The Smiths’ “Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want” is a song that resonates with yearning and vulnerability. Its simple yet profound melody, combined with Morrissey’s poignant lyrics, has cemented its place as a classic. Simon Goddard’s book, The Smiths: Songs That Saved Your Life, brilliantly dissects every nuance of the band’s discography, revealing the depth and complexity hidden within their music. For casual fans and die-hard obsessives alike, Goddard’s work illuminates the band’s genius, from literary allusions to production intricacies. Inspired by this exploration, and spurred by a conversation with a friend – a self-confessed Smiths devotee named Jon – we embarked on a journey of our own: to explore the vast landscape of covers of “Let Me Get What I Want Song.”
Jon, when pressed to name his top Smiths tracks, inevitably includes “Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want.” His affection for this b-side, with its melancholic mandolin and heartfelt plea, is undeniable. This widespread adoration for the song is evident in the sheer number of cover versions that exist. A quick Wikipedia search reveals a staggering list of artists who have interpreted this Smiths gem. This abundance of covers sparked a somewhat audacious idea: to listen to a curated selection of these renditions with Jon and document his (and my own) reactions. Despite Jon’s initial apprehension, fearing this project might test the limits of his Smiths fandom (and perhaps our friendship), he reluctantly agreed.
Our selection process wasn’t exhaustive. We navigated through countless acoustic renditions on platforms like YouTube, setting criteria for inclusion: official releases or performances by recognizable bands, favoring accessible recordings over obscure live versions. Regrettably, this meant omitting covers by notable artists like The Decemberists, Franz Ferdinand, and OK Go, simply due to availability. What follows is a subjective and often humorous review of eighteen covers of “Let Me Get What I Want song,” charting a course through musical interpretations that range from the sublime to the, well, less so.
Alt Text: Simon Goddard’s “The Smiths: Songs That Saved Your Life” book cover, highlighting in-depth analysis of The Smiths’ music.
The Dream Academy: 80s Keyboard Dreams or a Dated Disaster?
Who: An English band epitomizing 80s folk-pop, complete with signature synthesizers alongside acoustic guitars.
Where: Famously featured as an instrumental piece in the art gallery scene of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, The Dream Academy also released a vocal version as a single in 1984, remarkably soon after the original.
What?
Jon: Morrissey sounds almost masculine in comparison now. They’ve clearly just discovered the flanger pedal. New gear must equal good music, right? This feels like it’s dragging on…
Sebastian: Did you encounter this version in every elevator during your time in England?
Jon: Covering a song the same year it came out feels a bit premature, doesn’t it? Did Morrissey ever comment on this?
Sebastian: Goddard’s book mentions its inclusion on the interval tape during the Smiths’ 1985 Scottish tour. Morrissey himself said in an 1988 interview, “I liked the Dream Academy version… Everyone despised it and it got to number 81, which is nearly a hit.” What strikes me is how this highlights the potential for 80s production to sound even more dated, especially with those prominent keyboards.
Alt Text: The Dream Academy, an 80s British band known for their folk-pop sound and cover of “Let Me Get What I Want Song”.
The Halo Benders: Calvin Johnson’s Baritone Versus Doug Martsch’s High Notes – A Clash of Vocals
Who: A collaboration between Calvin Johnson of Beat Happening’s deep baritone and Doug Martsch of Built to Spill’s distinctive higher vocals.
Where: B-side to their 1995 single “Don’t Touch My Bikini.”
What?
Jon: (Audibly disgusted by Calvin Johnson’s vocal entry) Awful. Just truly awful. Why does Calvin Johnson sound so detached and ironic on a Smiths cover? Wasn’t there a story about him trying to recreate a Smiths video in Portland? Something from Michael Azerrad’s Our Band Could Be Your Life?
Sebastian: If you could mute Calvin Johnson, would you find it more palatable?
Jon: No, Doug Martsch’s singing wasn’t exactly polished back then either. Still a terrible rendition. Everything Martsch does, I always think about what J. Mascis did a decade earlier. Dinosaur Jr.’s cover of “Just Like Heaven” is the superior 90s indie rock cover. I need a cigarette after that. A strong one.
Sebastian: Prepare to chain-smoke through this project.
Alt Text: The Halo Benders, featuring Calvin Johnson and Doug Martsch, known for their unique take on “Let Me Get What I Want Song”.
