In the hushed intimacy of a college dorm room, beneath the precarious perch of a top bunk, a teenage girl observes her boyfriend. He’s the epitome of effortless cool, strumming his bass, unburdened by ambition or perhaps direction. A Meat Is Murder poster hangs above his desk, a silent testament to shared values, or perhaps just a cool aesthetic. This scene, painted with the quiet observation of youth, inadvertently sets the stage for understanding the enduring resonance of The Smiths, particularly their poignant anthem of desire, “Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want.”
The Smiths, for many, are more than just a band; they are a cultural touchstone, especially for those navigating the turbulent waters of adolescence and young adulthood. They are the soundtrack for introspective souls at crowded parties, the voice for those who, in the words of their own song, “will go home, cry and want to die.” Emerging from Manchester in the 1980s, The Smiths gave voice to a generation grappling with loneliness, dissatisfaction, and a yearning for something more, something different. Their music became a global phenomenon, resonating deeply with anyone who felt out of sync with the mainstream, anyone who understood the ache of unfulfilled desires.
For many young listeners, including the narrator in our dorm room scene, The Smiths’ discography boils down to one core emotion: intense longing. And no song captures this feeling more succinctly and powerfully than “Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want.” The simplicity of the lyrics is deceptive. So please please please / let me, let me, let me / let me get what I want / this time. These words, repeated with a pleading cadence, are a universal cry. It’s the sound of wanting, of yearning, of hoping against hope that just this once, fate might align with desire.
The beauty of “Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want” lyrics lies in their open-endedness. “What I want” is never explicitly stated, making the song a blank canvas onto which listeners can project their own yearnings. Is it love? Recognition? Escape? For the girl in the dorm room, perhaps it’s a deeper connection with her boyfriend, a validation of her own artistic aspirations, or simply a break from the pervasive feeling of being adrift. The song becomes a personal mantra, a whispered plea for whatever feels just out of reach.
The context of The Smiths’ music further enriches the meaning of these lyrics. Known for Morrissey’s introspective and often melancholic lyrics, and Johnny Marr’s jangly guitar riffs, The Smiths created a soundscape that perfectly mirrored the emotional landscape of their listeners. “Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want,” with its gentle melody and Morrissey’s plaintive vocals, amplifies the vulnerability inherent in wanting. It’s not a demand, but a fragile request, tinged with the fear of disappointment and the weight of past unmet desires.
Beyond “Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want,” The Smiths’ catalog is replete with songs that explore similar themes of longing and alienation. “How Soon Is Now?” captures the agonizing wait for connection, while “There Is A Light That Never Goes Out” romanticizes escape and even death as a preferable alternative to loneliness. These songs, like “Please Please Please…,” resonate because they tap into universal human emotions, especially potent during the formative years of youth.
The narrator’s reflection in the dorm room, listening to “There Is A Light That Never Goes Out,” highlights this connection. The uncomfortable laughter at the lyric about dying in a ten-ton truck underscores the raw, unflinching honesty of The Smiths’ music. It’s a discomfort born from recognition, a shared understanding of the intense, sometimes melodramatic, emotions of youth. Even the act of buying a Meat Is Murder poster later, after heartbreak, reveals the enduring influence of The Smiths, a way to decorate a new space, but also to perhaps decorate the interior landscape of a heart grappling with loss and uncertainty.
“Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want” is more than just a song; it’s an anthem of longing, a soundtrack to unfulfilled desires, and a testament to The Smiths’ enduring ability to articulate the unspoken emotions of generations. Its simple yet profound lyrics continue to resonate, reminding us that the yearning for “what I want,” whatever that may be, is a deeply human and timeless experience.
