Don't Get Me Wrong

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{{Infobox song

| name = Don't Get Me Wrong

| cover = Pretenders don't...jpg

| alt =

| caption = Artwork for UK and European vinyl releases

| type = single

| artist = the Pretenders

| album = Get Close

| B-side = Dance!

| released = {{start date|1986|9|22}}{{cite magazine|title=New Singles|magazine=Music Week|page=28|date=September 20, 1986}}

| recorded =

| studio =

| genre = Rock{{cite web|url=https://www.classicrockreview.com/2016/10/1986-pretenders-get-close/|title=Get Close by the Pretenders – Classic Rock Review}}

| length = 3:49

| label = * Real

Sire

| writer = Chrissie Hynde

| producer = * Jimmy Iovine

Bob Clearmountain

| prev_title = Thin Line Between Love and Hate

| prev_year = 1984

| next_title = Hymn to Her

| next_year = 1986

| misc = {{External music video|{{YouTube|qbAab1hTxN4|"Don't Get Me Wrong"}}}}

}}

"Don't Get Me Wrong" is a song by British-American rock band the Pretenders. It was the first single released from the band's fourth studio album, Get Close (1986). It was also included on the band's compilation album, The Singles (1987). Frontwoman Chrissie Hynde said she was inspired to write the song for her friend John McEnroe.{{cite web|url=https://ultimateclassicrock.com/pretenders-dont-get-me-wrong/|title=How Chrissie Hynde Wrote 'Don't Get Me Wrong' for John McEnroe|date=December 5, 2018|access-date=August 13, 2020|website=Ultimate Classic Rock}}

Background

The song features a jangly guitar sound and an emphasis on melody. Hynde's lyrics contain literary references in addition to the more relationship-based subject matter typical for rock and pop music.

Critical reception

Billboard wrote that although Hynde is the only original Pretender remaining, this song represents "a pretty upbeat, strutting, confident Pretenders."{{cite magazine|magazine=Billboard|date=October 11, 1986|access-date=August 7, 2022|page=85|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ESUEAAAAMBAJ|title=Reviews}} Cashbox praised Hynde's "sultry vocal" and "powerful songwriting."{{cite magazine|title=Single Releases|magazine=Cash Box|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/80s/1986/CB-1986-10-11.pdf|date=October 11, 1986|access-date=August 7, 2022|page=9}} Classic rock review describes "Don't Get Me Wrong" as a "jaunty rock track".{{cite web | url=https://www.classicrockreview.com/2016/10/1986-pretenders-get-close/ | title=Get Close by the Pretenders – Classic Rock Review }} Ultimate Classic Rock critic Matt Wardlaw rated it the Pretenders' eighth-greatest song, saying that it "[hammers] home the point rather succinctly that when it comes to love from the female point of view, it's best to expect the unexpected."{{cite web|title=Top 10 Pretenders songs|author=Wardlaw, Matt|date=September 7, 2011|url=https://ultimateclassicrock.com/top-pretenders-songs/|publisher=Ultimate Classic Rock|access-date=December 28, 2022}}

Chart performance

In the United States, "Don't Get Me Wrong" became the group's second top-10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, peaking at {{abbr|No.|Number}} 10. It also spent three weeks atop the Billboard Album Rock Tracks chart in November 1986. In the United Kingdom, the song also peaked at No. 10 on the UK Singles Chart. In Australia, it became a top-10 hit, reaching No. 8 on the Kent Music Report.

Music video

The music video for the song is a tribute to the British 1960s espionage television series The Avengers, with Chrissie Hynde playing Emma Peel searching for John Steed, while being diverted by body doubles and rival agents. She drives a 1983 Reliant Scimitar SS1. Steed actor Patrick Macnee appears in the original series' footage, with Hynde electronically inserted. Two edits to the video were made, the second edit adds alternate shots (including a scene of one of the body doubles being revealed to be a woman) and inserts footage of the band performing in a studio.

Personnel

The Pretenders

Chrissie Hynde – lead vocals, rhythm guitar
Robbie McIntosh – guitars
T. M. Stevens – bass guitar

Additional personnel

Chucho Merchán – bass guitar
Steve Jordan – drums, percussion
Paul "Wix" Wickens – synthesizer, piano

