No Secrets to Reveal

‘Our Lips Are Sealed’ was the first hit for the Go-Go’s, who started as a punk band in the late ‘70s but became pop superstars with the release of their 1981 first album, Beauty And The Beat, which became the first album by an all-girl band to hit #1 in America.  This song went to #20 on the Billboard Hot 100 and it charted #47 on the UK Singles chart.  Go-Go’s guitarist Jane Wiedlin wrote this with the British musician Terry Hall, who was lead singer of The Specials.  In 1980, the Go-Go’s were playing at The Whisky on Sunset Strip, and The Specials a ska revival band were in town from England.  They came to see the show, and then asked the Go-Go’s if they would like to be their opening act on their tour.  Jane Wiedlin met Terry Hall, the singer of The Specials, and ended up being in a romantic relationship with him.  The song tells the story of a secret romance based on a short ‘tour affair’ that Hall and Wiedlin had when their respective band’s toured together.  Hall sent Wiedlin the lyrics to ‘Our Lips Are Sealed’ later in the mail, and at the time when they started their relationship, he had a girlfriend in England, and they were talking about getting married.  Wiedlin was 20 at the time, and Hall claimed to be in love with her.  Wiedlin really liked the lyrics, so she finished them and wrote the music to it.

Hall’s band, The Fun Boy Three, ended up recording it, and it became a hit for both their bands, although it was like a lot gloomier than the Go-Go’s’ version.  This song is about being discrete when you have romantic interactions with someone and not telling others outside of the relationship what happened.  Nobody should go around blabbing about their sex life to other people and a gentleman or a lady never kisses and tells.  In 2000, Rolling Stone named ‘Our Lips Are Sealed’ one of the 100 Greatest Pop Songs of all time.

Can you hear them?
They talk about us
Telling lies
Well, that’s no surprise

Can you see them?
See right through them
They have no shield
No secrets to reveal

It doesn’t matter what they say
In the jealous games people play
Our lips are sealed

There’s a weapon
That we must use
In our defense
Silence reveals

When you look at them
Look right through them
That’s when they’ll disappear
That’s when we’ll be feared

It doesn’t matter what they say
In the jealous games people play
Our lips are sealed

Pay no mind to what they say
It doesn’t matter anyway
Our lips are sealed

Hush, my darling
Don’t you cry
Quiet, angel
Forget their lies

Can you hear them?
They talk about us
Telling lies
Well, that’s no surprise

Can you see them?
See right through them
They have no shield
No secrets to reveal

It doesn’t matter what they say
In the jealous games people play
Our lips are sealed

Pay no mind to what they say
It doesn’t matter anyway
Our lips are sealed
Our lips are sealed
Our lips are sealed

Written for Thursday Inspiration #232 Coyote where the prompt is lips.