:London
89:Studio
51:B-side
39:Single
1684:Songs
1518:Panic
795:Title
740:Title
729:RT194
669:drums
531:mixed
485:"Ask"
347:Panic
277:band
237:Panic
167:Label
158:2:59
149:3:10
106:Genre
24:"Ask"
1317:Rank
1180:link
1080:2017
1054:2017
1015:ISBN
985:ISBN
949:ISBN
893:Peak
861:IRMA
852:Peak
831:2:38
820:2:39
809:2:59
782:/CD
778:12"
769:2:39
754:2:59
606:Rank
500:The
334:Rank
322:and
275:rock
1525:Ask
1164:).
1152:Ask
1122:.
910:62
905:OCC
881:14
876:OCC
791:No.
736:No.
727:7"
575:".
409:of
407:key
271:Ask
246:Ask
41:by
1720::
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1172:{{
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925:^
907:)
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825:3.
814:2.
803:1.
759:2.
748:1.
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704:–
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680:–
671:,
667:–
658:,
654:–
645:–
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455:,
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360:.
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62:"
58:"
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