I Started Something I Could n't Finish " is a song by the English rock band the Smiths . Released in November 1987 , it reached No. 23 in the UK Singles Chart . It was the second of three UK singles from the band 's fourth and final studio album , '' Strangeways , Here We Come '' , and was released after the band had announced their split . Rough Trade had originally intended to release " Stop Me If You Think You 've Heard This One Before " as a single in the UK but felt this would be inappropriate following the Hungerford massacre ( the lyrics contain a reference to " mass murder " )
Hungerford massacre
Hungerford massacre
I Started Something I Couldn't Finish