
Instead, it’s almost a rallying cry for disaffected souls – not to mention a lyrical and emotional counterpoint to the next song on this list.ġ8. But the softness of the guitar work, the song’s brief runtime and the chorus’ painfully honest, near-naïve plea – “Please, please, please, let me get what I want / Lord knows it would be the first time” – save it from falling into a self-pitying abyss. If you couldn’t tell from the opening line (“Good times, for a change”) this is one of the saddest Smiths songs – and that’s saying something. The Smiths – “Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want” This song – taken from a 1983 John Peel BBC session, appearing only on the compilation Hatful of Hollow – makes the case that the Smiths could have existed successfully as a vicious punk outfit if their emotional palette wasn’t quite so expansive.ġ9. As evidenced during BBC sessions and live performances, the Smiths had more bite than their studio recordings would lead you to believe. “Let me get my hands / on your mammary glands” isn’t exactly romance, but when Morrissey sneers it over the hard-charging punk attack of “Handsome Devi?l,” you’re at least caught off guard enough to consider the proposal for a moment (Important reminder: Men have mammary glands, too).

These are our selections for the 20 greatest from Morrissey, Johnny Marr, Andy Rourke and Mike Joyce. Yes, a number of iconic favorites didn’t quite make the cut, but when you’re talking about the best Smiths songs, that’s a pretty damn long list. Below are our picks for the 20 best Smiths songs of all time.

Morrissey's New Album Will Be Stocked at UK Retailer HMV, Despite Rumors OtherwiseĪll that aside, The Smiths created one of the greatest bodies of work in rock history.
