The song was probably written shortly before the recording sessions for the album "The Queen Is Dead" in October-November 1985 at Jacobs Studios in Farnham (Surrey). Morrissey and Johnny produced the recording, with Stephen Street as recording engineer.

album / single version {2:39}

• "The Queen Is Dead" album

• original "Ask" single, all formats

• re-release of the "Ask" single, all formats

• deluxe edition of "The Sound Of The Smiths" [remastered 2008]

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

The song has been performed live 41 times by the Smiths, perhaps even up to 43 times if we take into account the fact that some setlists from that era have been lost. All performances are from 1986. Actually, the song was done at every concert the band gave in 1986 (for which the setlist is known, and with the exception of a few ones interrupted early), either early in the year before the release of the album "The Queen Is Dead" (4 times) or on the tour promoting it following its release (37 times, perhaps 39).

live Kilburn 23 October 1986 {3:09}

• "Rank" (live album)

It has been performed live a further 24 times by Morrissey after the Smiths, all during the 2009 Swords tour. It was a fixture on the latter tour, done every night except on two occasions when the concert was interrupted early.

studio outtake {3:06}

Taken from a record company cd-r of a scrapped reissue project, this has not yet leaked on bootlegs.

Quotes

"When we signed with Rough Trade we were being hailed as The Great New Songwriters, and I was on the train coming back thinking, 'Right, if you're so great - first thing in the morning, sit down and write A Great Song.' I started with Cemetry Gates' BM to G change in open G..."
- Johnny Marr, The Guitar Magazine, January 1997