panic

See also pan pipes, Don't Panic, pandemonium

As Johnny Marr (co-head of the Smiths with Morrissey) said in a 1987 NME interview with Danny Kelly:

"To those who took offence at the 'burn down the disco' line I'd say -- please show me the black members of New Order! For me, personally, New Order make great disco music, but there's no black people in the group. The point I'm making is that you can't just interchange the words 'black' and 'disco', or the phrases 'black music' and 'disco music'. It makes no earthly sense."

The true meaning behind the lyrics had to do with the fact that Marr and Morrissey were appalled to hear British DJ Steve Wright report the Chernobyl disaster on the radio and then follow it by playing a Wham! song. As Marr says in the same interview:

"'Panic' came about at the time of Chernobyl. Morrissey and myself were listening to a Newsbeat radio report about it. The story about this shocking disaster comes to an end and then, immediately, we're off into Wham!'s 'I'm Your Man'. I remember actually saying 'what the fuck has this got to do with peoples' lives?' We hear about Chernobyl, then, seconds later, we're expected to be jumping around to 'I'm Your Man'."

Although Panic was not on any Smith's LP, it is on many of The Smiths' live albums and singles collections, for any interested listeners.

This node was moved from the Hang the DJ node on 2/14/01.

Pan"ic (?), n. [L. panicum.] Bot.

A plant of the genus Panicum; panic grass; also, the edible grain of some species of panic grass.

Panic grass Bot., any grass of the genus Panicum.

© Webster 1913.

Pan"ic, a. [Gr. of or pertaining to Pan, to whom the causing of sudden fright was ascribed: cf. F. panique.]

Extreme or sudden and causeless; unreasonable; -- said of fear or fright; as, panic fear, terror, alarm.

Dryden.

© Webster 1913.

Pan"ic, n. [Gr. (with or without fear): cf. F. panigue. See Panic, a.]

1.

A sudden, overpowering fright; esp., a sudden and groundless fright; terror inspired by a trifling cause or a misapprehension of danger; as, the troops were seized with a panic; they fled in a panic.

2.

By extension: A sudden widespread fright or apprehension concerning financial affairs.

© Webster 1913.