“There Is a Light That Never Goes Out” is a sacred Smiths classic by now, one that makes fans across the globe join hands and mope together. To some it is a depressive anthem, to others a hopeful testament of love; perhaps its a theme song for teenage angst. The truth is that this song is essentially an artistic horoscope, giving each listener their own personal connection to the same soundbite.

The song was the second single off of The Smiths' 1986 album The Queen Is Dead (subsequently re-released as a single six years after the album was released). The fan favourite has stood out for its ideal balance of Morrissey’s irreplaceable voice and lyricism and the ingenious guitar ability of Johnny Marr.

The song became The Smiths' second song to top BBC Radio One DJ John Peel’s Festive Fifty poll in his 1986 edition.
As a single, the song reached number 25 on the UK Singles Chart.

The song has been referenced in multiple works of art, such as the novel Trainspotting, the movie (500) Days of Summer and the TV series Orange is the New Black. Multiple artists have also covered it, including superfan Noel Gallagher and Miley Cyrus.