I Melt with You

Modern English formed in 1979 in Colchester, Essex, England. The group signed with 4AD, a British independent record label, in 1980. The band's vocalist, Robbie Grey, described England at the time of the song's writing to be a bleak place, due to an ongoing economic downturn: "There was no money. There'd be no power—you'd be at home with candles." These conditions and his fears of a nuclear war inspired "I Melt with You". The song depicts a couple making love while an atomic bomb is dropped. In an interview, he described the song as a "love song", but more about the "good and bad in people ... The last thing we wanted was to write a song where boy meets girl, they go to the cinema and make love, and that's the end of it." Musically, the song came together in the band's rehearsal space in London while recording their second album, After the Snow. Producer Hugh Jones encouraged Grey to softly sing the vocal track, as opposed to his natural inclination to shout. He subsequently employed a softer vocal technique on the rest of the album. ==Commercial performance==

The song was released in the United Kingdom in August 1982, by label 4AD. Though it failed to reach the UK singles chart, it became their fifth single to reach the UK Independent Singles Chart, peaking at number 18. The song was mainly a success in the United States, gaining attention over a long incubation period before becoming Modern English's and 4AD's first chart hit. It first began receiving radio airplay as an import single, and bounced from station to station, gaining momentum. In April 1983, the song peaked at number 7 on the US Billboard Mainstream Rock chart peaking at number 60 on Billboard Dance/Disco Top 80 in March 1983. It is ranked #39 on VH1's 100 Greatest Songs of the 80s. As Modern English's only major hit song, they are generally considered one-hit wonders, despite not reaching the top 40 of the U.S. Hot 100 during either of its runs on that chart. ==Reception==

A reviewer for Billboard commended the song as "classy", describing it as a "dreamy, acoustic-edged rocker." The song has remained popular over the years. Tom Demalon of AllMusic called it "one of the most enduring songs of the new wave era." Los Angeles Times contributor Sara Scriber wrote in 1997 that the song endured because it "struck a chord for its gothic, escapist undercurrent and danceable rhythm." ==In popular culture and cover versions==

"I Melt with You" has been covered by a variety of artists, with several different versions being licensed for film and television worldwide. The original version by Modern English was largely popularized by its appearance in the 1983 film Valley Girl, in which it features in both the ending titles and in a "falling in love" montage sequence. American pop-punk band Bowling for Soup covered the song for the movie Sky High in 2005. French group Nouvelle Vague's rendition found placement in Mr. and Mrs. Smith (2005). The song was covered by the cast of Glee in the 2014 episode "Old Dog, New Tricks". ==Charts==