The Smiths, taken by Stephen Wright

For over 30 years, The Smiths have been the voice of angsty and lonely teenagers looking for somewhere to belong. And while lead singer Morrissey’s lyrics touch on a spectrum of different topics–from Oscar Wilde to the evils of meat-eating–the most recurring subject in both his solo work and The Smiths’ discography is love, and not always the happy kind.

Morrissey’s infamously lovelorn lyrics usually delve into the darker aspects of the phenomenon, which is perhaps why some may think The Bell House’s Smiths-themed Valentine’s Day concert doesn’t make much sense. Nevertheless, Brooklynites have the opportunity to listen to Smiths tribute band Sons & Heirs perform the group’s tragic tunes of lost love in an effort to make the love-centric holiday more tolerable — or perhaps to just simply appreciate some well crafted lyrics and sharp melodies.

As a lyricist, Morrissey is known for his biting, honest, and relatable lines. Even the most romantically successful and charming have no doubt shed a tear or two during “I Know It’s Over”:

If you’re so funny,
Then why are you on your own tonight?
And if you’re so clever,
Then why are you on your own tonight?
If you’re so very entertaining,
Then why are you on your own tonight?
If you’re so very good-looking,
Why do you sleep alone tonight?

“How Soon is Now?” declares “I am human and I need to be loved just like everybody else does,” while “Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me” assures:

Last night I dreamt
That somebody loved me
No hope, no harm
Just another false alarm

Morrissey’s great humor that often permeates his lyrics can’t be ignored, though. To haphazardly categorize all Smiths songs as “sad” or “depressing” would be missing the point, and would paint the group as something that they simply are not. In their most well-known song, “There Is a Light That Never Goes Out,” Morrissey famously sings, “And if a double-decker bus crashes into us, to die by your side would be a heavenly way to die.” “Shoplifters of the World Unite” jokingly encourages kleptomaniacs to grab whatever they can get their hands on, and “Vicar in a Tutu” tells the tale of, well, a vicar who has a habit of wearing tutus.

Still, it’s not hard to imagine a room full of singles at Brooklyn’s Bell House connecting to lyrics like, “Love is just a miserable lie,” and “I am human and I need to be loved just like everybody else does.” While there is always a fine line between making ourselves feel worse and comforting ourselves when we decide to put on a sad song, it seems that more often than not, we have to get more upset in order to feel better.

So next time you find one of your friends moping around over Valentine’s Day, send them a Smith’s playlist and hand them a box of Kleenex. Though it would probably be a good idea to sprinkle in a few lighter tunes just to keep them even.

Here’s a list of some of my favorite Smiths songs, made up of both the funny and the dark: