Our Lips Are Sealed
Encyclopedia
"Our Lips are Sealed" is a song written by Go-Go's guitarist Jane Wiedlin
and Specials and Fun Boy Three
singer Terry Hall
. It was first recorded by The Go-Go's
as the opening track on their 1981 album Beauty and the Beat
(see 1981 in music
) and served as their debut American single. In 2000 Rolling Stone
named it one of the 100 Greatest Pop Songs of all time.
in June 1981 (see 1981 in music
) and peaked at number twenty on Billboard' s Billboard Pop Singles
chart, and fifteen on Billboard' s Mainstream Rock
chart. A song of unusual longevity as a hit, it remained on the Billboard charts for much of 1982 as well, long after its peak.
The accompanying video was an early favorite of the fledgling MTV
channel, and helped establish the Go-Go's' energetic persona. It features sequences of the band members in carefree tableaux (riding around in a convertible, stopping at a lingerie shop and splashing around in a city fountain) interspersed with footage of the band playing a club booking.
The following year, co-writer Terry Hall re-recorded the song with his own band, Fun Boy Three
; it was a major hit, reaching no. 7 on the UK Singles Chart
.
and Haylie Duff
covered the song for the soundtrack
to the 2004 film A Cinderella Story
, in which Hilary starred.
The cover, recorded as a duet with Duff's sister Haylie
and produced by John Shanks
, was released as a single in the United States in June 2004 . The Duff sisters said in an interview that they had wanted to record together, and Hilary chose "Our Lips Are Sealed" because the "secretive" theme of the song relates to the film A Cinderella Story.
The single's music video
was directed by Chris Applebaum
and filmed in Toronto, Canada in May 2004. It was released in June 2004 and received medium airplay on MuchMusic
in Canada and MTV
in the U.S. Similar to the video for the Go-Go's single, it depicts the Duff sisters driving around town in a car and goofing about, and is interspersed with footage from A Cinderella Story. A second version of the video, that has new scenes and isn't interspersed with scenes from A Cinderella Story, can be viewed on the Dignity Deluxe Edition
DVD. Though the video was popular on the MTV video chart show Total Request Live
, the single itself was less successful than the original Go-Go's song in the U.S., failing to chart on the Hot 100. In Australia
it reached number eight. The song was the first song ever to be played on the UK show B4. The song was later included on Duff's compilation album, Most Wanted
(2005).
This version was also included in the Japanese and Australian editions of Hilary Duff
's second compilation album Best of Hilary Duff
.
Single
Jane Wiedlin
Jane Marie Genevieve Wiedlin is an American musician, singer-songwriter, and actress. She is best known as the rhythm guitarist of the all-female New Wave band The Go-Go's.-Early life:...
and Specials and Fun Boy Three
Fun Boy Three
Fun Boy Three were a short-lived but successful English New Wave Pop band which ran from 1981 to 1983 and was formed by singers Terry Hall, Neville Staple and Lynval Golding after they left The Specials.-History:...
singer Terry Hall
Terry Hall (singer)
Terry Hall is the lead singer of The Specials, and formerly of Fun Boy Three, The Colourfield, Terry, Blair & Anouchka and Vegas. He has released two solo albums and has also collaborated with many artists including David A...
. It was first recorded by The Go-Go's
The Go-Go's
The Go-Go’s are an all-female American rock band formed in 1978. They made history as the first all-female band that both wrote their own songs and played their own instruments to top the Billboard album charts....
as the opening track on their 1981 album Beauty and the Beat
Beauty and the Beat
Beauty and the Beat is the debut album from Californian all-female band The Go-Go's. Released in 1981 on the IRS Records label, the album was preceded by the single "We Got the Beat," which became a massive club hit in Europe and, later, the United States...
(see 1981 in music
1981 in music
See also:* Timeline of musical eventsThis is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1981.-January–April:*January 10 – A revival of the Gilbert and Sullivan operetta The Pirates of Penzance opens at Broadway's Uris Theatre, starring Linda Ronstadt and Rex Smith.*January 24 –...
) and served as their debut American single. In 2000 Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
named it one of the 100 Greatest Pop Songs of all time.
Go-Go's and Fun Boy Three versions
Although originally written and performed with three verses, it is an abbreviated version of the song that appears on Beauty and the Beat. This version of the song was released as a singleSingle (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
in June 1981 (see 1981 in music
1981 in music
See also:* Timeline of musical eventsThis is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1981.-January–April:*January 10 – A revival of the Gilbert and Sullivan operetta The Pirates of Penzance opens at Broadway's Uris Theatre, starring Linda Ronstadt and Rex Smith.*January 24 –...
