Duran Duran – Come Undone

The official Duran Duran video for ‘Come Undone’ from 1993’s THE WEDDING ALBUM. Directed by Julien Temple.

“Come Undone” – Single by Duran Duran from the album Duran Duran (The Wedding Album)
B-side: “Ordinary World” (acoustic)
Released: 29 March 1993
Songwriter: Duran Duran
Producer: Duran Duran
Charted No.7 in US and No.13 in UK

Lead singer Simon Le Bon called “Come Undone” “a song for anyone who is falling in love for the first time, ’cause when you come, you come undone.”

Although it was the second single released from The Wedding Album, “Come Undone” was probably the last track finished for the album sessions. By this point, bassist John Taylor had done his parts for all the other songs and had flown home to L.A. The group had been recording in London, so co-producer/multi-instrumentalist John Jones, who programmed the drum tracks, also played the bass parts. “Come Undone” almost did not make the album, but the group reconsidered it when they wanted to include something else in the track list.

Singer Tessa Niles was brought in to provide a feminine presence to the song, and her distinct vocals provided a good vocal counterbalance during certain verse lyrics.

The song’s music video, directed by Julien Temple, begins with a knot in a purple ribbon coming undone and straightening out quickly as the music begins. The music video was filmed primarily at the Sea Life London Aquarium. Footage of sharks and other fish swimming around in glass tanks can be seen clearly throughout the video. In the video, English back-up singer Tessa Niles plays the role of a woman attempting to escape a bundle of metal chains that are dragging her down into the shark tank. Sharks swim near her as she sings part of the chorus. One of the scenes in the video shows an elderly couple sitting on a park bench. The elderly couple are shown to have escaped as the area floods around the bench. Other footage used during the video includes an alcoholic blonde woman drinking in her kitchen, glass breaking and an automobile explosion. All of the footage, with the exception of the scenes from the aquarium, are meant to symbolize the theme of people’s lives unraveling. As the song ends, the knot in an orange ribbon is shown coming undone and straightening out quickly. The screen then fades to black.

The first fish to be shown in the video is called an arowana.

Lyrics:
Mine, immaculate dream made breath and skin
I’ve been waiting for you
Signed with a home tattoo
Happy birthday to you was created for you
Can’t ever keep from falling apart at the seams
Can I believe you’re taking my heart to pieces?
Ah, it’ll take a little time
Might take a little crime to come undone
Now we’ll try to stay blind to the hope and fear outside
Hey child, stay wilder than the wind and blow me in to cry
Who do you need?
Who do you love?
When you come undone
Who do you need?
Who do you love?
When you come undone
Words, playing me deja vu
Like a radio tune, I swear I’ve heard before
Chill, is it something real?
Or the magic I’m feeding off your fingers
Can’t ever keep from falling apart at the seams
Can I believe you’re taking my heart to pieces?
Lost, in a snow filled sky
We’ll make it alright to come undone
Now we’ll try to stay blind to the hope and fear outside
Hey child, stay wilder than the wind and blow me in to cry
Who do you need?
Who do you love?
When you come undone
Who do you need?
Who do you love?
When you come undone (Can’t ever keep from falling apart)
Who do you need?
Who do you love?
When you come undone (Can’t ever keep from falling apart)
Who do you need?
Who do you love? (Can’t ever keep from falling apart)
Who do you love?
When you come undone