The song is featured on the compilation albums Hatful of Hollow and Louder Than Bombs, as well as other best of and singles collections.

425 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest songs of all time.

When the band performed the song on Top of the Pops, Morrissey ripped open his shirt to reveal the words "MARRY ME" written on his chest ("Would you like to marry me?"

"[3] The song is popularly believed to have been about Morrissey's short-lived friendship with Billy Mackenzie, lead singer of the Associates.

The Associates' compilation album Double Hipness, released in August 2000, included the song "Stephen, You're Really Something", recorded by Billy MacKenzie and Alan Rankine during the band's reunion in 1993 as a response to "William, It Was Really Nothing".