) and peaked at number twenty on Billboard
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
chart, and fifteen on Billboard
Mainstream Rock Tracks
Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks is a ranking in Billboard magazine of the most-played songs on mainstream rock radio stations, a category that includes stations that play primarily rock music. Modern rock tracks are counted in the Alternative Songs chart.This chart began with the March 21, 1981, issue...
chart. A song of unusual longevity as a hit, it remained on the Billboard charts for much of 1982 as well, long after its peak.
The accompanying video was an early favorite of the fledgling MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
channel, and helped establish the Go-Go's' energetic persona. It features sequences of the band members in carefree tableaux (riding around in a convertible, stopping at a lingerie shop and splashing around in a city fountain) interspersed with footage of the band playing a club booking.
The following year, co-writer Terry Hall re-recorded the song with his own band, Fun Boy Three
Fun Boy Three
Fun Boy Three were a short-lived but successful English New Wave Pop band which ran from 1981 to 1983 and was formed by singers Terry Hall, Neville Staple and Lynval Golding after they left The Specials.-History:...
; it was a major hit, reaching no. 7 on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
.
Hilary and Haylie Duff version
Sisters HilaryHilary Duff
Hilary Erhard Duff is an American actress, singer-songwriter, entrepreneur, and author. After working in local theater plays and television commercials in her childhood, she achieved fame playing the title role in the Disney Channel television series Lizzie McGuire. She also reprised her role in...
and Haylie Duff
Haylie Duff
Haylie Katherine Duff is an American actress and singer-songwriter. She is the older sister of actress and singer Hilary Duff...
covered the song for the soundtrack
A Cinderella Story: Original Soundtrack
A Cinderella Story: Original Soundtrack is a soundtrack album by Hilary Duff, released on July 13, 2004 by Hollywood Records. The album was released to accompany the 2004 film A Cinderella Story, which starred Duff. She contributed five songs to the soundtrack including a cover of "Our Lips Are...
to the 2004 film A Cinderella Story
A Cinderella Story
A Cinderella Story is a 2004 American romantic comedy film. The film stars Hilary Duff, Jennifer Coolidge, Chad Michael Murray and Regina King and was directed by Mark Rosman. The film's plot revolves around two Internet pen pals who meet at a school dance and fall in love but two different worlds...
, in which Hilary starred.
The cover, recorded as a duet with Duff's sister Haylie
Haylie Duff
Haylie Katherine Duff is an American actress and singer-songwriter. She is the older sister of actress and singer Hilary Duff...
and produced by John Shanks
John Shanks
John Matthew Shanks is a modern rock writer and Grammy Award–winning producer.Born in New York City, Shanks moved to Los Angeles when he was 17....
, was released as a single in the United States in June 2004 . The Duff sisters said in an interview that they had wanted to record together, and Hilary chose "Our Lips Are Sealed" because the "secretive" theme of the song relates to the film A Cinderella Story.
The single's music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
was directed by Chris Applebaum
Chris Applebaum
Chris Applebaum is an American music video director, who has worked with a diverse range of artists, among them Rihanna, Hilary Duff, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Mandy Moore, Natasha Bedingfield, Fountains of Wayne and Britney Spears...
and filmed in Toronto, Canada in May 2004. It was released in June 2004 and received medium airplay on MuchMusic
MuchMusic
MuchMusic is a Canadian English language Category A specialty channel owned by Bell Media. MuchMusic is dedicated to music-related programs, pop and youth culture.-History:...
in Canada and MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
in the U.S. Similar to the video for the Go-Go's single, it depicts the Duff sisters driving around town in a car and goofing about, and is interspersed with footage from A Cinderella Story. A second version of the video, that has new scenes and isn't interspersed with scenes from A Cinderella Story, can be viewed on the Dignity Deluxe Edition
Dignity (album)
Dignity is the fourth studio album by American recording artist Hilary Duff. The album was released on April 3, 2007 by Hollywood Records. Between the releases of her previous studio album, Hilary Duff , and Dignity, she had an eventful personal life; she was stalked by a man who threatened her...
DVD. Though the video was popular on the MTV video chart show Total Request Live
Total Request Live
Total Request Live is a television series on MTV that featured popular music videos. TRL was MTV's prime outlet for music videos as the network continues to concentrate on reality-based programming. In addition to music videos, TRL featured daily guests...
, the single itself was less successful than the original Go-Go's song in the U.S., failing to chart on the Hot 100. In Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
it reached number eight. The song was the first song ever to be played on the UK show B4. The song was later included on Duff's compilation album, Most Wanted
Most Wanted (Hilary Duff album)
Most Wanted is the first compilation album by American recording artist Hilary Duff. Released on August 10, 2005, through Hollywood Records, the album comprises ten previously released tracks , and three new recordings: "Wake Up", "Beat of My Heart", and "Break My Heart"...
(2005).
