The song was very likely written shortly before it was recorded, which was in October 1986 at Mayfair Studios in London, with producer John Porter and fifth Smith Craig Gannon. "Half A Person" and "London" also came out of this recording session, but these were produced by Johnny and Morrissey with the help of Stephen Street as engineer.

single / album version {3:32}

• Mispressings of the "Shoplifters Of The World Unite" 12" single

• "The World Won't Listen" album

• "The Sound Of The Smiths" [remastered 2008]

• edition of "Louder Than Bombs" included in the "Complete" box set

alternate album version {3:23}

• "Louder Than Bombs" album, except on the Rhino edition first included in the "Complete" box set then released separately

Note: The two versions of this song are almost the same. The minor differences lie in the production. The "Louder Than Bombs" version has fewer overdubs and fades about 9 seconds earlier. According to mastering engineer Frank Arkwright who remastered it for "The Sound Of The Smiths", the song on the latter compilation is slightly slower than any version previously issued, but this is not perceptible to the human ear and the timing remained the same.

This song has never been performed specifically for radio or television.

The song was never done in concert by the Smiths. It was played only 9 times by Morrissey after the Smiths, all between late June and late July 2009 in the middle of the Tour Of Refusal.

live Warsaw 2009 {3:13} [Morrissey after the Smiths]

• limited 2-cd edition of the "Swords" album

No demos or studio outtakes of this song have leaked to the general public at this point in time.

Quotes

"Obviously Geoff was staunchly against it because he thought it was a personal letter addressed to him."
Well? Was it a personal letter addressed to Geoff Travis?
"I never said it was a personal letter addressed to him. That's just a very very cruel assumption on your behalf."
- Morrissey on 'You Just Haven't Earned It Yet, Baby', NME, 13 February 1988