Rubuta ci gaba don wannan sakin layi - A matsayin jagora na Smiths, Morrissey - wanda aka bayyana a matsayin "lanky, mai laushi, mai banƙyama da tabarau" - ya rushe yawancin ka'idojin da aka hade da kiɗan pop da rock. Sauƙin ƙarancin band ɗin ya kasance martani ne ga wuce gona da iri wanda New Romantics ya bayyana, kuma yayin da Morrissey ya ɗauki bayyanar androgynous kamar New Romantics ko glam rockers na baya, nasa ya fi dabara da ƙima. In ji wani mai sharhi, "yana son littattafai; yana saka tabarau na NHS da na'urar sauraro a kan fage; ba ya aure. Mafi munin duka, ya kasance mai gaskiya", tare da waƙarsa "mai cike da baƙin ciki, mai haɗari, mai ban dariya mai ban sha'awa wanda ya yaudari masu sauraronsa... cikin dangantaka da shi da waƙarsa maimakon duniya". A cikin wata takarda ta ilimi game da ƙungiyar, Julian Stringer ya bayyana Smiths a matsayin "ɗaya daga cikin ƙungiyoyin siyasa mafi bayyane na Burtaniya", yayin da a cikin binciken aikin su, Andrew Warns ya kira su "mafi yawan ƙungiyoyin adawa da jari hujja". Morrissey ya kasance mai mahimmanci a cikin sukar da ya yi wa Firayim Minista Margaret Thatcher; bayan da aka kai bam din otel din Brighton a watan Oktoba 1984
, ya yi sharhi cewa "kawai baƙin ciki" na shi ne "cewa Thatcher tsere unscathed". A shekarar 1988, ya bayyana cewa Sashe na 28 "yana nuna ainihin yanayin Thatcher da ƙiyayya ta na halitta".