This version was also included in the Japanese and Australian editions of Hilary Duff
Hilary Duff
Hilary Erhard Duff is an American actress, singer-songwriter, entrepreneur, and author. After working in local theater plays and television commercials in her childhood, she achieved fame playing the title role in the Disney Channel television series Lizzie McGuire. She also reprised her role in...
's second compilation album Best of Hilary Duff
Best of Hilary Duff
Best of Hilary Duff received mostly mixed reviews. Allmusic gave the album a positive review stating that The Best of Hilary Duff "is a flipside of her 2005's Most Wanted", which was "pitched squarely at bright, happy tweens". They also went on to say the album "is not a look back at the past but a...
.
Single
- "Our Lips Our Sealed" [Album Version]
- "Our Lips Our Sealed" [Music Video]
- Cinderella Story Trailer
Charts
| Chart (1982 - The Go Go's version) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
47 |
| U.S. Billboard Club Play Singles Hot Dance Club Play The Hot Dance Club Songs chart is a weekly national survey of the songs that are most popular in U.S. dance clubs... |
10 |
| U.S. Billboard Mainstream Rock Mainstream Rock Tracks Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks is a ranking in Billboard magazine of the most-played songs on mainstream rock radio stations, a category that includes stations that play primarily rock music. Modern rock tracks are counted in the Alternative Songs chart.This chart began with the March 21, 1981, issue... |
15 |
| U.S. Billboard Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
20 |
| Canadian Singles Chart Canadian Singles Chart The Canadian Singles Chart is currently compiled by the U.S.-based music sales tracking company, Nielsen SoundScan . The chart is compiled every Wednesday, and is published by Jam! Canoe on Thursdays.... |
4 |
| Australian ARIA Singles Chart | 2 |
| Chart (1983 - Fun Boy Three version) | Peak position |
| UK Singles Chart | 7 |
| Chart (2004 - Hilary and Haylie Duff version) | Peak position |
| Australian ARIA Australian Recording Industry Association The Australian Recording Industry Association is a trade group representing the Australian recording industry which was established in 1983 by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing the Association of Australian Record Manufacturers which was formed in 1956... Singles Chart |
8 |
| Canadian Singles Chart Canadian Singles Chart The Canadian Singles Chart is currently compiled by the U.S.-based music sales tracking company, Nielsen SoundScan . The chart is compiled every Wednesday, and is published by Jam! Canoe on Thursdays.... |
7 |
Other cover versions
- The Soup DragonsThe Soup DragonsThe Soup Dragons were a Scottish alternative rock band of the late 1980s and early 1990s. Named after a character in the 1970s children's television show Clangers, the group is best known for its cover of the Rolling Stones' song "I'm Free."-History:...
recorded a version of the song for BBC Radio One's John PeelJohn PeelJohn Robert Parker Ravenscroft, OBE , known professionally as John Peel, was an English disc jockey, radio presenter, record producer and journalist. He was the longest-serving of the original BBC Radio 1 DJs, broadcasting regularly from 1967 until his death in 2004...
show in 1986. It was subsequently released on the b-side of their single Soft As Your Face the following year. - Wild OrchidWild Orchid (band)Wild Orchid was an American pop vocal group. -History:Wild Orchid began in 1990 when Renee Sandstrom and Stefanie Ridel met in their southern California high school's drama department. What brought Renee and Stefanie together was their shared love of poetry, music, and taste for fame. Soon after...
covered the song for their second album, Oxygen (1998). - Poe recorded a version of the song, renamed "My Lips Are Sealed" for the soundtrack to the 2000 film GossipGossip (2000 American film)Gossip is a 2000 teen drama film directed by Davis Guggenheim and featuring an ensemble cast including James Marsden, Lena Headey, Norman Reedus, and Kate Hudson.-Plot:...
. It features an interpolation of nonsense verseNonsense verseNonsense verse is a form of light, often rhythmical verse, usually for children, depicting peculiar characters in amusing and fantastical situations. It is whimsical and humorous in tone and tends to employ fanciful phrases and meaningless made-up words. Nonsense verse is closely related to...
riddle, "One bright day in the middle of the night / Two dead boys got up to fight." - Fredo ViolaFredo ViolaFredo Viola is an American singer/songwriter and multi-media artist. He was born in London, England, but has resided in the United States for most of his life. He currently lives in Woodstock, N.Y. He graduated from Tisch School of the Arts at NYU, but has always been most passionate about music...
's cover appeared in the 2006 film Man About Town. - Nouvelle VagueNouvelle Vague (band)Nouvelle Vague is a French musical collective led by musicians Marc Collin and Olivier Libaux. Their name is a play on words, meaning "new wave" in French, and "bossa nova" in Portuguese...
covered the song on their 2009 album 3 together with Terry HallTerry Hall (singer)Terry Hall is the lead singer of The Specials, and formerly of Fun Boy Three, The Colourfield, Terry, Blair & Anouchka and Vegas. He has released two solo albums and has also collaborated with many artists including David A...
