"Suffer Little Children"
(Morrissey/Marr)

These lyrics are transcribed in light blue as they appear in the Smiths' debut album and are reproduced here without permission. Variations between the printed lyrics and what is sung by Morrissey are indicated in darker text for additions and omissions are deleted.

Over the moors, take me to the moors
dig a shallow grave
and I'll lay me down
Over the moor, take me to the moor
dig a shallow grave
and I'll lay me down

Lesley-Anne, with and your pretty white beads
oh John, you'll never be a man
and you'll never see your home again
oh Manchester, so much to answer for

Edward, see those alluring lights?
tonight will be your very last night

a woman said "I know my son is dead
I'll never rest my hands on his sacred head"

Hindley wakes and Hindley says stays:
Hindley wakes, Hindley wakes
Hindley wakes and says:
"Wherever he has gone, I have gone"

But fresh lilaced moorland fields
cannot hide the stolid stench of death
fresh lilaced moorland fields
cannot hide the stolid stench of death

Hindley wakes and Hindley says:
Hindley wakes, Hindley wakes
Hindley wakes and says:
"Whatever he has done, I have done" ¹

But this is no easy ride
for a child cries:

   "find me... find me, nothing more
   we're on a sullen misty moor ²
   we may be dead and we may be gone
   but we will be, we will be, we will be right by your side
   until the day you die
   this is no easy ride
   we will haunt you when you laugh
   yes, you could say we're a team
   you might sleep, you might sleep, you might sleep
   BUT YOU WILL NEVER DREAM!"
   you might sleep
   BUT YOU WILL NEVER DREAM!"
   you might sleep
   BUT YOU WILL NEVER DREAM!"

Oh Manchester, so much to answer for
Oh Manchester, so much to answer for ³
Find me, find me
find me
I'll haunt you when you laugh
I'll haunt you when you laugh
You might sleep
but you will, you will never dream
Over the moors, I'm on the moor
Over the moor
the child is on the moor

 

² In a very early unreleased demo of this song Morrissey sang this line as "we're on a sad and misty moor "

³ The lines following this one were not in early demos of the song.