Deftones: Nu-Metal Yearning for The Smiths? A Surprisingly Sincere Tribute
Who: The nu-metal band with acknowledged appreciation for indie bands like The Smiths, Drive Like Jehu, Hum, and Jawbox, bridging the gap between genres.
Where: Originally a b-side to their 1995 debut single “7 Words,” later remixed on 2005’s B-Sides and Rarities and 2011’s Covers LP.
What?
Sebastian: Bracing myself for a potentially rough 1995 nu-metal interpretation.
Jon: That guitar solo’s shredder pedal is… questionable.
Sebastian: Guitar tone isn’t winning any awards here.
Jon: But… it actually feels like a genuine homage. A true love letter to the song, in their style. The guitars are definitely an issue, though. Deftones are a litmus test for those who liked Hum for the wrong reasons. Can’t be too harsh. The singer has an interesting voice.
Sebastian: I have a feeling we might look back on this one with a degree of fondness by the end.
Jon: (Exasperated groan)
Alt Text: Deftones, the nu-metal band who covered “Let Me Get What I Want Song”, showcasing their genre-bending influences.
Luxure & Third Eye Blind: Wah-Wah Pedal Excess and Modern Rock Infamy
Who: An Italian pop/rock band with origins dating back to The Smiths’ era in 1984, who reunited to record this cover in 1997 before disbanding in 2009.
Where: There Is a Light That Never Goes Out – A Tribute to The Smiths, a compilation featuring primarily Italian artists.
What?
Jon: Good lord, that wah-wah pedal is aggressive.
Sebastian: Like the Dream Academy, this emphasizes how effective the song is under two minutes.
Jon: They make Dream Academy sound butch by comparison.
Who: A 90s modern rock band known for ubiquitous singles like “Semi-Charmed Life” and “Jumper.” Singer Stephen Jenkins once drew a comparison between his band’s independent ethos and Fugazi.
Where: Recorded live at Boston’s Paradise Rock Club, October 11, 1997, during their peak popularity.
What?
Sebastian: Do you think Stephen Jenkins ever achieved his desires?
Jon: Blake Schwarzenbach maybe? Sounds a bit like the Mighty Mighty Bosstones.
Sebastian: They are playing in Boston, after all.
Jon: Clearly the definitive version!
Sebastian: Mercifully brief, at least.
Alt Text: “There Is a Light That Never Goes Out – A Tribute to The Smiths” album cover, featuring Luxure’s cover of “Let Me Get What I Want Song”.
Hootie & the Blowfish: Darius Rucker’s Soulful (or Soul-less?) Rendition
Who: Darius Rucker’s pre-Burger King pitchman band.
Where: Featured on their 2000 album Scattered, Smothered, and Covered, a collection revisiting their bar band roots with fifteen cover songs.
What?
Sebastian: That’s unmistakably Hootie’s voice.
Jon: (Bursts into laughter) Jesus! Even without drums, I want to punch the drummer. It sounds like a radio DJ doing karaoke. Horrendous.
Sebastian: Any regrets about this listening project yet?
Jon: (Multiple heavy sighs). Jim Neighbors could deliver a more soulful rendition.
Alt Text: Hootie & The Blowfish’s “Scattered, Smothered, and Covered” album cover, including their cover of “Let Me Get What I Want Song”.
Muse: Muscular Smiths or Alt-Metal Misinterpretation?
Who: The British band oscillating between Radiohead-esque alt-metal and prog-glam theatrics. A band of extremes – either brilliant or awful, depending on who you ask.
Where: B-side on the “Hyper Music”/”Feeling Good” double A-side single (2001). Their cover of “Feeling Good” was once voted “greatest cover song of all time” by NME readers – a dubious honor!
What?
Jon: Thinking about Muse just reminds me of my Guitar Hero 3 failures. Is this Thom Yorke’s cousin’s band? The song always had potential for a more powerful version. This sounds like Weezer fronted by a fake Thom Yorke.
Sebastian: So when we criticize the Smiths’ drum sound, this is what they should have aimed for?
Jon: Well, the production is definitely better. More… muscular.
Alt Text: Muse, the British rock band known for their powerful and dramatic cover of “Let Me Get What I Want Song”.
Doves & SIANspheric: Shoegaze and Space Rock Interpretations – Lost in the Effects Pedals?
