"Cruel to Be Kind" is a 1979 single by Nick Lowe

Nick Lowe

Nicholas Drain "Nick" Lowe , is an English singer-songwriter, musician and producer.A pivotal figure in UK pub rock, punk rock and new wave, Lowe has recorded a string of well-reviewed solo albums. Along with vocals, Lowe plays guitar, bass guitar, piano and harmonica...

, co-written by Lowe and his former Brinsley Schwarz

Brinsley Schwarz

Brinsley Schwarz were a 1970s English pub rock band, named after their guitarist Brinsley Schwarz. With Nick Lowe on bass and vocals, keyboardist Bob Andrews and drummer Billy Rankin, the band evolved from the 1960s pop band Kippington Lodge.-Formation:...

 band-mate Ian Gomm

Ian Gomm

Ian Robert Gomm is a British singer-songwriter, who was the rhythm guitarist for Brinsley Schwarz from 1970 to 1974. He was named "Best Rhythm Guitarist" by NME in 1971.[]...

, that peaked at #12 in both the British and US

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 charts that summer. In the US, where it is Lowe's most well-known work, it remains his only single to hit the top 40, whereas in the UK "I Love The Sound Of Breaking Glass" remains his biggest hit after reaching #7 a year earlier.

"Cruel To Be Kind" was released on the Radar Records

Radar Records

Radar Records was a UK-based record label formed by Martin Davis who had previously worked at United Artists Records, and Andrew Lauder, who had previously been head of A&R at the UK divisions of Liberty Records and United Artists...

 label in the UK and Columbia Records

Columbia Records

Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...

 in the USA. It was originally featured on the album Labour of Lust

Labour of Lust

Labour of Lust is an album by British singer-songwriter Nick Lowe. Also produced by Lowe, it was released in 1979 by Radar Records in the UK and Columbia Records in the US. It was recorded and released at the same time as Dave Edmunds' Repeat When Necessary and features the same Rockpile personnel...

. The video to the song was one of the first music videos aired on MTV

First music videos aired on MTV

This is a list of the first music videos broadcast on MTV's first day, August 1, 1981. Video of the launch of MTV was uploaded onto YouTube in 2009.-List:#"Video Killed the Radio Star" by The Buggles#"You Better Run" by Pat Benatar...

, and is a humorous re-enactment of Lowe's wedding to Carlene Carter

Carlene Carter

Carlene Carter is an American country singer and songwriter. She is the daughter of June Carter and her first husband, Carl Smith....

, featuring Carter herself and Dave Edmunds

Dave Edmunds

David 'Dave' Edmunds is a Welsh singer, guitarist and record producer. Although he is primarily associated with Pub rock and New Wave, and had numerous hits in the 1970s and early 1980s, his natural leaning has always been towards 1950s style rock and roll.-Early bands:As a teenager Edmunds first...

 as their limo driver.

The track has been covered by many artists including: Letters to Cleo

Letters to Cleo

Letters to Cleo was an alternative rock band from Boston, Massachusetts perhaps best known for the 1993 single "Here & Now" from their full-length debut album Aurora Gory Alice...

, for the 1999 movie 10 Things I Hate About You

10 Things I Hate about You

10 Things I Hate About You is a 1999 American teen romantic comedy film. It is directed by Gil Junger and stars Heath Ledger, Julia Stiles, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Larisa Oleynik, David Krumholtz, and Larry Miller...

and Lazlo Bane

Lazlo Bane

Lazlo Bane is an alternative rock band hailing from Santa Monica, California, United States. They are well known for collaborating with former Men at Work member Colin Hay, and providing the song "Superman" as the theme for the television show Scrubs...

 on their Guilty Pleasures

Guilty Pleasures (Lazlo Bane album)

Guilty Pleasures is a 2007 album by the band Lazlo Bane, consisting entirely of cover versions of various hits from the 1970s.The titles of several songs were changed. The first song, listed as "Get Right Back", is actually titled "Right Back Where We Started From". The fifth song, listed as "Lime...

album. A Greek language version has also been recorded by Stavros Michalakakos

Stavros Michalakakos

Stavros Michalakakos is a Greek-Cypriot singer. On 12 February 2010 he won the second season of the Greek version of the television singing competition The X Factor. He was awarded a recording contract and a car...

. The original recording was played during the end credits for the documentary I.O.U.S.A.

I.O.U.S.A.

I.O.U.S.A. is a 2008 American documentary film directed by Patrick Creadon. The film focuses on the shape and impact of the United States national debt. The film features Robert Bixby, director of the Concord Coalition, and David Walker, the former U.S...

.

It should not be confused with the song "You've Got to Be Cruel to Be Kind" which was a UK hit for Unit 4 + 2

Unit 4 + 2

Unit 4 + 2 were a British pop band, who had a number one hit in the UK Singles Chart in 1965 with the song "Concrete and Clay". The track topped the UK chart for one week.-Early days:...

 in December 1965, nor for the song "Cruel To Be Kind" by Spacehog

Spacehog

Spacehog is an English rock band formed in 1994. Their music is heavily influenced by David Bowie, Queen, and T.Rex.-Members:* Royston Langdon a.k.a. "Ray Sprinkles" – bass and vocals...

, released in 1996.