1975 Hit, Originally Written by '60s Rock Band, Ranked Among Best ‘Classic Rock Songs' of All Time
Long before it became a defining track of punk poet Patti Smith, "Gloria" had already lived another life.
The rock song was originally written by Van Morrison and recorded by his band Them in 1964. The tune received positive reviews and was successful upon its release, reaching No. 71 on the Billboard Hot 100. Two years later, the Shadows of Knight also recorded their own cover, which peaked at No. 10 on the charts.
Smith recorded "Gloria: In Excelsis Deo" for her 1975 debut studio album, Horses, reshaping the already iconic track by weaving in elements of her 1970 original poem "Oath." After recording and mixing the song, she and her band ultimately decided it should open the album.
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Since its release more than 50 years ago, "Gloria: In Excelsis Deo" has become a landmark of pop rock and is widely celebrated for merging poetry with rock music. Rolling Stone ranked the pieceNo. 97 on its 2024 list of the "500 Greatest Songs of All Time," and Collidernamed the song one of the "best classical rock songs" of all time.
Before the release of "Gloria," Smith's poem "Oath" was never published, but regularly performed by her at poetry slams in the early 1970s. The opening line, "Jesus died for somebody's sins, but not mine," serves as a reflection of her departure from her Jehovah's Witness upbringing. It has also been interpreted as a shift toward female empowerment and queer expression.
"My father taught us not to be a pawn in God's game," Smith told Interview Magazine in 1973. "He used to [blaspheme] and swear against God, putting him down. I got that side of me from him. The religious part, I guess, is from my mother, who is a complete religious fanatic."
Emerging from the 1970s New York punk scene, Smith is known for blending rock with written literature, mostly noted on Horses. Before her music career, she was already an accomplished poet, publishing work and performing spoken-word pieces in various downtown Manhattan venues. Her writing career remained central to her identity, spanning memoirs such as Just Kids, which is about her relationship with photographer Robert Mapplethorpe and won the National Book Award. The 79-year-old artist is still writing – most recently, she released her third memoir, Bread of Angels, in November 2025.
Across decades, Smith has influenced generations of musicians and writers by merging poetry, performance, and rock into a single expressive form. Her work consistently explores themes of art, freedom, spirituality, and rebellion, solidifying her status as both a cultural icon and a bridge between literary and musical worlds.
"Gloria: In Excelsis Deo" and the rest of her musical discography can be streamed on Spotify.
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This story was originally published May 6, 2026 at 1:23 PM.