Sumisu paints the picture of two teenage outsiders draped in black shirts, hiding in the corner of the schoolyard with deeply disappointed looks. Their world feels gloomy, lonely, and impossible to explain to the rest of the class. Every time the weight of life gets too heavy – which is often – they retreat to a bedroom, press play on a cherished cassette, and let the jangly melancholy of The Smiths wash over them.
The song is both a nostalgic love letter to 80s alternative music and a celebration of friendship. As the guitars of The Smiths, The Cure, and New Order fill the room, the two misfits discover comfort, understanding, and even a hint of romance in each other’s arms. Farin Urlaub’s playful title “Sumisu” (a Japanese-style pronunciation of “Smiths”) hints at the affectionate, almost secret code shared by fans. In just a few verses he reminds us how the right song can turn shared sadness into a bond that lasts far beyond the final chord.