. - The HipposThe HipposThe Hippos were an American rock band formed in 1995 in Los Angeles, California, and disbanded in 2000. During the band's lifetime they released 3 full-length albums...
recorded a version for the Before You Were Punk 2Before You Were Punk 2-Album information:*Record label: Vagrant Records*Art direction by Kristin Vanderlip*Recording details:**Track 1 recorded and mixed by Tim Pak at Woodshed Studios**Track 2 produced and mixed by Ryan Green at Motor Studios...
compilation. - EverclearEverclear (band)Everclear is a rock band formed in Portland, Oregon in 1992 best known for their radio hits spanning more than a decade. For most of its existence, Everclear has consisted of Art Alexakis , Craig Montoya , and Greg Eklund . Eklund replaced original drummer Scott Cuthbert in 1994...
covered the song on their single for Everything to EveryoneEverything to Everyone (song)"Everything to Everyone" is a song by Everclear, released as the band's first single, off their album So Much for the Afterglow. It achieved great success in the charts, reaching #1 in the US Billboard Modern Rock Charts...
. - SpiderbaitSpiderbaitSpiderbait are an Australian alternative rock band formed in Finley in 1989 by bass guitarist Janet English, singer-drummer Mark Maher , and guitarist Damian Whitty. In 2004 the group's cover version of the 1930s Lead Belly song "Black Betty" reached number one on the ARIA Singles Chart...
released a version of the song, renamed "Alex The Seal" after the popular MondegreenMondegreenA mondegreen is the mishearing or misinterpretation of a phrase as a result of near homophony, in a way that gives it a new meaning. It most commonly is applied to a line in a poem or a lyric in a song...
, on a live bonus disc released with their 1995 major label debut, The Unfinished Spanish Galleon of Finley LakeThe Unfinished Spanish Galleon of Finley LakeThe Unfinished Spanish Galleon of Finley Lake is the second studio album by Australian rock band Spiderbait, released in 1995.The album was named after the real Unfinished Spanish Galleon built in Spiderbait's home town, Finley, New South Wales. The Galleon was half constructed for many years,...
. - Fun Boy Three Fun Boy ThreeFun Boy Three were a short-lived but successful English New Wave Pop band which ran from 1981 to 1983 and was formed by singers Terry Hall, Neville Staple and Lynval Golding after they left The Specials.-History:...
released a version in 1983.
In popular culture
- The popular Canadian teen drama Degrassi: The Next GenerationDegrassi: The Next GenerationDegrassi: The Next Generation is a Canadian teen drama television series set in the Degrassi universe, which was created by Linda Schuyler and Kit Hood in 1979. Degrassi is the fourth fictional series in the Degrassi franchise, and follows The Kids of Degrassi Street, Degrassi Junior High, and...
, which is known for having named each episode after a 1980s hit song, named a two-part episode after this song.
- The song is featured in the 2002 film Home RoomHome Room (film)Home Room is an independent film starring Erika Christensen, Busy Philipps and Victor Garber. It premiered in the Taos Talking Pictures Film Festival on 12 April 2002, and made its limited theatrical release on 5 September 2003.- Plot :...
, in which Alicia (Busy PhilippsBusy PhilippsElizabeth Jean Philipps , known professionally as Busy Philipps, is an American film actress, perhaps best known for her supporting roles on the television series Freaks and Geeks and Dawson's Creek...
) tells Deanna (Erika ChristensenErika ChristensenErika Jane Christensen is an American actress whose film appearances include Traffic , Swimfan , How to Rob a Bank , and The Perfect Score , among others. She also co-starred in the short-lived drama Six Degrees on ABC...
) that the lips of the song's title are referring to labia because the song is about keeping one's virginityVirginityVirginity refers to the state of a person who has never engaged in sexual intercourse. There are cultural and religious traditions which place special value and significance on this state, especially in the case of unmarried females, associated with notions of personal purity, honor and worth...
.
- The song was made available for download on November 24, 2009 for the Rock BandRock BandRock Band is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems, published by MTV Games and Electronic Arts. It is the first title in the Rock Band series. The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions were released in the United States on November 20, 2007, while the PlayStation 2 version was...
video games, and is a playable track for the music video game Band HeroBand HeroBand Hero is a spinoff video game as part of the Guitar Hero series of music video games, released by Activision on November 3, 2009, for the PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii and Nintendo DS consoles...
.
- In Australia, the chorus/song title is sometimes jokingly referred to as 'Alex the Seal,' due to many people mistaking the lyrics for thus.
- An urban legend once spread claiming the song was about girls keeping their virginity.