Johnny Marr slams Trump for the use of Smiths music at rally

The Smiths guitarist and co-songwriter Johnny Marr has denounced the use of their 1984 single ‘Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want’ at a 2023 Trump rally in South Dakota.

After footage featuring the song emerged on Twitter, Marr responded to the video, saying “I never in a million years would’ve thought this could come to pass. Consider this shit shut down right now.”

Ahh…right…OK. I never in a million years would’ve thought this could come to pass. Consider this shit shut right down right now. https://t.co/M6eYROedOy

— Johnny Marr (@Johnny_Marr) January 23, 2024

This is not the first time that Marr has responded to the use of the band’s music by right-wing politicians. In 2010, after former British prime minister David Cameron included ‘This Charming Man’ among his favourite songs on BBC’s Desert Island Disc, Marr tweeted, “Stop saying that you like The Smiths, no you don’t. I forbid you to like it.”

‘Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want’ has reportedly been added to a regular rotation of pre-rally music, heard at multiple Trump rallies throughout the country. Other featured artists, including Adele, the Beatles, Pharrell Williams and Queen have responded with similar frustrations.

While Marr has yet to confirm whether or not he will pursue legal action against Trump, artists such as The Rolling Stones and Tom Petty have issued cease-and-desist directives to prevent the ongoing use of their music in Trump’s campaign.