Catchy jangling guitars, fantastic lyrics and delivery, and the very understated yet very fantastic additional string sections make The Queen Is Dead as pleasant to listen to as it is touching.

People who defend “Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others” being the closing track are off their rockers. “There Is a Light That Never Goes Out” could have been one of the greatest closing tracks of all time, as Morrissey repeats the song’s title repeatedly like an eternal mantra as the song fades out, an optimistic message and voice of courage that stands against the album’s darker themes.

“Some Girls” throws that right out the window and ends the album on a silly song that would have been one of the weakest on the album even if it weren’t hurting the album’s conclusion as it is now. Yes, it shows off The Smiths’s humorous side, but so does “Frankly, Mr. Shankly,” “I Know It’s Over,” “Cemetry Gates,” and “Vicar in a Tutu,” all while having a stronger message attached to them. Should’ve been a B-side.

Also, the fade-out at the beginning of “Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others” is beyond awful and totally pointless. I remember reading an interview once where drummer Mike Joyce was so proud of coming up with the idea. Poor guys just couldn’t say no.