It's My Life (Talk Talk song)

"It's My Life" is a song by the English new wave band Talk Talk. Written by Mark Hollis and Tim Friese-Greene, it was the title track on the band's second album and released as its first single in January 1984. It reached number 46 on the UK chart, but did better in several other countries, reaching number 33 in Germany, number 32 in New Zealand, number 25 in France, and number 7 in Italy. It was also a success in North America, entering the Top 40 in both the United States (31) and Canada (30). Notably, it peaked at number 1 on the US Hot Dance Club Play chart.

"It's My Life"
Single by Talk Talk
from the album It's My Life
B-side	"Does Caroline Know?"
Released	13 January 1984
Recorded	1983
Genre	Synth-pop[1] new wave[2]
Length	3:50 6:16 (extended remix)
Label	EMI Parlophone
Songwriter(s)	Mark Hollis Tim Friese-Greene
Producer(s)	Tim Friese-Greene
Talk Talk singles chronology
"My Foolish Friend" (1983) "It's My Life" (1984) "Such a Shame" (1984)
Music video
Video on YouTube

"It's My Life"
Single by Talk Talk
from the album Natural History: The Very Best of Talk Talk
A-side	"It's My Life" (Original Version)
B-side	"Renée" (Live)
Released	1 May 1990
Length	3:53 (7" single and 12" single B-side) 5:58 (12" single) 3:54 (CD single track 2)
Label	Parlophone
Songwriter(s)	Mark Hollis
Producer(s)	Tim Friese-Greene
Talk Talk singles chronology
"I Believe in You" (1988) "It's My Life" (1990) "Life's What You Make It" (1990)

The single was re-released in the UK in 1985, but this time only reached number 93. However, in 1990, "It's My Life" was reissued again to promote the compilation album Natural History: The Very Best of Talk Talk. This time, the song was a hit in the UK, reaching number 13, the band's highest chart-placing single in its native country.

Music video

There are two versions of the video for "It's My Life". The first, envisioned by director Tim Pope as a statement against the banality of lip-synching, consists almost entirely of footage from wildlife documentaries, interspersed with shots of Talk Talk lead singer Mark Hollis standing in various places throughout the London Zoo. He keeps his hands in his coat pockets and his mouth pointedly shut tight, the latter often obscured by hand-drawn animated lines that occasionally appear in the documentary footage sequences as well.

The second version, recorded at the behest of EMI, consisted of the entirety of the original video projected on a green screen behind Hollis on guitar and vocals as well as his two bandmates as they lip-synched and mimed the song, deliberately poorly and with comic exaggerated gestures.[3]

Track listings

1984 release

7" single

1. "It's My Life" – 3:51
2. "Does Caroline Know?" – 4:36

12" single – North America

1. "It's My Life" (Extended Version) – 6:14
2. "It's My Life" – 3:51
3. "Again, a Game...Again" – 4:09

12" single – Europe

1. "It's My Life" (12" Remix) – 6:16
2. "Does Caroline Know?" – 4:33
3. "It's My Life" – 3:51

1990 reissue

7" single

1. "It's My Life" – 3:51
2. "Renée" (Live) – 7:28

CD maxi

1. "It's My Life" – 3:51
2. "Renée" (Live) – 7:28
3. "It's My Life" (Live) – 7:58

Charts

Chart (1984) Peak position Australia (Kent Music Report)[4] 73 Canada (RPM 50 Singles)[5] 30 France (SNEP)[6] 25 Germany (Official German Charts)[7] 33 Italy (FIMI)[8] 7 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[9] 31 Netherlands (Single Top 100)[10] 30 New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[11] 32 UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[12] 46 US Billboard Hot 100[13] 31 US Radio & Records CHR/Pop Airplay Chart[14] 31 US Billboard Top Tracks[15] 23 US Hot Dance Club Play (Billboard) 1

Chart (1990) Peak position Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[16] 44 Belgium (VRT Top 30 Flanders)[17] 29 Germany (Media Control Charts)[18] 49 Ireland (IRMA)[19] 23 Poland (Polish Singles Chart)[20] 6 UK (Official Charts Company)[12] 13

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[21]	Silver	200,000
sales+streaming figures based on certification alone

Gigabyte version

"It's My Life"
Single by Gigabyte
Released	30 May 1995
Recorded	1995
Genre	Eurodance
Length	4:17
Label	Infinity Records
Songwriter(s)	Mark Hollis Tim Friese-Greene
Producer(s)	Máni Svavarsson, Fridrik Karlsson

In 1995 Swedish Dancegroup Gigabyte covered the song, releasing it as a double release with their own song Gave My Heart Away. Compared to the original, it is very adapted to the 1990s and therefore corresponds to the direction of Eurodance, even if some text passages have been moved. At the same time the cover appeared on the compilation Super Dance 10.

