World Shut Your Mouth (song)

"World Shut Your Mouth"
Single by Julian Cope
from the album Saint Julian
B-side"Umpteenth Unnatural Blues"
Released15 September 1986 (1986-09-15)
Length
  • 3:34 (album version)
  • 3:05 (single version)
LabelIsland
Songwriter(s)Julian Cope
Producer(s)Ed Stasium
Julian Cope singles chronology
"Sunspots"
(1985) 		"World Shut Your Mouth"
(1986) 		"Trampolene"
(1987)

"World Shut Your Mouth" is a song by English singer-songwriter Julian Cope, released as the first single from his third album, Saint Julian (1987), on 15 September 1986. The title of the song is the same as the title of Cope's first solo album, World Shut Your Mouth, but the track does not appear on that album.

Release

"World Shut Your Mouth" was released as a single from Saint Julian in September 1986. The song is Julian Cope's biggest hit, reaching number 19 in the UK and number 84 in the US, his only single to chart there. Cope said of the success he achieved with the song, "I hated [being a pop star]. I hated the assholes. And I hated the fact ... it's what Smithy [Mark E. Smith] said himself, that all the English bands act like peasants with free milk. All their belligerence went and they turned into forelock-tugging gruelheads as soon as they were around record company types".[1]

Ned Raggett of AllMusic described the song as a "simply fantastic hit UK single".[2]

Accolades

Year Publication Country Accolade Rank Ref.
1986 NME United Kingdom "Singles of the Year" 27 [3]
2010 Robert Dimery United States 1001 Songs You Must Hear Before You Die * [4]
2011 NME United Kingdom "501 Lost Songs" * [5]
"*" denotes an unordered list.

Track listings

All songs were written by Julian Cope except where noted.

UK 7-inch single (IS 290)

  1. "World Shut Your Mouth" – 3:34
  2. "Umpteenth Unnatural Blues" – 2:58

UK 12-inch single (12 IS 290)

  1. "World Shut Your Mouth" – 3:34
  2. "(I've Got) Levitation" (Hall, Sutherland) – 3:02
  3. "Umpteenth Unnatural Blues" – 2:58
  4. "Non-Alignment Pact" (Pere Ubu) – 2:48
  5. "Transporting" (Julian Cope Group) – 3:34

UK 12-inch remix single (12 ISX 290)

  1. "World Shut Your Mouth" [Remix by Trouble Funk - Long Version] – 4:35
  2. "(I've Got) Levitation" (Hall, Sutherland) – 3:02
  3. "World Shut Your Mouth" [Remix by Trouble Funk - Short Version] – 3:09

UK cassette single (C IS 290)

  1. Interview – 8:00
  2. "World Shut Your Mouth" – 3:34
  3. "(I've Got) Levitation" (Hall, Sutherland) – 3:02
  4. "Umpteenth Unnatural Blues" – 2:58
  5. "Non-Alignment Pact" (Pere Ubu) – 2:48

Charts

Chart (1986–1987) Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[6] 51
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[7] 97
Europe (European Hot 100 Singles)[8] 67
Ireland (IRMA)[9] 13
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[10] 35
UK Singles (OCC)[11] 19
US Billboard Hot 100[12] 84
US Album Rock Tracks (Billboard)[13] 22
Chart (1992) Peak
position
UK Singles (OCC)[11] 44

Release history

Region Date Format(s) Label(s) Ref.
United Kingdom 15 September 1986
  • 7-inch vinyl
  • 12-inch vinyl
 Island [14]
United Kingdom (re-release) 27 July 1992
  • 7-inch vinyl
  • 12-inch vinyl
  • CD
  • cassette
 [15]

References

  1. ^ Hattenstone, Simon (27 June 2014). "Julian Cope interview: 'I live in a visionary state … I'm a wild beast'". The Guardian. Retrieved 19 January 2020.
  2. ^ Raggett, Ned. "Saint Julian - Julian Cope". AllMusic. Retrieved 19 January 2020.
  3. ^ "NME Singles 1986". NME. Retrieved 7 October 2012.
  4. ^ Dimery, Robert, ed. (2010). "10,001 Songs You Must Hear…". 1001 Songs You Must Hear Before You Die. Octopus Publishing Group. p. 928. ISBN 978-1-84403-684-4.
  5. ^ "501 Lost Songs". NME. Retrieved 7 October 2012.
  6. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 74. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  7. ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 0790." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 17 July 2022.
  8. ^ "European Hot 100 Singles". Music & Media. Vol. 3, no. 43. 1 November 1986. p. 21.
  9. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Julian Cope". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 17 July 2022.
  10. ^ "Julian Cope – World Shut Your Mouth". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 17 July 2022.
  11. ^ a b "Julian Cope: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 17 July 2022.
  12. ^ "Billboard Hot 100". Billboard. 4 April 1987. Retrieved 29 July 2023.
  13. ^ "Mainstream Rock Airplay". Billboard. 21 February 1987. Retrieved 29 July 2023.
  14. ^ "New Singles". Music Week. 13 September 1986. p. 27.
  15. ^ "New Releases: Singles". Music Week. 25 July 1992. p. 19.