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(I Just) Died in Your Arms

"(I Just) Died in Your Arms" is a power ballad written by Nick Van Eede and performed by his band, Cutting Crew. It was their biggest hit, peaking at #1 in the United States, and reaching the Top Five in the United Kingdom.

Background and writing

The words "I just died in your arms tonight" originally came to Van Eede while he was having sex with his girlfriend,^[1] "death" being an oft-used metaphor for orgasm. Writing down the phrase, Van Eede later used it as the hook to "(I Just) Died In Your Arms."

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, it shot to number one on May 2, 1987, and stayed there for two weeks. It also appeared on Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart.

Covers and samples

• Covered by Canadian Eurodance artist Joee.
• Melody sampled in DJ Bobo's Where Is Your Love
• Covered by 1999 Finnish Gothic Metal band To/Die/For
• Covered by 2001 English rock band Smokie
• Covered by artist T-Pain and Smitty, produced by DJ G
• Melody is sampled in Mika's "Relax, Take It Easy"
• Remixed by UK Grime (music) artists, Ruff Squad
• Remixed by the rapper/artist Jay-Z
• Remixed by rapper Crooked I in Hip-Hop Weekly Mixtape
• Covered in 2007 by rapper Smitty as "Died in Your Arms".
• Covered in 2007 by Band Acid Eyeliner as "Died in Your Arms Tonight".
• 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 their debut album Seven Second Surgery
• The first two bars are also constantly sung on an episode of SNL by Will Ferrell and Horatio Sans who are playing wedding singers.
• The Organ 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"
• Covered in 2005 by U.S. Metal band Inked In Blood
• Covered in 2007 by band Progress In Color
• Covered by Finnish Epic Power Metal band Northern Kings featuring Jarkko Ahola from Teräsbetoni, Marco Hietala from Nightwish and Tarot, Tony Kakko from Sonata Arctica and Juha-Pekka Leppäluoto from Charon on their 2007 album Reborn.
• Remixed by Crooked I in 2007 as part of the Hip Hop Weekly series
• Covered in 2008 by the band Lies Like Me
• Covered in 2008 by german Metal band PowerWorld

Charts

Notes

References