Sweet and Tender Hooligan

"Sweet and Tender Hooligan" is a song by The Smiths, recorded in 1986, and released as a single in May 1995 by their American record company Sire Records. It was released to promote the compilation album Singles.

Whereas WEA in Europe opted to re-issue the 1986 "Ask" single to promote Singles, Sire thought it wiser to put out a single containing rarities, even though none of them featured on the actual compilation, as neither "Sweet and Tender Hooligan" itself nor its supporting tracks had been previously released as a single. The title track had previously been recorded for the BBC and included on the 1987 compilation Louder Than Bombs and the 12" of "Sheila Take a Bow"; "I Keep Mine Hidden", "Work Is a Four-Letter Word" and "What's the World?" were previously hard-to-find B-sides to earlier singles "Girlfriend in a Coma" and "I Started Something I Couldn't Finish" (both 1987).

The lyrics describe the lenient sentencing of a hooligan, with the narrator sarcastically taking the side of the criminal, saying "and he'll never ever do it again / of course he won't / not until the next time".

Track listing

"Sweet and Tender Hooligan" (Morrissey, Johnny Marr) – 3:35
"I Keep Mine Hidden" (Morrissey, Marr) – 1:59
"Work Is a Four-Letter Word" (Guy Woolfenden, Don Black) – 2:47
"What's the World?" (live) (Tim Booth, Jim Glennie, Paul Gilbertson, Gavan Whelan) – 2:06

Artwork

A still of boxer Cornelius Carr from the video of Morrissey's contemporary solo single "Boxers" as directed by James O'Brien in 1995.

Reviews

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	^[1]

Jack Rabid of Allmusic described this song as "one of their great punk-inspired moments (along with "London") and as usual, should have been the A-side anyway."^[1]

Notes

1 2 Rabid, Jack. "Sweet and Tender Hooligan Review". Allmusic. Retrieved 29 October 2012.

The Smiths

Morrissey Johnny Marr Andy Rourke Mike Joyce Craig Gannon Dale Hibbert

Studio albums	The Smiths Meat Is Murder The Queen Is Dead Strangeways, Here We Come

Extended plays	The Peel Sessions

Live albums	Rank

Compilations	Hatful of Hollow The World Won't Listen Louder Than Bombs Stop Me Best... I ...Best II Singles The Very Best of The Smiths The Sound of The Smiths The Smiths Singles Box Complete

Singles	"Hand in Glove" "This Charming Man" "What Difference Does It Make?" "Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now" "William, It Was Really Nothing" "How Soon Is Now?" "Shakespeare's Sister" "Barbarism Begins at Home" "That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore" "The Boy with the Thorn in His Side" "Bigmouth Strikes Again" "Panic" "Ask" "Shoplifters of the World Unite" "Sheila Take a Bow" "Girlfriend in a Coma" "I Started Something I Couldn't Finish" "Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me" "Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before" "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out" "Sweet and Tender Hooligan"

Other songs	"Suffer Little Children" "Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want" "Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others"

Related articles	Discography The Smiths Is Dead Songs List of live performances

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