Johnny claims to have written the music at the end of the summer of 1984, but elements within it can be traced back to a home demo from late 1983 as well as an instrumental demo recorded at Jam Studios in London in July 1984, with producer John Porter, alongside material that would soon after be released on the "William, It Was Really Nothing" single.

The song was mainly recorded in October 1984 at Amazon Studios in Liverpool, with the Smiths (mostly Johnny) acting as producer and Stephen Street as recording engineer. Overdubs were added the following month at Ridge Farm Studios in Surrey. The song's final mixing was done in December 1984 at Island Record's Fallout Shelter.

single / album version {4:00}

• original "How Soon Is Now?"single, all formats (except in the USA and Canada)

• "Meat Is Murder" album

• Greek 12" of "Barbarism Begins At Home"

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

This song has never been done live, either by the Smiths or Morrissey.

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

Quotes

"'Well I Wonder' I really like as well. It's one of those things that a modern group could try and emulate but never get the spirit of. It's so simple."
- Johnny Marr, Record Collector, November/December 1992