Track listings

CD-Maxi

1. It's My Life (Radio Mix) - 4:17
2. It's My Life (Extended Club Mix) - 5:50
3. Gave My Heart Away (Radio Mix) - 4:41
4. Gave My Heart Away (Exteneded Mix) - 6:06

No Doubt version

"It's My Life"
Single by No Doubt
from the album The Singles 1992–2003
Released	15 August 2003 (2003-08-15)
Recorded	2003
Genre	Synthpop new wave
Length	3:46
Label	Interscope
Songwriter(s)	Mark Hollis Tim Friese-Greene
Producer(s)	Nellee Hooper No Doubt
No Doubt singles chronology
"Running" (2003) "It's My Life" (2003) "Bathwater (Invincible Overlord Remix)" (2004)
Music video
"It's My Life on YouTube

The American ska band No Doubt recorded a cover version of the song to promote their first greatest hits album The Singles 1992–2003 (2003). Because the band was on hiatus, while lead singer Gwen Stefani recorded her solo debut album, they decided to record a cover to avoid having to write a new song.[22] Eventually, after the band listened to hundreds of songs from the 1980s, they narrowed it down to two contenders – "It's My Life" by Talk Talk and "Don't Change" by Australian rock band INXS. "A Question of Lust" by English electronic band Depeche Mode was another close contender.[23] No Doubt were dubious about recording a cover and contemplated writing new material.[22] However, they decided on "It's My Life" after rehearsing the song with producer Nellee Hooper,[23] referring to it as a "feel-good" song.[22] No Doubt's version of "It's My Life" was nominated for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal at the 47th Grammy Awards.[24] Jacques Lu Cont, the song's programmer, created the Thin White Duke mix of "It's My Life", which won the award for Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical.[25]

This version was featured on the video game Karaoke Revolution Volume 2. On 9 December 2008 it was also made available as downloadable content for the Rock Band series.

Commercial performance

No Doubt's cover version was successful in the United States, reaching number ten on the Billboard Hot 100, and remaining on the chart for 28 weeks.[26] On the Radio & Records CHR/Pop Airplay chart the song debuted at number 41 on the 10 October 2003 issue and after six weeks reached and peaked at number five staying there for two non-consecutive weeks, it remained on the top-ten of the chart for nine weeks and remained on it for 20 weeks.[27] It was moderately successful on adult contemporary stations, reaching number 20 on the US Adult Contemporary chart, but had high longevity and appeared atop the Adult Top 40's recurrent chart. The single was more successful at nightclubs, peaking at number 16 on the US Dance Club Songs chart, and had some play on modern rock stations, reaching number 32 on the US Alternative Songs chart.[28] The Recording Industry Association of America certified the digital download Gold for selling 500,000 copies.[29]

On the UK Singles chart, "It's My Life" debuted at number 20 but was unable to reach a higher position until it was released with a remix of the No Doubt song "Bathwater" which boosted the single up to number seventeen. The single dropped off the chart after seven weeks. It was more of a success across Europe, reaching the top-ten in Italy, Finland, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden, and the top 20 in Austria, Belgium, France and Switzerland.[26] The single reached number seven on the ARIA Charts in Australia, lasting 17 weeks on the chart,[26] and was listed at number 81 on the 2004 year-end chart.[30] The Australian Recording Industry Association certified the single Platinum in 2004 for shipping 70,000 copies.[31]

Music video

No Doubt's lead singer Gwen Stefani on trial in the music video.

The 1930s-style music video for the song was directed by David LaChapelle.[32] In the video, Stefani portrays a black widow whose look closely resembles that of actress Jean Harlow (whom Stefani portrayed in the Martin Scorsese film The Aviator),[33] who is put on trial and sentenced to death for the murders of three men she knew, who are portrayed by the other members of the band. She kills the first man (guitarist Tom Dumont) with rat poison mixed into his dinner, the second (bassist Tony Kanal) by running him over with his car, and the third (drummer Adrian Young) by throwing her hair dryer into the bathtub to electrocute him. These scenes are intercut with moments of Stefani in court and being dragged to the gas chamber wearing a prison uniform where she is executed. The video ends with the three murder victims together, presumably in the afterlife, laughing at her televised execution.

