| "Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want" | |
|---|---|
| Song by the Smiths | |
| A-side | "William, It Was Really Nothing" |
| Released | 20 August 1984[1] |
| Recorded | Jam Studios[1] |
| Genre | Alternative rock[2] |
| Length | 1:50[1] |
| Songwriter(s) | Johnny Marr, Morrissey[3] |
| Producer(s) | John Porter[1] |
"Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want" is a song by the English rock band the Smiths. It was released on the B-side of the single "William, It Was Really Nothing" in 1984[4][5] and later featured on the compilation albums Hatful of Hollow[6] and Louder Than Bombs.[7] It has been covered by several other artists.[8] The song was also included on the soundtrack album of the 1986 film Pretty in Pink and featured in the film Never Been Kissed.
Cover versions
The Dream Academy version
| "Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
![]() | ||||
| Single by the Dream Academy | ||||
| Released | 1985 (UK) | |||
| Recorded | 1984 | |||
| Genre | Soft 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.[9] This version of the song peaked at number 83 on the UK Singles Chart.[10] An instrumental version of this cover was used in the movie Ferris Bueller's Day Off in 1986.[9]
Track listing
7-inch version
- "Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want"
- "In Places on the Run"
12-inch version
- "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 (OCC)[10] | 83 |
Slow Moving Millie version
| "Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
![]() | ||||
| Single by Slow Moving Millie | ||||
| from the album Renditions | ||||
| Released | 11 November 2011 | |||
| Recorded | 2011 | |||
| 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,[11] adding commas to its title.[12] It was released on 11 November 2011 as a download from her debut studio album Renditions.[13] Her version was selected as the soundtrack to a John Lewis advertisement.[14]
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 (OCC)[15] | 31 |
Release history
| Region | Date | Format | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | 11 November 2011 | Digital download | Island Records |
Certifications
The Smiths version
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom (BPI)[16] | Silver | 200,000‡ |
|
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
References
- 1 2 3 4 "The Smiths - William, It Was Really Nothing". 21 December 2008 – via www.discogs.com.
- ↑ Cross, Alan (6 April 2012). "Top Ten Most Depressing Alternative Rock Songs". A Journal of Musical Things. Retrieved 12 April 2019.
- ↑ "Song: Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want written by Johnny Marr, Morrissey | SecondHandSongs". secondhandsongs.com.
- ↑ "10 Smiths singles that didn't appear on a Smiths album". Radio X.
- ↑ "The Smiths - William, It Was Really Nothing". 21 June 1984 – via www.discogs.com.
- ↑ "The Smiths - Hatful Of Hollow". 21 June 1984 – via www.discogs.com.
- ↑ "The World Fell in Love With The Smiths Just as They Were Falling Apart". The New York Observer. 24 March 2017.
- ↑ "Covers of "Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want" by the Smiths". Cover Me. 9 November 2018.
- 1 2 Goodwin, Stuart (15 February 2012). "Old Music: The Dream Academy – Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want (Instrumental)". The Guardian.
- 1 2 "The Official Charts Company - Dream Academy - Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want". Official Charts. Retrieved 19 June 2023.
- ↑ "Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want by Slow Moving Millie" – via secondhandsongs.com.
- ↑ "Slow Moving Millie - Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want". 21 June 2011 – via www.discogs.com.
- ↑ "Renditions by Slow Moving Millie". 12 December 2011 – via Amazon.
- ↑ "Slow Moving Millie Insists The Smiths Are Fans Of John Lewis Cover | Live4ever Media". 25 November 2011.
- ↑ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
- ↑ "British single certifications – Smiths – Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 4 April 2022.

