Johnny Marr protested against the use of a Smiths song at a Donald Trump rally.
Donald Trump often enrages musicians by using their songs without authorization during his political rallies. Recently, he upset Johnny Marr after the broadcast of images of one of his meetings in South Dakota last year, where we can hear the single “ Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want » by the Smiths (1982).
Yesterday, an X user posted a clip of the song being played to the crowd at a rally in September, noting: “ You hear The Smiths more often than you might think at Trump 2024 rallies. » Mr Marr quickly reacted by writing: “ Ahh… okay… OK. I never thought this could happen. Consider this bullshit over 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
Marr co-wrote “ Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want with Morrissey, the Smiths’ frontman, in 1984. While Morrissey has recently become a controversial figure who has expressed support for the far-right political party For Britain, Marr has spoken out against right-wing politicians. When former British Prime Minister David Cameron chose ” This Charming Man » as one of his favorite songs on the show Desert Island Discs from the BBC in 2010, Marr tweeted : “ Stop saying you like the Smiths, no you don’t. I forbid you from liking them. »
Many musicians have spoken out against Mr. Trump’s use of their songs: the Rolling Stones, the heirs of Prince and David Bowie and even Tom Petty’s family. Still, there’s not much they can do legally. Campaigns can obtain special licenses from publishing giants BMI and ASCAP, which allows millions of songs to be released publicly at campaign events, meaning artists can work with BMI and ASCAP to remove their songs from this setting. Marr has not yet confirmed whether he will take legal action against Trump’s campaign.
