"(I Just) Died in Your Arms" is the title of a song written by Nick Van Eede and introduced by his band, Cutting Crew, in 1986. It was their biggest hit, peaking at number-one in the United States, Canada and Finland, and reaching the top five in the UK, South Africa, Sweden and Switzerland.

Background and writing

The actual words "I just died in your arms tonight" originally came to him while he was having sex with his girlfriend,^[1] the French phrase "la petite mort", or "a little death", being an obscure metaphor for orgasm. After writing down his version of the phrase, he later used it as the opening line to the song as well as using it as the chorus.

Music video

There were two music videos produced. The North American version featured artistic fragmented shots using a model, with the band performing to camera. The UK version was filmed both in color as well as in black and white in a film studio.^[2]

Chart performance

First released in Britain, the song peaked at #4 on the UK charts in August 1986. Upon its release in the United States, the previously unknown band's debut single shot to number one on May 2, 1987, and stayed there for two weeks. It also reached #4 on the Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart, #24 on Billboard's Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks chart and (in a remix version) #37 on the Hot Dance/Club Play chart.^[3] The song spent three weeks at #1 in Canada.

Covers and samples

• Covered in 1989 by Savage
• Covered in 1995 by Canadian freestyle artist Jo e, who returned the song to #1 in Canada but only cracked the U.S. Hot 100
• Covered in 1999 by Finnish Gothic metal band To/Die/For
• Covered in 2000 by Nu Metal band Acrylic
• Covered in 2001 by English rock band Smokie
• Covered in 2007 by Northern Kings
• Covered in 2008 by Trust Company
• Covered in 2009 by David Cook & band during his Declaration Tour
• Covered (and redone in Metal Music) in 2011 by Dead Season on the Album: The Negative NUMBers
• In 2010 Jason Donovan recorded a cover version of "Died In Your Arms" for his 80s covers album "Soundtrack of the 80s".
• Australian metal band Lord included a cover on their 2010 EP "Return of the Tyrant"
• Melody is sampled in Mika's "Relax, Take It Easy"
• Rihanna referenced the line in her song SOS : "Take me on, I could just die up in your arms tonight"
• Covered by Canadian rock band Faber Drive as a b-side for their debut album Seven Second Surgery
• The synthesizer in the background can be heard sped up in the Ya Boy single "Holla At Ya Boy" (2007).
• Interpolated into/a source of inspiration for the Amerie song "I Just Died"
• Interpolated in track "Died In Your Arms" by Smitty featuring T-Pain, produced by DJ Felli Fel
• Interpolated in track "I Just Died in Your Arms" by Jay-Z (original lyrics from "Moment of Clarity")
• Sampled in many posthumous Tupac Shakur remixes
• Remixed by Crooked I in 2007 as part of the Hip Hop Weekly series
• Remixed by Go Mental (Jon Kyriacou aka DJ Kaos) in 1996, 1997 & 1999 (for the eurodance compilation Dancemania Speed 2)
• The Goth rock band Dommin has covered it during live shows, and it is a track on the special edition of their debut album Love Is Gone
• Scottish Hip-Hop artist Werd (S.O.S) samples the song in his track "Died In Your Arms" on his mixtape Werd - Rap Re-Mixtape Vol.2
• Melody sampled in DJ Bobo's "Where Is Your Love"
• Melody sampled in Britney Spears's "Hold It Against Me"
• Remixed by Lil Wayne feat. Lloyd Banks and Eminem
• Covered by Russian singer ru: , - " "
• Melody sampled in Romeo Miller's "Hug Me Forever"

References

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