Who: Another excellent Manchester-based British rock band, known for their atmospheric sound. Their 2002 album The Last Broadcast is a particular highlight.
Where: Performed for BBC’s Re:Covered program in 2002.
What?
Jon: This band is today’s Level 42.
Sebastian: Why is the drummer doing so much?
Jon: Probably laying down tracks for another song simultaneously. Maybe he’s just playing Rock Band.
Sebastian: A reasonable cover. If you’re a Doves fan, you might appreciate this.
Jon: Boring, but not offensive.
[SIANspheric (YouTube)](link needed – original link broken)
Who: A Canadian shoegaze/space-rock band who missed the initial shoegaze wave and its revival.
Where: Hidden at 3:30 within “Radiodiffusion” from their final LP, 2001’s The Sound of the Colour of the Sun.
What?
Jon: Guess who just bought a new guitar pedal?
Sebastian: No, I think that guitar pedal is a founding member of this band.
Jon: If you’re making ambient, non-traditional music, should you even bother covering traditional songs? It could be anything.
Sebastian: The instrumental outro is actually quite nice.
Jon: Yeah, it is. Keyboard or guitar?
Sebastian: Sounds like fuzzed-out guitar.
Jon: Probably one of the better versions. Might be better without vocals, though.
Alt Text: SIANspheric’s “The Sound of the Colour of the Sun” album cover, featuring their ambient instrumental cover of “Let Me Get What I Want Song”.
Vitamin String Quartet & Slipslide: Classical and Indie Folk Takes – From Wedding Aisles to Ball-less Bands?
Vitamin String Quartet (YouTube)
Who: A string quartet known for churning out classical arrangements of songs across genres – from Dr. Dre to Ke$ha.
Where: 2003’s The String Quartet Tribute to the Smiths.
What?
Jon: This is perfect for a flower-adorned walk down the wedding aisle.
Sebastian: I was thinking more for a bris.
Jon: The violin’s high EQ piercing your eardrums is exquisite. Makes me yearn for the Third Eye Blind cover.
Who: A London-based indie-folk group on Matinee Records, with one LP, 2003’s The World Can Wait.
Where: Matinee Records’ 2004 Smiths tribute album, Romantic and Square is Hip and Aware.
Jon: This highlights a problem with the Smiths: they appeal to people who lack conviction and perceive Morrissey as equally lacking. “This is my band for the spineless.” That’s not Morrissey at all.
Sebastian: I might have dozed off for a moment. This version lacks both energy and passion.
Alt Text: Vitamin String Quartet’s “The String Quartet Tribute to The Smiths” album cover, showcasing their classical interpretation of “Let Me Get What I Want Song”.
Alt Text: “Romantic and Square Is Hip and Aware: A Tribute to The Smiths” album cover, featuring Slipslide’s indie-folk cover of “Let Me Get What I Want Song”.
Elefant & Clayhill: 80s Nostalgia, Teen Movie Soundtracks, and Off-Key Sting Impressions
Who: A NYC buzz band playing 80s-inspired music, known for a song placement on The O.C.
Where: Sky High (2005) soundtrack – a Disney superhero high school movie with a cover-heavy soundtrack.
What?
Jon: I saw Elefant back when the singer was dating Lindsey Lohan. Tiny audience, and he still berated someone near the stage. If anyone wanted… something… from that era, they probably got it. This is going to be peak 80s revival. Tremolo pedal city.
Sebastian: His affected British accent is grating.
Jon: He’s from… Enga-land!
Sebastian: Every time the mandolin part comes, I’m reminded how perfect the original was.
Jon: Oh great, another chorus. Sounds like the auto-tune is set to “I’m sensitive and misunderstood.” Terrible cover for a surprisingly good movie!
Who: A contemporary British folk group.
Where: Soundtrack for the acclaimed 2006 film This Is England, exploring skinhead youth culture in 1983 England.
What?
Jon: Did this guy win American Idol?
Sebastian: This is listed as 3:43… feels long already.
Jon: Off-key Sting with asthma. Sounds like a Gerard Butler reject from P.S. I Love You.
Sebastian: That guy has some serious… commitment.
Jon: Wait, he’s actually getting into it now.
Sebastian: Passable and probably works in the movie’s context.
Alt Text: “Sky High” movie soundtrack cover, featuring Elefant’s 80s-inspired cover of “Let Me Get What I Want Song”.
