In my 1980s youth, I collected vinyl. One genre, so to speak, very specifically—12 inch vinyl singles from The Smiths. The vast majority in my collection have scratched lyrics, essentially altered riffs of original lyrics, play on words, and obscure literary references on the clear empty area of the record nearest the center. I am curious to know if it is all vinyl.
Once discovered, these "run-off groove" messages added allure—the B-sides were also extraordinary—to acquiring such rare and coveted records across the pond in the United States.
Do you have old Smith 12-inch vinyl singles or albums? Do they have secretly scratched hidden messages? Maybe they're not secret to the people or persons who etched the messages?
As reported by Far Out Magazine in 2020,
"The idea was a simple one. Morrissey would scratch in a simple message, a joke, a double entendre or indeed anything that popped into his brain at the time, into the dead space at the end of the grooves on the record he would scratch in a few words and gift his and The Smiths fans another reason to increase their fandom a little further."
Below are a few examples:
"You are believing you do not want to sleep."
Original lyric from "Rubber Ring:" "You are sleeping you do not want to believe"
"And never more shall be so."
"The Tatty Truth."
"Are you loathsome tonight?"
The Smiths were obviously not the first or only band with lyrics or words etched inside the inner groove. Check out this 2015 Guardian article on hidden songs and "run-off groove" messages.
