Smile

Album: Alright, Still (2006)
Charted: 1 49
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Songfacts®:

  • In this song Lily laughs at her ex-boyfriend, DJ Lester Lloyd, as he attempts to win her back after the terrible way he treated her in their relationship and the negative impact this subsequently had on her.In the Sun newspaper of September 19, 2006 she describes performing the song at the Secret Garden Party: "The festival was well good, particularly as Lester (my ex, who I wrote Smile about, and subsequently sold his story to the papers) had a tent positioned directly opposite the main stage. So he and his new girlfriend had no option but to watch me perform to a couple of thousand people singing Smile back to me. Oh, it's the little things eh!" >>
    Suggestion credit:
    Edward Pearce - Ashford, Kent, England
  • The organ part was sampled from the song "Free Soul" by the '60s reggae group The Soul Brothers.
  • This was Allen's first single, and it was an instant hit in her native England. She performed the song on several TV appearances and other promotional events, including Top of the Pops and Saturday Night Live. At the 2007 South By Southwest (SXSW) music fest in Austin, Texas, Allen declared that she was "So sick of this song" before performing it.
  • Lily was an inexperienced songwriter when she sat down with pop hitmakers Iyiola Babalola and Darren Lewis (Nicole Scherzinger, Shakira) to write this. She explained in Daniel Rachel's The Art of Noise: Conversations with Great Songwriters: "I remember writing the verse and the chorus and then them going, 'OK, we just need a middle eight,' and I was like, 'I don't know what that is.' So I had to run out of the studio and call my manager. I was so embarrassed."

    After her manager explained the middle eight was "that piddly bit in the middle that's not the verse and not the chorus but kind of links the two," she came up with a series of la, la, la's to fill the space.
  • In the video, Allen takes revenge on an ex-boyfriend (played by EastEnders actor Elliott Jordan) in various ways, including hiring gangsters to beat him up and spiking his coffee with laxatives. The clip was directed by Sophie Muller, who's known for her collaborations with Gwen Stefani, Shakira, Beyonce, and others.

Comments: 10

  • AnonymousI dont understand what lilly allen ment by "it dont mean jackl
  • Bob from Schenectady, NyA different version of this song with a punchy, up-beat tempo and ska-influenced melody can be heard as the last track of the album.
  • Jen from Plymouth, MnShe sang the song in simlish for sims 2 seasons expansion pack.
  • Niki from Madison, WiAwesome song and music video. I can't help but smile too.
  • Katie from Temecula, Cai love this song sooooo much!!! its about revenge and how she got back at her ex b friend!!! she has a wonderful voice but kinda has a bad swearing problem and big mouth! eekk but she has a really good voice and is full of life and spunk! she needs 2 keep up the good work!!
  • Dave from Cardiff, Wales**LILY DATING ANYONE*** I meant to say, I keep mixing her up with Amy Winehouse! LOL
  • Dave from Cardiff, WalesDJ Lester Lloyd hit back at Lily's claims in late 2006, claiming that she treated him just as badly as he did her, and that her "drug problems", "wild temper" and "big mouth" caused the relationship to turn sour. Amy dating anyone these days? I'd sure like to try and tame her! :D
  • Carol from Bracebridge (town), United StatesLily Allen made her American debut on the Ellen DeGeneres show and I loved everything about it. Her voice is beautiful and I was riveted.
  • Michelle from Wilmington, DeI really like this song, it really helps to get you thru a break up when ya blast it really loud and sing to the high heavens! And it's sooooo catchy! THANKS LILY!
  • Hatty from Harrogate, EnglandFIRST UP - Lily rawwwks. This is basically about a girl (Lily) trying to get over a break up with her ex (Lester) after she finds him 'doing' 'that girl next door'. She ditches him and finds that his depression amuses her!
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