Would I Lie to You? (Eurythmics song)

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"Would I Lie to You?"
Single by Eurythmics
from the album Be Yourself Tonight
B-side"Here Comes That Sinking Feeling"
Released9 April 1985 (1985-04-09)[1]
Length4:22
LabelRCA
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)David A. Stewart
Eurythmics singles chronology
"Julia"
(1985) 		"Would I Lie to You?"
(1985) 		"There Must Be an Angel (Playing with My Heart)"
(1985)
Music video
"Would I Lie to You?" on YouTube

"Would I Lie to You?" is a song written and performed by British pop duo Eurythmics. Released on 9 April 1985 as the lead single from the band's fourth studio album, Be Yourself Tonight (1985), the song was the first by the duo to feature their change in musical direction from a predominantly synthpop style to rock and rhythm and blues. The song, and its accompanying album, featured a full backing band and relied less on electronic programming.

Lyrically, the song features Lennox confronting a cheating lover as she leaves him for good. This was conveyed in the music video for the single, in which actor Steven Bauer played the part of the boyfriend. The video was directed by Mary Lambert and was shown heavily on MTV. The front and back cover photos, and the inner cover art of the Be Yourself Tonight album are screenshots from the music video.

"Would I Lie to You?" is one of Eurythmics' most recognised tunes and continued the band's run of hit singles. In the UK, the song peaked at number 17, while it went to number five on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, becoming their third and last Top 10 hit in the U.S. Furthermore, it is the duo's biggest hit in Australia, where it topped the Kent Music Report for two weeks.

Composition[edit]

Stewart set out to make a song with a "killer R&B riff". He worked it out one morning while having breakfast with his acoustic guitar on his knee. At first, Annie Lennox was hesitant, as it didn't fit their sound.

Stewart said, "When we started putting it down the song had a lot of energy and inspired Annie to come up with the great lyric, 'Would I Lie To You" and a melody with very odd answering harmonies, 'Now, would I say something that wasn't true.' These harmonies are very unusual and Annie is a genius at working them out very quickly in her head. The song started to be a fusion between Stax type R&B and Eurythmics."[2]

Reception[edit]

Spin called it, "an onslaught of Kinks-type power chords, Stax horn sections, and frenzied jungle drums with Lennox's vocal riding effortlessly atop this stampede. The strength of the cut is so focused, you fear something's gotta give; glasses gotta shatter."[3] Cash Box said that the "hard rocking early Kinks guitar and a pounding Motown drum beat forms the background for Annie Lennox's R&B lead vocal."[4]

Track listings[edit]

7-inch

A. "Would I Lie To You?" (7-inch version) – 4:09
B. "Here Comes That Sinking Feeling" (LP version)* – 5:40

12-inch

A1. "Would I Lie To You?" (E.T. mix) – 4:59
B1. "Would I Lie To You?" (extended version) – 4:52
B2. "Here Comes That Sinking Feeling" (LP version)* – 5:40

* This version, although labelled as "LP version", is an alternate mix of the song released on the album Be Yourself Tonight

Personnel[edit]

Charts[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "New Singles". Music Week. 6 April 1985. p. 14.
  2. ^ "Would I Lie to You? by Eurythmics - Songfacts". Songfacts. Retrieved 25 February 2021.
  3. ^ Elliott Murphy (July 1985). "Spins". Spin. No. 3. p. 30.
  4. ^ "Single Releases" (PDF). Cash Box. 27 April 1985. p. 9. Retrieved 26 July 2022.
  5. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 105. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  6. ^ "Eurythmics – Would I Lie to You?" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 24 April 2020.
  7. ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 0548." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 24 April 2020.
  8. ^ "European Top 100 Singles" (PDF). Eurotipsheet. Vol. 2, no. 21. 27 May 1985. p. 10. OCLC 29800226 – via World Radio History.
  9. ^ "Eurythmics – Would I Lie to You?" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved 12 January 2012.
  10. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Would I Lie to You". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 24 April 2020.
  11. ^ "Classifiche". Musica e dischi (in Italian). Retrieved 2 June 2022. Select "Singoli" in the "Tipo" field, type "Eurythmics" in the "Artista" field and press "cerca".
  12. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Eurythmics" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 24 April 2020.
  13. ^ "Eurythmics – Would I Lie to You?" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 12 January 2012.
  14. ^ "Eurythmics – Would I Lie to You?". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 30 August 2019.
  15. ^ "Eurythmics – Would I Lie to You?". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 12 January 2012.
  16. ^ "Eurythmics – Would I Lie to You?". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 24 April 2020.
  17. ^ "Eurythmics: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 9 November 2016.
  18. ^ "Eurythmics Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 24 April 2020.
  19. ^ "Eurythmics Chart History (Dance Club Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 24 April 2020.
  20. ^ "Eurythmics Chart History (Dance Singles Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved 24 April 2020.
  21. ^ "Eurythmics Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved 24 April 2020.
  22. ^ "Cash Box Top 100 Singles – Week ending July 27, 1985". Cash Box. Retrieved 24 April 2020.
  23. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Eurythmics – Would I Lie to You?" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 24 April 2020.
  24. ^ "National Top 100 Singles for 1985". Kent Music Report. No. 599. 30 December 1985 – via Imgur.
  25. ^ "RPM's Top 100 Singles of 1985". RPM. Vol. 43, no. 16. 28 December 1985. p. 11. ISSN 0033-7064 – via Library and Archives Canada.
  26. ^ "Top Selling Singles of 1985". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 16 July 2017.
  27. ^ "Hot 100 Songs – Year-End 1985". Billboard. Archived from the original on 24 September 2020. Retrieved 24 April 2020.
  28. ^ "The Cash Box Year-End Charts: 1985 – Top 100 Pop Singles". Cash Box. 28 December 1985. Retrieved 24 April 2020.
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