Charts

=Weekly charts=

scope="row"\|Australia (Kent Music Report){{cite book\|last=Kent\|first=David\|author-link=David Kent (historian)\|title=Australian Chart Book 1970–1992\|edition=illustrated\|publisher=Australian Chart Book\|location=St Ives, N.S.W.\|year=1993\|isbn=0-646-11917-6\|page=238}} \|8
class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" \|+Weekly chart performance for "Don't Get Me Wrong" !scope="col"\|Chart (1986–1987) !scope="col"\|Peak position
{{single chart\|Flanders\|8\|artist=The Pretenders\|song=Don't Get Me Wrong\|rowheader=true\|access-date=August 5, 2021}}
{{single chart\|Canadatopsingles\|14\|chartid=0759\|access-date=March 21, 2021\|rowheader=true}}
scope="row"\|Europe (Eurochart Hot 100){{cite magazine\|title=European Hot 100 Singles\|magazine=Music & Media\|volume=3\|issue=46\|page=15\|date=November 22, 1986}} \|19
{{single chart\|Ireland2\|4\|song=Don't Get Me Wrong\|rowheader=true\|access-date=November 26, 2023}}
{{single chart\|Dutch40\|19\|year=1986\|week=47\|rowheader=true\|access-date=August 5, 2021}}
{{single chart\|Dutch100\|25\|artist=The Pretenders\|song=Don't Get Me Wrong\|rowheader=true\|access-date=August 5, 2021}}
{{single chart\|New Zealand\|11\|artist=The Pretenders\|song=Don't Get Me Wrong\|rowheader=true\|access-date=August 5, 2021}}
{{single chart\|UK\|10\|artist=Pretenders\|song=Don't Get Me Wrong\|date=19861026\|access-date=March 21, 2021\|rowheader=true\|refname="uk"}}
scope="row"\|US Billboard Hot 100{{cite magazine\|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-100/1986-12-27/\|title=Billboard Hot 100\|magazine=Billboard\|date=December 27, 1986\|access-date=November 26, 2023}} \|10
scope="row"\|US Adult Contemporary (Billboard){{cite magazine\|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/adult-contemporary/1986-12-13/\|title=Adult Contemporary\|magazine=Billboard\|date=December 13, 1986\|url-access=subscription\|access-date=November 26, 2023}} \|28
scope="row"\|US Album Rock Tracks (Billboard){{cite magazine\|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-mainstream-rock-tracks/1986-11-08/\|title=Mainstream Rock Airplay\|magazine=Billboard\|date=November 8, 1986\|access-date=November 26, 2023}} \|1
{{single chart\|West Germany\|45\|artist=The Pretenders\|song=Don't Get Me Wrong\|songid=7933\|rowheader=true\|access-date=August 5, 2021}}

=Year-end charts=

class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" \|+1986 year-end chart performance for "Don't Get Me Wrong" !scope="col"\|Chart (1986) !scope="col"\|Position
scope="row"\|Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders){{cite web\|url=https://www.ultratop.be/nl/annual.asp?year=1986\|title=Jaaroverzichten 1986\|publisher=Ultratop\|language=nl\|access-date=August 5, 2021}} \|95

class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

|+1986 year-end chart performance for "Don't Get Me Wrong"

!scope="col"|Chart (1986)

!scope="col"|Position

scope="row"|Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders){{cite web|url=https://www.ultratop.be/nl/annual.asp?year=1986|title=Jaaroverzichten 1986|publisher=Ultratop|language=nl|access-date=August 5, 2021}}

|95

class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" \|+1987 year-end chart performance for "Don't Get Me Wrong" !scope="col"\|Chart (1987) !scope="col"\|Position
scope="row"\|US Billboard Hot 100{{cite magazine\|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/80s/1987/Billboard-1987-12-26.pdf\|title=Top Pop Singles\|magazine=Billboard\|volume=99\|issue=52\|page=Y-22\|date=December 26, 1987\|access-date=March 21, 2021}} \|92

class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

|+1987 year-end chart performance for "Don't Get Me Wrong"

!scope="col"|Chart (1987)

!scope="col"|Position

scope="row"|US Billboard Hot 100{{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/80s/1987/Billboard-1987-12-26.pdf|title=Top Pop Singles|magazine=Billboard|volume=99|issue=52|page=Y-22|date=December 26, 1987|access-date=March 21, 2021}}

|92

Certifications

{{Certification Table Top|caption=Certifications for "Don't Get Me Wrong"}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Spain|type=single|artist=Pretenders|title=Don't Get Me Wrong|award=Gold|relyear=1986|certyear=2024|access-date=November 30, 2024}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=United Kingdom|type=single|artist=Pretenders|title=Don't Get Me Wrong|award=Silver|relyear=2004|certyear=2022|id=16754-1896-1|access-date=May 13, 2022}}

{{Certification Table Bottom|nosales=true|noshipments=true|streaming=true}}

Covers

Leigh Nash released a version in 2018.{{cite web|url=https://www.jesusfreakhideout.com/news/2018/06/02.LeighNashDebutsNewSingleDontGetMeWrong.asp|title=JFH News: Leigh Nash Debuts New Single, "Don't Get Me Wrong"|website=www.jesusfreakhideout.com|access-date=August 24, 2018}}
Hale Appleman covered the song in the musical episode "All That Hard, Glossy Armor" (Season 4, Episode 10) of The Magicians.{{cite web|url=https://ew.com/tv/2019/03/27/the-magicians-season-4-musical-summer-bishil-spoilers|title=The Magicians star breaks down the musical episode, from hungry bears to Margo's evolution|website=www.ew.com|access-date=August 18, 2020}}

References

External links

{{discogs master|type=single|106298}}

Category:1986 singles

Category:1986 songs

Category:The Pretenders songs

Category:Sire Records singles

Category:Songs written by Chrissie Hynde

Category:Song recordings produced by Bob Clearmountain

Category:Song recordings produced by Jimmy Iovine