The Weeknd's New Song 'Enemy' Cribs From The Smiths' 'Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want'

Posted on Oct 26th 2012 10:45AM by Jason MacNeil
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Toronto rhythm 'n' gloom star The Weeknd posted the new song "Enemy" on YouTube yesterday and it should make fans of depression anthem peddlers The Smiths take note.

The song, which as of Friday morning had almost 95,000 views (and over 5,700 "likes"), takes the chorus from the Morrissey and Johnny Marr co-written Smiths song "Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want," a b-side to 1984's "William it Was Really Nothing" single.

In a decidedly un-Morrissey-like scenario, the overtly suggestive lyrics have Weeknd figurehead Abel Tesfaye singing about wanting to make love to his girlfriend after drinking all day. "I wanna lose myself between your legs/I wanna make your body shake," he croons before The Smiths chorus chimes in.

Tesfaye tweeted Thursday evening, hinting a new song might be released shortly. "NYC three shows back to back starts tonight. and for the fans that can't make it, i got something for you. xo." A few hours later he tweeted "Enemy" with the YouTube link.

The song has already received several comments on YouTube including "RIP to all the virginities lost to this song last night" and "Replay Button is getting ABUSED! XO".

There's been no comment so far from either Marr or Morrissey on Weeknd's appropriation of the song. "Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want" has been covered dozens of times by the likes of Muse, Franz Ferdinand, Deftones and Amanda Palmer, among others.

The Weeknd is currently on a North American tour which sees him playing tonight in New York City as part of a three-night stand. The trek concludes with a four-night stay at Toronto's Sound Academy Nov. 2-5. The Weeknd's Trilogy collection featuring three mixtapes -- House of Ballons, Thursday and Echoes of Silence -- along with three new tracks, comes out in North America on Nov. 13.