The music video was moderately successful on video chart programs. On MTV's Total Request Live, it reached number 7 in November 2003[34] and was on the countdown as late as January 2004.[35] The video peaked at number 8 on MuchMusic's Countdown and remained on the program through March 2004.[36] At the 2004 MTV Video Music Awards, "It's My Life" won the awards for Best Group Video and Best Pop Video. It also received nominations for Best Direction, Best Cinematography, and Best Art Direction.[37]

Track listing and formats

2-track

1. "It's My Life" – 3:46
2. "Rock Steady" (live) – 5:53

CD single

1. "It's My Life" – 3:46
2. "Sunday Morning" (2002 live) – 4:49
3. "Rock Steady" (2002 live) – 5:53
4. "Bathwater" (2002 live) – 4:01

UK CD single[38]

1. "It's My Life" – 3:46
2. "Rock Steady" (2002 live) – 5:53
3. "Bathwater" (2002 live) – 4:01

UK re-issue "It's My Life" / "Bathwater" double A-side CD single[39][40]

1. "It's My Life" – 3:46
2. "Bathwater" (Invincible Overlord Remix) – 3:07
3. "It's My Life" (Jacques Lu Cont's Thin White Duke Mix) – 6:59
4. "It's My Life" (Chocolate O'Brian Remix) – 5:43
5. "Bathwater" (Invincible Overlord Remix Video)
6. "It's My Life" (Video)

Official versions

• "It's My Life" – 3:46
• "It's My Life" (Jacques Lu Cont's Thin White Duke Mix) – 6:59
• "It's My Life" (Chocolate O'Brien Remix) – 6:30
• "It's My Life" (Dave Aude Remix) – 3:51 (unreleased)
• "It's My Life" (Dave Aude Club Edit Mix) – 3:47

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (2003–2004) Peak position Australia (ARIA)[41] 7 Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[42] 12 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[43] 11 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[44] 9 Canada (Nielsen SoundScan)[45] 23 CIS (Tophit)[46] 20 Czech Republic (IFPI)[47] 1 Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[48] 16 Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[49] 14 France (SNEP)[50] 19 Germany (Official German Charts)[51] 9 Greece (IFPI)[52] 5 Hungary (Rádiós Top 40)[53] 5 Ireland (IRMA)[54] Double A-side with "Bathwater" 6 Italy (FIMI)[55] 7 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[56] 4 Netherlands (Single Top 100)[57] 6 New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[58] 8 Norway (VG-lista)[59] 3 Poland (Nielsen Music Control)[60] 1 Portugal (AFP)[61] 5 Romania (Romanian Top 100)[62] 29 Scotland (Official Charts Company)[63] 12 Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[64] 4 Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[65] 12 UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[66] 20 US Billboard Hot 100[67] 10 US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[68] 20 US Adult Top 40 (Billboard)[69] 3 US Alternative Airplay (Billboard)[28] 32 US Dance Club Songs (Billboard)[70] Remixes 16 US Dance/Mix Show Airplay (Billboard)[71] 5 US Mainstream Top 40 (Billboard)[72] 5

Year-end charts Chart (2004) Position Australia (ARIA)[73] 81 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[74] 84 CIS (Tophit)[75] 80 Germany (Official German Charts)[76] 78 Hungary (Rádiós Top 40)[77] 22 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[78] 17 Netherlands (Single Top 100)[79] 54 Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[80] 58 Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[81] 67 US Billboard Hot 100[82] 38

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[83]	Platinum	70,000^^
Norway (IFPI Norway)[84]	Platinum	10,000^*
United States (RIAA)[85]	Gold	500,000^*
^*sales figures based on certification alone ^^shipments figures based on certification alone

