"How Soon Is Now?" is a 1984 song written by Morrissey and Johnny Marr and first released by their band The Smiths. Sire Records chief Seymour Stein called it "the 'Stairway to Heaven' of the Eighties", Simon Goddard (2004). The Smiths - Songs That Saved Your Life: pp.107-114 Johnny Rogan (2006). Morrissey: The Albums: p.38 while co-writer Johnny Marr described it as "possibly our most enduring record. It's most people's favourite, I think." . Despite its prominent place in The Smiths' repertoire, however, it is not generally considered to be representative of the band's style.
Originally a B-side with "Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want" on the 12" single version of "William, It Was Really Nothing" in 1984, the song was subsequently featured on the compilation album Hatful of Hollow and on US, Australian and Warner UK editions of Meat Is Murder. It was belatedly released as an A-side in the UK in 1985, reaching #24 on the singles chart.
Although a club favourite, "How Soon Is Now" did not chart as well as writers Morrissey and Marr had expected. Most commentators put this down to the fact that the song had been out on vinyl in a number of forms before being released as a single in its own right. The original track ran for nearly 7 minutes; however, the 7" single edit cut the length down to under four minutes. The complete version is generally used on compilations.
