It Doesn't Have to Be

1987 single by Erasure
"It Doesn't Have to Be"
Single by Erasure
from the album The Circus
B-side"In the Hall of the Mountain King"
Released16 February 1987 (1987-02-16)[1]
Recorded1986
GenreSynth-pop
Length3:53
Label
  • Mute (UK)
  • Sire (US)
Songwriter(s)
  • Vince Clarke
  • Andy Bell
Producer(s)Flood
Erasure singles chronology
"Sometimes"
(1986) 		"It Doesn't Have to Be"
(1987) 		"Victim of Love"
(1987)
Music video
"It Doesn't Have to Be" on YouTube
It Doesn't Have to Be
Sample containing the Kiswahili lyrics referred to in the article.
Problems playing this file? See media help.

"It Doesn't Have to Be" is a song by English synth-pop duo Erasure, released on 16 February 1987. It was issued as a single six weeks before the release of the duo's second studio album, The Circus (1987). Following the number-two UK placing of previous single "Sometimes", it became Erasure's second Top 20 hit in the UK (peaking at number twelve) and their third Top 20 hit (number sixteen) in West Germany.

The lyric of the song deplores a lack of necessity for strife and may be understood to refer to apartheid in South Africa, but there is no particular reference. The middle eight is in Swahili, an eastern, not southern African language: Lala pamoja na mimi / Nyumbani yako, nyumbani yako / Sababu wewe hapana kaa na mimi / Nyumbani yako, nyumbani yako, 'Sleep (together) with me / At your place [house], at your place / Why don't you stay with me / At your place, at your place.' So they deplore a lack of necessity for strife not only between two peoples, but also between two people.

The single's B-side is a rendition of "In the Hall of the Mountain King", a piece taken from Norwegian composer and pianist Grieg's Peer Gynt suite.

Track listings

  • 7" single (MUTE56)
  1. "It Doesn't Have to Be"
  2. "In the Hall of the Mountain King"
  • 12" single (12MUTE56)
  1. "It Doesn't Have to Be" (Boop Oopa Doo Mix)
  2. "Who Needs Love Like That" (Betty Boop Mix)
  3. "In the Hall of the Mountain King"
  • Limited 12" single (L12MUTE56)
  1. "It Doesn't Have to Be" (Cement Mix)
  2. "Heavenly Action" (Holger Hiller Mix)
  3. "In the Hall of the Mountain King" (New Version)
  • CD single (CDMUTE56)
  1. "It Doesn't Have to Be"
  2. "In the Hall of the Mountain King"
  3. "It Doesn't Have to Be" (Boop Oopa Doo Mix)
  4. "Who Needs Love Like That"
  • CD single (Special Edition CDMUTE56)
  1. "It Doesn't Have to Be"
  2. "Sometimes"
  3. "Oh L'amour"
  4. "Heavenly Action"
  5. "Who Needs Love Like That"
  6. "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)" (Remix)
  7. "In the Hall of the Mountain King"

Charts

Chart (1987) Peak
position
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[2] 17
Denmark (IFPI)[3] 5
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[4] 20
Germany (Official German Charts)[5] 16
Ireland (IRMA)[6] 19
Israel (IBA)[7] 8
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[8] 38
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[9] 34
Spain (AFYVE)[10] 30
Sweden (Trackslistan)[11] 10
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[12] 19
UK Singles (OCC)[13] 12
West Germany (Media Control Charts)[14] 16

References

  1. ^ Smith, Robin (14 February 1987). "Index". Record Mirror. p. 2. ISSN 0144-5804.
  2. ^ "Erasure – It Doesn't Have to Be" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved March 6, 2023.
  3. ^ Danish Singles Chart. 27 March 1987.
  4. ^ Pennanen, Timo (2021). "Erasure". Sisältää hitin - 2. laitos Levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla 1.1.1960–30.6.2021 (PDF) (in Finnish). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. p. 75. Retrieved 22 June 2022.
  5. ^ "Erasure – It Doesn't Have to Be" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved March 6, 2023.
  6. ^ Jaclyn Ward. "The Irish Charts - All there is to know". Irishcharts.ie. Archived from the original on 2011-10-16. Retrieved 2012-06-24.
  7. ^ April 1987
  8. ^ "Erasure – It Doesn't Have To Be". Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 22 June 2022.
  9. ^ Steffen Hung. "Erasure - It Doesn't Have To Be". dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved 2012-06-24.
  10. ^ Salaverri, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
  11. ^ Sweden Charts Archive. 18 April 1987.
  12. ^ Steffen Hung. "Erasure - It Doesn't Have To Be". hitparade.ch. Retrieved 2012-06-24.
  13. ^ "The Official Charts Company - It Doesn't Have To Be by Erasure Search". The Official Charts Company. 6 May 2013.
  14. ^ "charts.de". charts.de. 1987-02-16. Retrieved 2012-06-24.[dead link]

External links

  • "It Doesn't Have to Be" at Discogs (list of releases)
  • v
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