References

1. Jonathan Barnes (18 October 2010). "When the man from Talk Talk fell silent". EADT 24. Eadt.co.uk. Retrieved 23 July 2013. "the EMI-signed group achieved reasonable commercial success; even a couple of top 20 singles in the synth-pop classic It’s My Life"
2. Amy Phillips (31 August 2012). "Talk Talk's Mark Hollis Resurfaces With New Music for the Kelsey Grammer TV Show "Boss"". Pitchfork. Pitchfork Media Inc. Retrieved 23 July 2013. "After hitting it big as new wave stars in the early and mid-80s, with massive singles like "It's My Life" and "Life's What You Make It", Talk Talk abandoned synth-pop and went experimental."
3. Alan McGee (9 April 2008). "Wherefore art thou Mark Hollis?". The Guardian music blog. Retrieved 25 January 2014.
4. bulion. "Forum - ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts - CHART POSITIONS PRE 1989". ARIA. Australian-charts.com. Archived from the original on 20 October 2013. Retrieved 23 July 2013.
5. "Top Singles - Volume 40, No. 11, May 19, 1984" (PDF). Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 19 January 2020.
6. "Lescharts.com – Talk Talk – It's My Life" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved 23 July 2013.
7. "Offiziellecharts.de – Talk Talk – It's My Life". GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 23 July 2013.
8. "I singoli più venduti del 1984". HitParadeItalia (in Italian). Creative Commons. Retrieved 23 July 2013.
   45. It's my life - Talk Talk [#7]
9. "Nederlandse Top 40 – Talk Talk - It's My Life" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 23 July 2013.
10. "Dutchcharts.nl – Talk Talk – It's My Life" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 23 July 2013.
11. "Charts.nz – Talk Talk – It's My Life". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 23 July 2013.
12. "Talk Talk". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 23 July 2013.
13. "Talk Talk awards at Allmusic". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 23 July 2013.
14. http://wweb.uta.edu/faculty/gghunt/charts/talktalk.html
15. "Mainstream Rock Songs, May 12, 1984". Billboard. Retrieved 26 March 2018.
16. "Ultratop.be – Talk Talk – It's My Life" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 23 July 2013.
17. "It's My Life - TALK TALK". VRT (in Dutch). Top30-2.radio2.be. Archived from the original on 9 April 2012. Retrieved 23 July 2013.
18. "Charts-Surfer". Media Control Charts. Charts-surfer.de. Archived from the original on 8 January 2009. Retrieved 23 July 2013.
19. "The Irish Charts - All there is to know". IRMA. Archived from the original on 29 September 2011. Retrieved 23 July 2013. 2nd and 4th results when searching "It's my life"
20. "IT'S MY LIFE - Talk Talk". Nowe Media, Polskie Radio S.A. LP3.polskieradio.pl. Retrieved 23 July 2013.
21. "British single certifications – Talk Talk – It's My Life". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 18 March 2019. Select singles in the Format field. Select Silver in the Certification field. Type It's My Life in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
22. Jennifer Vineyard and SuChin Pak (15 September 2003). "No Doubt To Tell Fans 'It's My Life'". MTV News. MTV.com. Retrieved 23 July 2013.
23. Paris Montoya and Tom Lanham "It's My Life". The Singles 1992-2003. Interscope Records. 25 November 2003.
24. "Grammy Awards 2005: Key winners". BBC News. News.bbc.co.uk. 14 February 2005. Retrieved 23 July 2013.
25. "ASCAP Members Winning Multiple Awards include Beyoncé, OutKast, Justin". ASCAP. Ascap.com. Archived from the original on 19 February 2005. Retrieved 23 July 2013.
26. "No Doubt - It's My Life - Music Charts". aCharts.us. Retrieved 23 July 2013.
27. http://wweb.uta.edu/faculty/gghunt/charts/Songruns/N/NoDoubt/it.htm
28. "No Doubt Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved 25 April 2017.
29. "RIAA - Gold & Platinum Searchable Database". RIAA. RIAA.com. Retrieved 23 July 2013.
30. "ARIA Charts - End Of Year Charts - Top 100 Singles 2004". ARIA Charts. Aria.com.au. Retrieved 23 July 2013.
31. "ARIA Charts - Accreditations - 2004 Singles". ARIA Charts. Aria.com.au. Retrieved 23 July 2013.
32. Jennifer Vineyard, Corey Moss (27 October 2003). "Gwen Stefani Bumps Off Bandmates In 'It's My Life'". MTV. Viacom International Inc. Retrieved 23 July 2013.
33. Jennifer Vineyard (27 October 2003). "Gwen Stefani Feeling Hella Good About Role in Scorsese Flick". MTV. Viacom International Inc. Retrieved 23 July 2013.
34. "ATRL - The TRL Archive - Recap: November 2003". ATRL. vBulletin Solutions, Inc. Retrieved 23 July 2013.
35. "ATRL - The TRL Archive - Recap: January 2004". ATRL. vBulletin Solutions, Inc. Retrieved 23 July 2013.
36. "MuchMusic Countdown". MuchMusic. BellMedia. Archived from the original on 13 January 2009. Retrieved 5 September 2004.
37. "MTV Awards 2004: The winners". BBC News. News.bbc.co.uk. 3 August 2004. Retrieved 23 July 2013.
38. "It's My Life: No Doubt: Amazon.co.uk: Music". Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved 17 July 2012.
39. "It's My Life/Bathwater: No Doubt: Amazon.co.uk: Music". Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved 17 July 2012.
