284:
Marr wrote the track while in open E tuning, recalling, "I had no idea what I was doing when I wrote it, and I quite like that. I think it's a handy device for cutting out the brain static that gets in the way of coming up with chord changes." Musically, the song opens with an open-tuned chord that
401:
ranked the song as the 24th best Smiths song, writing, "There's something almost spectral about the open-tuned chord Marr hammers in the song's intro. It's echoed in the tremolo effect
Morrissey's vocals achieve in the chorus, which sounds halfway between a yodel and a cry for help."
281:. As Marr recounted, "An eyebrow was very definitely raised at this point, and he went away to mull it over. When we reconvened 24 hours later, he said he'd given it a lot of thought and was impressed by my observation. Then, of course, he went on to do sod-all about it!"
427:'The Headmaster Ritual' is just so good. The lyrics are fantastic. ... In this song, the delivery is great, and the playing is fantastic, but the lyrics are something else. I think it's probably one of the best songs about being at school that I've ever heard."
378:
spoke glowingly of the song, writing "When good, it's great: 'The
Headmaster Ritual', especially, is full of chills-down-the-spine moments from Morrissey (the wordless, yodeling chorus that rhymes with
389:
the second verse's thrilling deviations from the first)" and commenting, "It's safe to say that nobody else, before or since, has opened a significant rock album by hammering the bejesus out of the
316:
Morrissey has described the song as "a live-wire spitfire guitar sound that takes on all-comers." He would sing the song in some of his solo tours, the song appears on his live setlist for the
608:
340:, "The Headmaster Ritual" was released as a single in the Netherlands. The cover art for the single, chosen by Morrissey, features a black-and-white image of a child dressed as a
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239:. The song attracted attention and controversy in the UK for its lyrics. The song has drawn critical acclaim for Morrissey's vocals and lyricism as well as for Marr's guitar.
29:
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named the song as the band's 11th-greatest guitar moment, stating, "An in-your-face, staccato acoustic guitar assault triggers the beginning of
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The song's lyrics attracted controversy upon release, with the incumbent headmaster of
Morrissey's alma mater interviewing with UK
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schools. The song was the only one in which Marr made a suggestion to
Morrissey on the lyrics, specifically to change the line
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Education
Authority threatened to ban the Smiths from playing in Manchester due to their objection to the song's lyrics.
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said of the song, "The brute in 'The
Headmaster Ritual' was my mustached, short-shorted gym teacher Mr. Trenary."
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part." Marr noted that the song took "about three years" to write, the longest it took him to write any song.
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301:'The Headmaster Ritual' main riff is two tracks of Rickenbacker. I wasn't specifically thinking of
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247:"The Headmaster Ritual" was written as a criticism of the English education system, citing the
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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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227:, "The Headmaster Ritual" features a jangling guitar line with inspirations as diverse as
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212:(1985). It was released as a single in the Netherlands. The music was written by
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635:"Johnny Marr Teaches Viewers How to Play the Smiths' 'The Headmaster Ritual'"
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fan." Most of the song's guitar parts, according to Marr, were played on a
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that appeared as the first song on their second studio album,
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309:' (even though it sounds like it) but I did think of it as a
812:
A Light That Never Goes Out: The
Enduring Saga of the Smiths
455:
the chords, but maybe he was looking out of the window!"
393:, open-tuned chord that begins 'The Headmaster Ritual'."
837:"Ranking: Every Song by The Smiths from Worst to Best"
451:. After watching the cover, Marr joked, "I have shown
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334:In addition to its release as the opening song on
1254:Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before
695:"The Smiths' 20 greatest guitar moments, ranked"
423:praised the song in a 1992 interview, stating,
223:Written as a critique of British education and
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416:named the song as the 39th-best Smiths song.
8:
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1300:Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want
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1247:Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me
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609:"Rob Sheffield Ranks All 73 Smiths Songs"
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384:I want to go home/ I don't want to stay,
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48:
37:
1349:A Rush and a Push and the Land Is Ours
1240:I Started Something I Couldn't Finish
7:
1261:There Is a Light That Never Goes Out
722:Carman, Richard (5 November 2015).
1191:The Boy with the Thorn in His Side
809:Fletcher, Tony (3 December 2013).
662:Wolk, Douglas (18 November 2011).
184:The Boy with the Thorn in His Side
14:
1342:Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others
862:MacColl, Jean (6 November 2014).
779:Luerssen, John D. (August 2015).
664:"The Smiths: The Smiths Complete"
289:"would have done had she been an
266:bruises bigger than dinner plates
33:Cover of the Dutch single release
865:My Kirsty - End of the Fairytale
607:Sheffield, Rob (1 August 2017).
633:Blistein, Jon (17 April 2020).
