Girlfriend in a Coma

"Girlfriend in a Coma" is a song by the English rock band the Smiths, written by singer Morrissey and guitarist Johnny Marr. It was the first of three UK singles from the band's fourth and final studio album, Strangeways, Here We Come. Inspired by the song "To Be Young, Gifted and Black", "Girlfriend in a Coma" features a lilting acoustic guitar line performed by Marr and lyrics about a hospital-bound lover sung by Morrissey. "Girlfriend in a Coma" was released as a single in August 1987, reaching number 13 in the UK Singles Chart. The single features a cover of the Cilla Black song "Work Is a Four-Letter Word" on the B-side, a decision made by Morrissey that infuriated Marr to the point that it became a reason for the band's break-up in the aftermath of the single's release. As a result, Morrissey appears alone in the song's music video. "Girlfriend in a Coma" has seen critical acclaim for Marr's guitar work and Morrissey's witty lyricism. It has since appeared on multiple compilation albums and has been ranked by music writers as one of the band's best songs. Background "Girlfriend in a Coma" was inspired by Bob and Marcia's version of the Nina Simone song "To Be Young, Gifted and Black". Marr recalled, "[Morrissey and I] both absolutely adored it. So 'Girlfriend in a Coma' was trying to capture the spirit of that. If you listen to the string parts on both you maybe can see it." Initially the band attempted to record the song with a reggae-inspired arrangement, but, unhappy with this sound, the band collaborated with co-producer Stephen Street to re-arrange it with a more gentle acoustic sound.