Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want
"Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want" is a song by the English rock band the Smiths. It was released as the B-side of "William, It Was Really Nothing" in 1984 and later featured on the compilation albums Hatful of Hollow and Louder Than Bombs. It has been covered by numerous other artists.
| "Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want" | |
|---|---|
| Song by The Smiths | |
| A-side | "William, It Was Really Nothing" |
| Released | 20 August 1984 |
| Recorded | Jam Studios, July 1984 |
| Genre | Indie pop, alternative rock[1] |
| Length | 1:50 |
| Label | Rough Trade |
| Songwriter(s) | Johnny Marr, Morrissey |
| Producer(s) | John Porter |
The Dream Academy cover version
| "Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by The Dream Academy | ||||
| Released | 1985 (UK) | |||
| Format | Vinyl record (7" and 12"), cassette tape and CD | |||
| Recorded | 1984 | |||
| Genre | Rock | |||
| Length | 3:09 | |||
| Label | Blanco y Negro | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Johnny Marr, Morrissey | |||
| Producer(s) | David Gilmour and Nick Laird-Clowes | |||
| The Dream Academy singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
The Dream Academy covered "Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want" in 1985. This version peaked at #83 in the UK Singles Chart. An instrumental version of this cover was used in the movie Ferris Bueller's Day Off in 1986.
Track listing
Version one
- "Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want"
- "In Places on the Run"
Version two
- "Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want"
- "The Party" (acoustic)
- "Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want" (instrumental)
- "In Places on the Run" (edit)
Chart performance
| Charts (1985) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Singles (The Official Charts Company)[2] | 83 |
Slow Moving Millie cover version
| "Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Slow Moving Millie | ||||
| from the album Renditions | ||||
| Released | 11 November 2011 | |||
| Format | Digital download | |||
| Recorded | 2011 | |||
| Genre | Alternative | |||
| Length | 3:09 | |||
| Label | Island Records | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Johnny Marr, Morrissey | |||
| Slow Moving Millie singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
English actress and songwriter Slow Moving Millie released a cover version of the song. It was released on 11 November 2011 as a Digital download from her upcoming debut studio album Renditions.[3] The song was selected as the soundtrack to the John Lewis 2011 Christmas advertisement.
Music video
A music video, directed by Nicole Nodland,[4] to accompany the release of "Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want" was first released onto YouTube on 11 November 2011 at a total length of three minutes and six seconds.[5]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want" | 2:51 |
Chart performance
| Charts (2011) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[6] | 31 |
Release history
| Region | Date | Format | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | 11 November 2011 | Digital Download | Island Records |
Other notable cover versions
- US Indie rock band The Halo Benders covered this song as a b-side for their 1995 single Don't Touch My Bikini.
- A cover by Elefant was included on the soundtrack for the 2005 Disney superhero movie Sky High.
- A cover by She & Him (Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward) was included with the original version by the Smiths on the soundtrack for the 2009 movie (500) Days of Summer in which Deschanel starred.
- English rock band Muse covered the song, which was included in their 2001 EP Hyper Music/Feeling Good.
- US Indie band Starflyer 59 covered this song in their 2009 compilation Ghosts of the Past .
- US Metal band Deftones covered this song on their 2005 album B-Sides & Rarities.
- Hootie & The Blowfish also covered the song in their 2000 cover album ‘’Scattered, Smothered and Covered’’.
- American country singer Sarah Darling recorded a cover of the song for her 2017 album Dream Country.
References
- Cross, Alan (6 April 2012). "Top Ten Most Depressing Alternative Rock Songs". A Journal of Musical Things. Retrieved 12 April 2019.
- "The Official Charts Company - Dream Academy - Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want". Retrieved 12 September 2010.
- "Renditions by Slow Moving Millie". 12 December 2011 – via Amazon.
- Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want on Vimeo
- Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want on YouTube
- "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.