419:Singer and Smiths collaborator
1219:Shoplifters of the World Unite
1156:William, It Was Really Nothing
1149:Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now
693:Price, Andy (17 August 2021).
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285:Marr has described it as what
1:
1184:That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore
1142:What Difference Does It Make?
749:Morrissey (4 November 2014).
1426:Songs written by Johnny Marr
323:Who Put the M in Manchester?
276:bruises big as dinner plates
202:" is a song by English band
1436:Rough Trade Records singles
1071:The Very Best of The Smiths
785:. Hal Leonard Corporation.
1462:
1431:Songs written by Morrissey
815:. Crown Publishing Group.
1268:Sweet and Tender Hooligan
986:Strangeways, Here We Come
923:
868:. Kings Road Publishing.
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1389:Shoplifters of the World
1177:Barbarism Begins at Home
1441:Songs about child abuse
1078:The Sound of The Smiths
536:"The Headmaster Ritual"
514:MD 125295 (Netherlands)
489:"The Headmaster Ritual"
22:"The Headmaster Ritual"
16:1985 song by The Smiths
1293:Suffer Little Children
1198:Bigmouth Strikes Again
1085:The Smiths Singles Box
1029:The World Won't Listen
569:"Shakespeare's Sister"
558:"Stretch Out and Wait"
1446:Songs about educators
1307:The Headmaster Ritual
467:MD 5290 (Netherlands)
200:The Headmaster Ritual
175:The Headmaster Ritual
1233:Girlfriend in a Coma
1170:Shakespeare's Sister
841:Consequence of Sound
516:
469:
344:from the 1965 film
225:corporal punishment
1382:The Smiths Is Dead
1014:Compilation albums
843:. 21 February 2019
728:. Bonnier Zaffre.
511:
500:"Oscillate Wildly"
464:
443:It was covered by
369:Critical reception
252:belligerent ghouls
216:and the lyrics by
155:singles chronology
1398:
1397:
1376:Live performances
1321:The Queen Is Dead
1226:Sheila Take a Bow
1135:This Charming Man
1110:The Peel Sessions
1036:Louder Than Bombs
979:The Queen Is Dead
875:978-1-78418-259-5
822:978-0-307-71596-8
792:978-1-4950-4596-7
762:978-0-14-310750-7
735:978-1-78418-930-3
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320:concert release,
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1411:The Smiths songs
1359:Related articles
1335:I Know It's Over
1163:How Soon Is Now?
1022:Hatful of Hollow
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547:"Nowhere Fast"
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408:Meat Is Murder
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957:Studio albums
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752:Autobiography
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459:Track listing
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413:Rolling Stone
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287:Joni Mitchell
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233:Joni Mitchell
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119:Songwriter(s)
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63:February 1985
62:
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20:
1421:1985 singles
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948:Craig Gannon
864:
857:
845:. Retrieved
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702:. Retrieved
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295:Rickenbacker
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1366:Discography
1278:Other songs
996:Live albums
938:Andy Rourke
933:Johnny Marr
755:. Penguin.
447:for a 2007
429:Colin Meloy
398:Consequence
307:Day Tripper
303:the Beatles
229:the Beatles
214:Johnny Marr
142:Producer(s)
132:Johnny Marr
111:Rough Trade
1416:1985 songs
1405:Categories
965:The Smiths
943:Mike Joyce
917:The Smiths
847:30 October
618:31 October
591:References
453:Ed O'Brien
363:Manchester
259:Manchester
243:Background
204:the Smiths
153:The Smiths
147:The Smiths
76:Indie rock
44:The Smiths
1286:Still Ill
928:Morrissey
668:Pitchfork
445:Radiohead
375:Pitchfork
347:The Uncle
218:Morrissey
127:Morrissey
1092:Complete
704:28 April
359:tabloids
326:(2005).
257:who ran
60:Released
1120:Singles
1064:Singles
1057:Best II
1043:Stop Me
449:webcast
330:Release
188:(1985)
179:(1985)
170:(1985)
1314:Asleep
1050:Best I
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789:
759:
732:
699:Guitar
528:Length
481:Length
404:Guitar
391:capoed
361:. The
342:cowboy
235:, and
89:Length
1371:Songs
1205:Panic
673:2 May
644:2 May
525:Title
478:Title
386:'
382:'
278:'
274:'
268:'
264:'
254:'
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106:Label
69:Genre
1004:Rank
870:ISBN
849:2020
817:ISBN
787:ISBN
757:ISBN
730:ISBN
706:2022
675:2022
646:2022
620:2020
583:5:34
572:2:12
561:2:49
550:2:31
539:4:52
512:12"
503:2:32
492:4:52
40:Song
1212:Ask
521:No.
474:No.
465:7"
431:of
318:DVD
305:' '
291:MC5
271:to
237:MC5
42:by
1407::
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801:^
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611:.
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