The Smiths song Morrissey called “sinful”
When it comes to Morrissey, one can always rely on him for one thing – expressing his unwavering opinions. Beyond his robust convictions on politics and society, Morrissey arguably holds the most assertive stance when it comes to evaluating The Smiths’ discography and career. Yet, in this instance, his perspective is difficult to dispute.
The trajectory of The Smiths’ career follows a somewhat peculiar path. Despite etching their place in history as one of Britain’s definitive bands, their active tenure spanned merely around five years. Within that relatively short timeframe, the public grappled with the band in an unusual manner, uncertain about how to categorise and embrace a musical entity like them. Positioned on the cusp of the post-punk wave, The Smiths embodied a paradox—they were both more and less radio-friendly, boasting catchy riffs paired with intricately verbose lyrics that left listeners navigating a unique sonic landscape.
The group have been appreciated more and more as the decades have passed. Perhaps the strangest part of their career is the way that so many of their biggest tracks never found a home upon release. The band released four studio albums, but their singles and compilations are what really locked in their legacy. There is a real pattern of some of their most adored songs like ‘How Soon Is Now?’, ‘Girl Afraid’ and ‘Asleep’ being relegated to B-sides as Rough Trade were cautious about unleashing the group’s wordy wonder as full-blown singles.
The one that hurts Morrissey most is ‘Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want’, where he describes the handling of the track as “sinful”.
The song is undeniably one of their most famous now, partly thanks to its inclusion in films like Ferris Bueller’s Day Off and 500 Days Of Summer, but largely because of its poignant, hopeless message. But back in 1984, no one seemed to see the song’s potential or magic.
Originally only released as a B-side to ‘William, It Really Was Nothing’, it does feel pretty laughable that a song with so much emotional power and intrigue came second to a comparatively silly little track about a marital argument. By 1987, Morrissey still wasn’t over that decision, telling Melody Maker, “Hiding it away on a B-side was sinful.”
“I feel sad about it now although we did include it on Hatful Of Hollow by way of semi-repentance,” he added. But the handling of the song stands as a microcosm for the way Rough Trade, and the whole music industry, handled The Smiths. Industry heads seemed to totally misunderstand or underestimate the band, no doubt going on to be utterly confused by why or how some of the tracks they brushed off as second-best have become the band’s most enduring numbers.
That was certainly the case here, as Morrissey remembered, “When we first played it to Rough Trade, they kept asking, ‘Where’s the rest of the song?’” Not able to see the track’s power and instead wanting an easily digested hit, Morrissey and his label rarely agreed on what made a good song. “But to me, it’s like a very brief punch in the face,” he continued. “Lengthening the song would, to my mind, have simply been explaining the blindingly obvious.”
Rarely do we find ourselves in unanimous accord, but in the case of ‘Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want’, agreement is inevitable. The beauty of the song lies in its deliberate, open-ended quality. It possesses the remarkable ability to encapsulate a myriad of sentiments, allowing listeners to project their own experiences onto its canvas. The universal theme of desperate longing and fervent hope for positive change renders the song emotionally profound. Striking a delicate balance, The Smiths masterfully navigate the art of expression—enough words to convey depth, yet not a syllable more to risk overindulgence. In their signature style, The Smiths effortlessly discover the elusive middle ground, a nuanced artistry that even their label may not have fully grasped.
