"Pretty in Pink" is a song by the English band

the Psychedelic Furs The Psychedelic Furs are a post-punk band founded in London in February 1977. Led by lead vocalist Richard Butler and his brother Tim Butler on bass guitar, the Psychedelic Furs are one of the many acts spawned from the British post-punk sc ...

, originally released in 1981 as a single from the band's second album, ''

Talk Talk Talk ''Talk Talk Talk'' is the second studio album by the English rock band the Psychedelic Furs. It was released 15 May 1981 by Columbia Records. It was reissued with bonus tracks in 2002 by Columbia/Legacy and on vinyl in the UK in 2011 without ...

''. The

1986 film The following is an overview of events in 1986 in film, including the highest-grossing films, award ceremonies and festivals, a list of films released and notable deaths. Highest-grossing films (U.S.) The top ten 1986 released films by box offi ...

was named after the song and a re-recorded version of the song was included on its soundtrack.

Composition

Lead singer Richard Butler said "Pretty in Pink" is about two women he knew while living in

Muswell Hill Muswell Hill is a suburban district of the London Borough of Haringey, north London. The hill, which reaches over above sea level, is situated north of Charing Cross. Neighbouring areas include Highgate, Hampstead Garden Suburb, East Fi ...

in north London. One was a friend of his ex-girlfriend, and the other went to a pub he frequented. However, the Caroline mentioned in the lyrics is a made-up name, and the girls are not high-school age, despite the film that was named after it causing some people to think so. "The song is about a girl who sleeps around a lot and thinks that she's popular because of it. It makes her feel empowered somehow and popular, and in fact, the people that she's sleeping with are laughing about her behind her back and talking about her," said Butler.

Release and reception

The original version of "Pretty in Pink" peaked at No. 43 on the

UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...

in July 1981.

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databa ...

writer Bill Janovitz credited producer

Steve Lillywhite Stephen Alan Lillywhite, (born 15 March 1955) is a British record producer. Since he began his career in 1977, Lillywhite has been credited on over 500 records, and has collaborated with a variety of musicians including new wave acts XTC, Bi ...

for finding "the ideal sound for the band, with a perfect blend of classic pop, punk, and art rock elements". Janovitz called it "the definitive take" of the song. The 1986 version reached No. 18 in the UK and narrowly missed the Top 40 on the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart, peaking at No. 41.

Track listing

;7" vinyl (1981) #"Pretty in Pink" - 3:57 #"

Mack the Knife "Mack the Knife" or "The Ballad of Mack the Knife" (german: "Die Moritat von Mackie Messer", italic=no, link=no) is a song composed by Kurt Weill with lyrics by Bertolt Brecht for their 1928 music drama ''The Threepenny Opera'' (german: Die Dreig ...

" - 4:18 ;12" vinyl (1981) #"Pretty in Pink" - 3:57 #"Mack the Knife" - 4:18 #"Soap Commercial" - 2:55 ;7" vinyl (1986) K, Japan#"Pretty in Pink" - 3:53 #"

Love My Way ''Love My Way'' is an Australian television drama series. It won the AFI award for Best Television Drama Series for each of its three seasons (2004–2007). Premise Set in Sydney, ''Love My Way'' was about a group of 30-somethings dealing wit ...

" (US remix) - 3:38 ;7" vinyl (1986) .S., Europe#"Pretty in Pink" - 4:01 #"Pretty in Pink" (dub) - 3:21 ;12" vinyl (1986) #"Pretty in Pink" - 4:01 #"Pretty in Pink" - 3:21 #"Love My Way" (US remix) - 3:38

Chart performance

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pretty In Pink (Song) 1981 singles 1986 singles The Psychedelic Furs songs Song recordings produced by Steve Lillywhite 1981 songs Columbia Records singles Songs written by Tim Butler Songs written by John Ashton (musician) Songs written by Richard Butler (singer) Music videos directed by Wayne Isham Songs about bullying