Sowing the Seeds of Love

"Sowing the Seeds of Love" is a song by the British group Tears for Fears. It was released as the first single from their 1989 album, The Seeds of Love, and was a worldwide hit, topping the Canadian RPM Top Singles chart and reaching the top ten in Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom. In the United States, it reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 1 on the Cash Box Top 100.

"Sowing the Seeds Of Love"
Single by Tears for Fears
from the album The Seeds of Love
B-side	"Tears Roll Down"
Released	21 August 1989
Recorded	1987–1989
Genre	Pop rock
Length	6:19 (album version) 5:48 (single edit)
Label	Fontana
Songwriter(s)	Roland Orzabal Curt Smith
Producer(s)	Tears for Fears Dave Bascombe
Tears for Fears singles chronology
"I Believe" (1985) "Sowing the Seeds Of Love" (1989) "Woman in Chains" (1989)

Background

The song incorporates a number of musical styles and recording techniques, with a number of reviewers considering it a pastiche of the Beatles, produced in a style reminiscent of their late 1960s output.[1] It was written in June 1987, during the week of the UK General Election in which Margaret Thatcher and the Conservative Party won a third consecutive term in office. The election prompted Roland Orzabal to take an interest in politics and socialism. At the time of its release, he considered this to be the most overtly political song that Tears for Fears had ever recorded. The lyrics refer to Thatcher's election win with "Politician granny with your high ideals, have you no idea how the majority feels?"

The song's title was inspired by a radio programme that Orzabal had heard at the time about a man who was putting together a collection of traditional English folk songs. One of the more obscure songs was called "The Seeds of Love" which he had learned about from a gardener called Mr. England (reflected in the lyric "Mr. England sowing the seeds of love").[2]

Music video

The music video was directed by Jim Blashfield, who had already made acclaimed videos for Joni Mitchell ("Good Friends"), Paul Simon ("The Boy in the Bubble") and Michael Jackson ("Leave Me Alone"). The video won two awards at the MTV Music Video Awards: Best Breakthrough Video and Best Special Effects. It was also nominated in the "Best Group Video" and "Best Postmodern Video" categories.[3]

Release

The single was released on multiple formats, including a 7-inch single, a 12-inch single, a 12-inch picture disc, a cassette single, and a CD single.

Track listings

UK 7-inch single

1. "Sowing the Seeds of Love" (7-inch version)
2. "Shout"

UK 12-inch/CD single

1. "Sowing the Seeds of Love (full version)
2. "Tears Roll Down"
3. "Shout" (U.S. remix)

US CD single

1. "Sowing the Seeds of Love" (full version)
2. "Sowing the Seeds of Love" (U.S. radio edit)

The B-side track "Tears Roll Down" is an early, mostly instrumental version of "Laid So Low (Tears Roll Down)" which was released as a single in 1992 and included on the band's Greatest Hits album of the same name.

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (1989) Peak position Australia (ARIA)[4] 13 Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[5] 17 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[6] 11 Canada Top Singles (RPM)[7] 1 Canada Retail Singles (RPM)[8] 5 Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[9] 10 Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[10] 19 France (SNEP)[11] 18 Ireland (IRMA)[12] 4 Italy (Musica e Dischi)[13] 2 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[14] 3 Netherlands (Single Top 100)[15] 3 New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[16] 4 Poland (LP3)[17] 6 Spain (AFYVE)[18] 8 Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[19] 8 Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[20] 11 UK Singles (OCC)[21] 5 US Billboard Hot 100[22] 2 US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[22] 29 US Album Rock Tracks (Billboard)[22] 4 US Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales (Billboard)[22] 41 US Modern Rock Tracks (Billboard)[22] 1 US Cash Box Top 100[23] 1 West Germany (Official German Charts)[24] 11

Year-end charts Chart (1989) Position Australia (ARIA)[25] 91 Belgium (Ultratop)[26] 63 Canada Top Singles (RPM)[27] 4 Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[28] 39 Netherlands (Single Top 100)[29] 39 US Billboard Hot 100[30] 58

See also

• List of RPM number-one singles of 1989
• List of Billboard number-one alternative singles of the 1980s

References

1. Stephen Holden (21 February 1990). "Disciples of the Beatles". The New York Times. Retrieved 31 July 2008.
2. Thrills, Adrian (1990). Tears for Fears – The Seeds of Love. London, UK: Virgin Books. ISBN 0-86369-329-6.
3. MTV - Video Awards (1990)
4. "Australian-charts.com – Tears for Fears – Sowing the Seeds of Love". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
5. "Austriancharts.at – Tears for Fears – Sowing the Seeds of Love" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
6. "Ultratop.be – Tears for Fears – Sowing the Seeds of Love" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
7. "Top RPM Singles: Issue 6592." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 30 September 2020.
8. "RPM 30 Retail Singles". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 5 June 2013.
9. "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 6 no. 40. 1 October 1989. p. IV. Retrieved 30 September 2020.
10. Pennanen, Timo (2006). Sisältää hitin – levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Tammi. ISBN 978-951-1-21053-5.
11. "Lescharts.com – Tears for Fears – Sowing the Seeds of Love" (in French). Les classement single.
12. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Sowing the Seeds of Love". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 30 September 2020.
13. "Top 3 Singles in Europe" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 6 no. 46. 18 November 1989. p. VII. Retrieved 30 September 2020.
14. "Nederlandse Top 40 – Tears for Fears" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40.
15. "Dutchcharts.nl – Tears for Fears – Sowing the Seeds of Love" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 30 September 2020.
16. "Charts.nz – Tears for Fears – Sowing the Seeds of Love". Top 40 Singles.
18. Salaverri, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
19. "Swedishcharts.com – Tears for Fears – Sowing the Seeds of Love". Singles Top 100.
20. "Swisscharts.com – Tears for Fears – Sowing the Seeds of Love". Swiss Singles Chart.
21. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 30 September 2020.
22. "Tears for Fears Awards". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 1 January 2013. Retrieved 30 September 2020.
23. "Top 100 Singles" (PDF). Cash Box. Vol. LIII no. 17. 4 November 1989. p. 15. Retrieved 30 September 2020.
24. "Offiziellecharts.de – Tears for Fears – Sowing the Seeds of Love". GfK Entertainment Charts.
25. "The ARIA Australian Top 100 Singles Chart – 1989". ARIA. Retrieved 7 January 2020 – via Imgur.
26. "Jaaroverzichten 1989" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Retrieved 30 September 2020.
27. "Top 100 Singles of '89". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 30 September 2020.
28. "Eurochart Hot 100 1989" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 6 no. 51. 23 December 1989. p. 6. OCLC 29800226. Retrieved 17 January 2020 – via American Radio History.
29. "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1989" (in Dutch). MegaCharts. Retrieved 30 September 2020.
30. "Top 100 Hits of 1989/Top 100 Songs of 1989". Music Outfitters, Inc. Retrieved 16 February 2016.

External links

• Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics