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Don't Marry Her

{{Short description|1996 single by the Beautiful South}}

{{Infobox song

| name = Don't Marry Her

| cover = TheBeautifulSouthDon'tMarryHer.jpg

| alt =

| type = single

| artist = the Beautiful South

| album = Blue Is the Colour

| B-side =

  • "God Bless the Child"
  • "Without Her"
  • "Dream a Little Dream"
  • "Les yeux ouverts"

| released = {{start date|1996|12|2|df=y}}{{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/1996/Music-Week-1996-11-30.pdf|title=New Releases: Singles|magazine=Music Week|page=45|date=30 November 1996|access-date=7 June 2021}}

| recorded =

| studio =

| venue =

| genre =

| length = 3:23

| label = Go! Discs

| writer =

| producer = Jon Kelly

| prev_title = Rotterdam

| prev_year = 1996

| next_title = Blackbird on the Wire

| next_year = 1997

| misc = {{External music video|{{YouTube|3Xo80hR-QfQ|"Don't Marry Her"}}}}

}}

"Don't Marry Her" is a song by English pop rock group the Beautiful South and the opening track on their fifth studio album, Blue Is the Colour (1996).{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/blue-is-the-colour-mw0000027238|title=The Beautiful South – Blue Is the Colour|publisher=AllMusic|access-date=21 February 2021}} It was written by Paul Heaton and Dave Rotheray, and produced by Jon Kelly. Vocalist Jacqui Abbott begs a man to run away with her from the woman he is going to marry and attempts to sway him by describing what she thinks married life with the other woman will be like, painting an uninviting picture. Released on 2 December 1996 by Go! Discs, the single peaked at number eight on the UK Singles Chart and was certified platinum by the British Phonographic Industry.

Background

The song's lyrics were substantially altered for the release as a single – changing from "Don't marry her, fuck me" to "Don't marry her, have me", and with "sweaty bollocks" becoming "Sandra Bullocks". The song spent 10 weeks on the UK Singles Chart, peaking at number eight, and also charted within the lower reaches of several European charts. The single version appears on the best of album Solid Bronze: Great Hits, while Soup features the original album version.

Critical reception

Jennifer Nine from Melody Maker noted the "gleefully repetitive chorus" in the "syrup-and-venom" song.{{cite magazine|first=Jennifer|last=Nine|url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/nothingelseon/53737527033/|title=Albums|magazine=Melody Maker|date=9 November 1996|page=51|access-date=28 May 2024}} A reviewer from Music Week gave "Don't Marry Her" three out of five, writing, "Some strong guitar riffs appear in this country-tinged follow up to their huge radio hit 'Rotterdam', but Jacqueline Abbot's vocal will be too saccharine for some ears."{{cite magazine|url= https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/1996/Music-Week-1996-11-23.pdf |title= Reviews: Singles |magazine= Music Week |date= 23 November 1996 |page= 24 |accessdate= 5 October 2021}}

Track listings

  • UK CD1{{cite AV media notes|title=Don't Marry Her|others=The Beautiful South|year=1996|type=UK CD1 liner notes|publisher=Go! Discs|id=GODCD 158, 850 785-2}}
  1. "Don't Marry Her"
  2. "God Bless the Child"
  3. "Without Her"
  • UK CD2{{cite AV media notes|title=Don't Marry Her|others=The Beautiful South|year=1996|type=UK CD2 liner notes|publisher=Go! Discs|id=GOLCD 158, 850 787-2}}
  1. "Don't Marry Her"
  2. "Dream a Little Dream"
  3. "Les yeux ouverts"
  • UK cassette single{{cite AV media notes|title=Don't Marry Her|others=The Beautiful South|year=1996|type=UK cassette single cassette notes|publisher=Go! Discs|id=GODMC 158, 850 785-4}}
  1. "Don't Marry Her"
  2. "Dream a Little Dream"
  3. "God Bless the Child"

Charts

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

!Chart (1996–1997)

!Peak
position

{{single chart|Flanders|50|artist=The Beautiful South|song=Don't Marry Her|rowheader=true|accessdate=12 April 2018}}
scope="row"|Europe (Eurochart Hot 100){{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/90s/1997/MM-1997-01-18.pdf|title=Eurochart Hot 100 Singles|magazine=Music & Media|volume=14|issue=1–3|date=18 January 1997|page=21|access-date=8 May 2020}} See last week column.

| 41

{{single chart|Germany|89|artist=The Beautiful South|song=Don't Marry Her|songid=18441|rowheader=true|accessdate=12 April 2018}}
scope="row"|Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40){{cite news|url=https://timarit.is/page/2952027#page/n1/mode/2up|title=Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 (6.3. '97 – 12.3. '97)|newspaper=Dagblaðið Vísir|language=is|page=16|date=7 March 1997|accessdate=2 October 2019}}

| 30

{{single chart|Ireland2|11|song=Don't Marry Her|rowheader=true|accessdate=12 April 2018}}
{{single chart|Scotland|3|date=19961214|rowheader=true|accessdate=12 April 2018}}
{{single chart|UK|8|date=19961214|rowheader=true|accessdate=12 April 2018}}

Certifications

{{Certification Table Top}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=United Kingdom|type=single|artist=Beautiful South|title=Don't Marry Her|award=Platinum|relyear=1996|certyear=2024|id=9398-1846-1|access-date=15 April 2024}}

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

References

{{Reflist}}

{{The Beautiful South}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:1996 singles

Category:1996 songs

Category:The Beautiful South songs

Category:Go! Discs singles

Category:Songs about infidelity

Category:Songs about marriage

Category:Songs written by David Rotheray

Category:Songs written by Paul Heaton