"There Is a Light That Never Goes Out" is a song by the English rock band the Smiths, written by guitarist Johnny Marr and lead vocalist Morrissey.

[5] In 2005, Morrissey released a live version of the song as a double A-side with his cover of Patti Smith's "Redondo Beach", reaching No.

Four days later, the group made a monitor mix in the key of C♯ minor, this time accompanied by a synthesised string arrangement Marr created on an E-mu Emulator (credited to the "Hated Salford Ensemble" on the album release).

The recording was completed in November at Jacobs Studios in Farnham, Surrey, where Morrissey redid his vocal part twice and Marr added a flute melody.

[6] Marr later described the recording process of the song as "magical" and commented, "Someone told me that if you listen with the volume really, really up you can hear me shout 'That was amazing' right at the end.

[8] The song features an ascending F♯m–A–B chord sequence that guitarist Johnny Marr took from the Rolling Stones cover of Marvin Gaye's "Hitch Hike".

[6] AllMusic's Tim DiGravina argues that, while depressed characters were a regular feature in Morrissey's work, his lyric on "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out" "ups the sad-and-doomed quotient by leaps and bounds.

[10] Uncut also cited the British kitchen sink drama Saturday Night and Sunday Morning as an influence, specifically its line "Why don't you take me where it's lively and there's plenty of people?

Once the matter was resolved, Rough Trade owner Geoff Travis felt that "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out" should be the band's "comeback" record.

"[13] Regardless, "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out" became the second Smiths song to top BBC Radio 1 disc jockey John Peel's Festive Fifty poll in his 1986 tally.

Simon Goddard wrote, "In a straw poll among Smiths fans today, 'There Is a Light That Never Goes Out' would more than likely still come out victorious", which he credits to the "perfect balance" of Marr's compositional skills and Morrissey's lyricism.