Alt Text: “This Is England” movie soundtrack cover, featuring Clayhill’s British folk cover of “Let Me Get What I Want Song”.
Josh Rouse & Amanda Palmer: PBS Fundraisers and Cabaret Punk Dramatics
Who: An alt-country/folk singer-songwriter.
Where: Appears on a promo-only disc, Reel to Reel V3.4: Nettwerk Covers (2007).
What?
Jon: PBS probably gives away his CDs during pledge drives.
Sebastian: His voice is… gratingly nasal.
Jon: Nobody likes Steve Earle anyway.
Sebastian: Know what would improve this? Calvin Johnson adding baritone vocals in the right channel.
Jon: He bought a four-track, and he’s determined to use it!
Who: Lead singer of Dresden Dolls, known for their dark cabaret punk.
Where: Live performance at Club Academy in Manchester, October 6, 2008.
What?
Jon: YouTube still image shows Amanda Palmer riding a hobby horse. I’d rather watch a Sarah McLachlan ASPCA commercial.
Sebastian: This song was clearly crying out for overwrought piano embellishment.
Jon: At least Meatloaf had vocal talent when he went dramatic. I want to do a spoken-word piece over this about… something intensely melodramatic.
Alt Text: Amanda Palmer performing live, known for her dramatic cabaret punk style and cover of “Let Me Get What I Want Song”.
She & Him & Kaki King: Zooey Deschanel’s Preciousness and Instrumental Guitar Virtuosity
Who: Zooey Deschanel (actress/singer) and M. Ward (indie folk singer/songwriter) – peak adorableness.
Where: 500 Days of Summer soundtrack (2009), a film deeply infatuated with The Smiths, starring Deschanel.
What?
Sebastian: Jon, your thoughts on 500 Days of Summer?
Jon: Can’t fully unpack that now. [Editor’s note: Jon despises (500) Days of Summer with a passion rivaling his disdain for Nothing but Trouble.] I thought I liked M. Ward more than this.
Sebastian: M. Ward’s instrumental arrangement is actually one of the best we’ve heard. But her vocal delivery… still too affectedly precious.
Jon: So. Precious.
Who: A gifted guitarist transitioning from instrumental work to more pop-oriented songwriting.
Where: Part of her live repertoire, recorded at the Knitting Factory in Brooklyn, February 9, 2010.
What?
Sebastian: At the start, she looked like she was channeling the Doves’ drummer’s excessive energy, but on guitar.
Jon: This is the best version to watch if you want to learn to play the song.
Sebastian: Needs more vocal presence. It’s all guitar.
Jon: She can project vocally, right? Her vocals are almost absent here. Great guitar playing, though. For a guitarist.
Alt Text: “500 Days of Summer” movie soundtrack cover, featuring She & Him’s cover of “Let Me Get What I Want Song”.
Deleted Scenes: Production Tricks and a Worthwhile Payoff?
Deleted Scenes (Link to Big Cartel – no direct MP3)
Who: DC-based band blending layered indie pop with guitar rock.
Where: 2011 Bedbedbedbedbed 12”, a precursor to their Young People’s Church of the Air LP.
What?
Sebastian: I like Deleted Scenes, but they sometimes overdo production. This is a prime example. Interesting vocals buried under stuttering loops.
Jon: My copy is… corrupted. Too many digital artifacts. Bad encoding.
Sebastian: Is there substance beyond the production gimmicks?
Jon: Not really resonating.
Sebastian: The ending is good. The aesthetic finally coalesces. The payoff, after eighteen covers, is… somewhat worth it.
Wrapping Up: The Verdict on “Let Me Get What I Want” Covers
Jon: I feel like a stronger person now. And a better friend.
Sebastian: Undeniably true. Any standout versions?
Jon: Overall, “Please, Please, Please” might be a poor choice for covers. SIANspheric’s instrumental track is decent. The Ferris Bueller Dream Academy instrumental is okay. Deftones is passable, as are Doves.
Sebastian: Doves is the best straightforward cover. Agree on the highlights. The more experimental versions (SIANspheric, Deleted Scenes) were more interesting than rote folk interpretations. If we’d done this earlier, I could have used it to wish you an “Unhappy Birthday.” How long before you can listen to the original again?
Jon: Six months to a year, assuming you don’t send me any more covers.
