"The Perfect Kiss" is the ninth single by the English alternative dance and rock band New Order. It was recorded at Britannia Row Studios in London and released on 13 May 1985.[5] It is the first New Order song to be released as a single while also included on a studio album (Low-Life). The vinyl version has Factory catalogue number FAC 123 and the video has the opposite number, FAC 321.
The song's themes include love ("We believe in a land of love") and death ("the perfect kiss is the kiss of death").[6] The overall meaning of the song is unclear to its writer today. In an interview with GQ magazine Bernard Sumner said "I haven't a clue what this is about." He agreed with the interviewer that his best known lyric is in the song: "Pretending not to see his gun / I said, 'Let's go out and have some fun'". The lyrics, he added, came about after the band was visiting a man's house in the United States who showed his guns under his bed before they went out for an enjoyable night. It had been quickly written, recorded and mixed without sleep before the band went on tour in Australia.[5]
The song has been remixed by third parties like Razormaid and Hot Tracks and has been covered by bands including Capsule Giants, Nude,[7]
International,[8]
Paradoxx, Razed in a New Division of Agony,
and Amoeba Crunch.[9]
John Leland of Spin wrote, "A dreamy, melancholy melody runs over the electronic and unfortunately guitar-less hooks. But the best part is the end, when they turn all the machines to max and mash the thing up."[10]
An 11-minute live version of the song was filmed by Jonathon Demme in 1985, which Billboard in 2017 termed New Order's "most arresting visual ever."[11]
