“There is a Light that Never Goes Out” Served by The Smiths, Dum Dum Girls and Amarante

One of the pivotal scenes in the romantic, yet self-professed “not a love story” indie film 500 Days of Summer is when Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s character falls head over heels for Zooey Deschanel’s manic pixie dream girl when she professes her love for The Smiths.

The song in question was none other than the desperately morbid, yet love-filled “There Is a Light That Never Goes Out.”

• A1 · The Smithsa heavenly way to die

  Although the Smiths are simply one of those bands with lasting power until the end of time, the slightest mention of this song brings back an extraordinary sense of nostalgia, as if the last time you heard it was yesterday.

  Lead singer Morrissey sings heartbreaking, youth-encapsulated lyrics like “And if a double-decker bus crashes into us/To die by your side/Is such a heavenly way to die.” Thanks to its compelling lyricism and stirring arrangement, the song has been covered by two groups that create their own lovely versions.

• B2 · Dum Dum Girlsa female Morrissey

  Recently, indie dream-pop band the Dum Dum Girls took an indie rock, shoegaze-y approach to the track. Lead singer Dee Dee eerily sounds like a perfect female version of Morrissey.

• C3 · Amarantea husband-and-wife duet

  Another version that stands out is by Fresno-based husband-and-wife folk duo Amarante, who put their own spin on the song with a cheerily strummed acoustic guitar and both of their voices.