40. "It's My Life/Bathwater at Juno Records". Juno. Archived from the original on 14 January 2013. Retrieved 17 February 2012.
41. "Australian-charts.com – No Doubt – It's My Life". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved 23 July 2013.
42. "Austriancharts.at – No Doubt – It's My Life" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 23 July 2013.
43. "Ultratop.be – No Doubt – It's My Life" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 23 July 2013.
44. "Ultratop.be – No Doubt – It's My Life" (in French). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 23 July 2013.
45. "Canada Top 20". Retrieved 13 March 2018.
46. No Doubt — It's My Life. Tophit. Retrieved 11 August 2019.
47. "Oficiální Česká Hitparáda - Pro týden 14/2004" (in Czech). IFPI ČR. Archived from the original on 5 April 2004. Retrieved 13 January 2020.
48. "Hits of the World – Eurocharts" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 116 no. 5. 31 January 2004. p. 43. Retrieved 17 March 2020.
49. "No Doubt: It's My Life" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved 30 August 2015.
50. "Lescharts.com – No Doubt – It's My Life" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved 23 July 2013.
51. "Offiziellecharts.de – No Doubt – It's My Life". GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 23 July 2013.
52. "IFPI Greece Top 50 Singles". Archived from the original on 19 February 2004. Retrieved 19 February 2004.
53. "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Rádiós Top 40 játszási lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Retrieved 29 March 2020.
54. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – It's My Life / Bathwater". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 26 April 2018.
55. "Italiancharts.com – No Doubt – It's My Life". Top Digital Download. Retrieved 23 July 2013.
56. "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 2, 2004" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40 Retrieved 30 April 2019.
57. "Dutchcharts.nl – No Doubt – It's My Life" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 23 July 2013.
58. "Charts.nz – No Doubt – It's My Life". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 23 July 2013.
59. "Norwegiancharts.com – No Doubt – It's My Life". VG-lista. Retrieved 23 July 2013.
60. "Nielsen Music Control". Archived from the original on 22 October 2007.
61. "Hits of the World – Portugal" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 116 no. 9. 28 February 2004. p. 57. Retrieved 16 March 2020.
62. "Arhiva romanian top 100 – Editia 5, saptamina 2.02 – 8.02, 2004" (in Romanian). Romanian Top 100. Archived from the original on 20 February 2005. Retrieved 14 May 2020.
63. "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 13 March 2018.
64. "Swedishcharts.com – No Doubt – It's My Life". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 23 July 2013.
65. "Swisscharts.com – No Doubt – It's My Life". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 23 July 2013.
66. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 23 July 2013.
67. "No Doubt Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 14 May 2020.
68. "No Doubt Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved 23 April 2017.
69. "No Doubt Chart History (Adult Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 23 April 2017.
70. "No Doubt Chart History (Dance Club Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 23 April 2017.
71. "No Doubt Chart History (Dance Mix/Show Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved 14 May 2020.
72. "No Doubt Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 23 April 2017.
73. "ARIA Charts – End of Year Charts – Top 100 Singles 2004". ARIA. Retrieved 30 April 2019.
74. "Rapports annuels 2004" (in French). Ultratop. Retrieved 30 April 2019.
75. "CIS Year-End Radio Hits (2003)". Tophit. Retrieved 11 August 2019.
76. "Top 100 Singles–Jahrescharts 2004" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved 30 April 2019.
77. "Rádiós Top 100 – hallgatottsági adatok alapján – 2004" (in Hungarian). Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
78. "Top 100–Jaaroverzicht van 2004". Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 13 January 2020.
79. "Jaaroverzichten – Single 2004" (in Dutch). MegaCharts. Retrieved 30 April 2019.
80. "Årslista Singlar, 2004" (in Swedish). Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
81. "Schweizer Jahreshitparade 2004" (in German). Retrieved 30 April 2019.
82. "Billboard Top 100 – 2004". Billboardtop100of.com. Retrieved 30 April 2019.
83. "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2004 Singles". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 22 July 2020.
84. "IFPI Norsk platebransje Trofeer 1993–2011" (in Norwegian). IFPI Norway. Retrieved 22 July 2020.
85. "American single certifications – No Doubt – It's My Life". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 22 July 2020. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Single, then click SEARCH.