Neil Macdonald takes a look at the recently inescapable case of The Smiths song and a John Lewis advert.
So the cover of Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want is now being aired, and the obligatory outpouring of indie elitism has begun. Initially only from the Smiths purists watching X Factor on Saturday night, however the advert has since attracted 6,000,000 views on YouTube, meaning that even the casual Moz-watcher can get involved in the post-modern melancholic melee.
One wonders wherein the problem lies for these people, so religiously devoted to Morrissey and his former band that they are, that they presume to deserve final say in any licencing deals.
Did we witness such distress when Schneider TM covered There is a Light That Never Goes Out? Of course not, because that was cool. It was electronic, and therefore got a free pass from the Mojo-reading fraternity who are so quick to claim snob-rights for anything recorded in the 20th century.
This new rendition is by a folk artist and it’s for a High Street retailer. These factors are easily discernible, and therefore ripe for angsty protest…
It’s unlikely Sir Elton’s fans got their bloomers in a twist over last year’s John Lewis Christmas advert cover version, so why should we, as Smiths fans? Morrissey, Johnny Marr and Rough Trade have all said how happy they are to have this cover used, and it’s kind of up to them, really. It’s a respectful, tasteful take of the song, the right people are getting paid, and living rooms across the country get to hear songwriting that otherwise wouldn’t have got a primetime airing.
Upon hearing the advert I was quick to check my Smiths records and, unsurprisingly, they were all in the same condition as before this track aired. They hadn’t moved, they hadn’t melted, and I’m confident they’ll even sound the same. And so will yours, even if your Granny’s a fan now too.
(Image of The Smiths courtesy of thecoverlovers.blogspot.com)