Guitarist Johnny Marr wrote the music for several songs that appeared on "The Queen Is Dead" while the Smiths toured Britain in early 1985, working out arrangements with bassist Andy Rourke and drummer Mike Joyce during soundchecks. The title of the album is from Hubert Selby Jr.'s 1964 novel "Last Exit to Brooklyn". The cover art features French actor Alain Delon in the 1964 film "L’Insoumis". The album was produced by Morrissey and Marr, working predominantly with engineer Stephen Street, who had engineered the band's 1985 album "Meat Is Murder".