“Consider this shit shut right down right now.” Donald Trump has been using a song by The Smiths at his rallies, and Johnny Marr is having absolutely none of it

By Paul Brannigan
published

Donald Trump might fancy his chances against Joe Biden, but taking on Johnny Marr might be a battle too far

Johnny and Donny
(Image credit: Visionhaus/Getty Images | TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP via Getty Images)

Johnny Marr, the former guitarist of The Smiths, has suggested that he'll be blocking Donald Trump from using the iconic Manchester band's music at his political rallies.

Marr's comment came in the wake of learning via X that the team behind the former US President, who's once again campaigning for the Republican Party nomination in this year's election, used The Smiths' Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want at a rally in South Dakota last year. The Smiths’ music was also reportedly used at various Trump rallies in recent months, including one held in New Hampshire this week. 

After a user on X posted footage from the South Dakota rally, Marr responded by posting, “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.”

Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want is a Morrissey/Marr co-write, and originally featured as the B-side to the quartet's 1984 single William, It Was Really Nothing.

Marr is the latest in a long line of musicians who've objected to Trump and his campaign team using their songs at public events. The Rolling Stones, Bruce Springsteen, The Beatles, Queen, and the estates of Prince and Tom Petty have all been vocal about distancing themselves from the right-wing politician's beliefs. Some artists have gone as far as to issue Trump's cease-and-desist orders to Trump's people. Whether Marr will do the same has yet to be revealed. 

Smiths frontman Morrissey has not commented on Trump's use of the song. 

Paul Brannigan
Paul Brannigan
Contributing Editor, Louder

A music writer since 1993, formerly Editor of Kerrang! and Planet Rock magazine (RIP), Paul Brannigan is a Contributing Editor to Louder. Having previously written books on Lemmy, Dave Grohl (the Sunday Times best-seller This Is A Call) and Metallica (Birth School Metallica Death, co-authored with Ian Winwood), his Eddie Van Halen biography (Eruption in the UK, Unchained in the US) emerged in 2021. He has written for Rolling Stone, Mojo and Q, hung out with Fugazi at Dischord House, flown on Ozzy Osbourne's private jet, played Angus Young's Gibson SG, and interviewed everyone from Aerosmith and Beastie Boys to Young Gods and ZZ Top. Born in the North of Ireland, Brannigan lives in North London and supports The Arsenal.