The Smiths' song, written by the usual combination of Morrissey and Johnny Marr, came out on the group's 1987 album Strangeways, Here We Come.

The song was originally supposed to be released as a single and a music video was filmed, featuring scenes of the group-iconic Salford Lads Club and surrounding areas being bicycled through by the lads and friends. Because of a reference to "plan a mass murder" in one lyric it was banned from daytime airplay by the BBC because of the then recent Hungerford massacre, so the band decided not to release it in the UK, however it was released in various other regions including North America, Europe, Australia and Japan.

"Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before" was subsequently included on the compilation album Stop Me and on The Very Best of The Smiths. The song is also included in the music game Rock Band 3.

The cover of the single is a picture of British actor and singer Murray Head from a film still of the 1966 film The Family Way.