A Little Respect
"A Little Respect" is a song written and recorded by the English synth-pop duo Erasure, consisting of Vince Clarke and Andy Bell, released on 19 September 1988 by Mute Records as the second single from their third studio album, The Innocents.[1] The track's lyrics express a plea for compassion and respect from a romantic partner amid relational strain, set against an upbeat, synth-driven melody that exemplifies 1980s synth-pop.[2] It marked a commercial breakthrough for Erasure, peaking at number four on the UK Singles Chart and reaching the top 20 on the US Billboard Hot 100, contributing to The Innocents' success as their first number-one album in the UK.[3][4] Recognized as one of the duo's signature songs, "A Little Respect" has endured in popularity, with subsequent certifications including platinum status in the UK for over 600,000 units sold, and has been covered by artists such as Wheatus.[5]Background and Recording
Development and Songwriting
Vince Clarke initiated the song's development by composing its core melody and chord progression at his home in Notting Hill, West London, demoing the track on guitar and piano using a micro-cassette recorder, with the chords finalized in roughly 15 minutes.[6] Clarke added acoustic guitar elements to inject rhythmic drive, while harboring doubts about the title "A Little Respect" owing to the term's frequent use in popular music, yet he advanced the piece regardless.[6] Andy Bell supplied the lyrics, framing them as an earnest appeal for reciprocity and emotional acknowledgment in a romantic partnership strained by neglect, recontextualizing "respect" as a direct entreaty from one man to another in a same-sex dynamic—distinct from the heterosexual framing of Otis Redding's 1965 composition "Respect," which underpinned Aretha Franklin's 1967 adaptation.[6][7] Bell's words highlight vulnerability and the causal link between mutual regard and relational endurance, reflecting his strength in articulating raw sentiment where Clarke preferred observational detachment.[7] The collaborative refinement avoided overt allusions to Redding's soul original, prioritizing an electronic synth-pop structure to modernize the plea for universal relational equity without political overlay; Bell endorsed the title despite Clarke's hesitations, ensuring the hook's simplicity captured a timeless demand for fairness in love.[6][7]Production Process
The production of "A Little Respect" was handled by Stephen Hague, with engineering duties performed by Bob Kraushaar, during sessions for Erasure's 1988 album The Innocents.[8] [6] Hague's approach emphasized polished, radio-friendly clarity, incorporating clean synth layers from Vince Clarke's arrangements alongside acoustic guitar elements to avoid the dense overproduction prevalent in much 1980s synth-pop.[6] This resulted in a balanced sound design that prioritized instrumental separation and atmospheric depth through subtle reverb on synths and vocals, enhancing the track's emotional resonance without clutter.[9] Andy Bell's vocal recording featured dynamic falsetto in the chorus, layered to convey vulnerability and build intensity, with multiple takes tested to optimize range and expressiveness. Kraushaar's engineering contributions focused on precise capture of these elements, ensuring the harmonies integrated seamlessly with the synthesized instrumentation.[6] The final mix was tailored for broadcast compatibility, maintaining a tempo of 114 beats per minute to support danceability while preserving lyrical intelligibility and instrumental punch.[10] This tempo choice, combined with Hague's mixing decisions, facilitated the song's crossover appeal, contributing to its commercial success on both pop and club charts.[11]Composition and Lyrics
Musical Elements
The song features heavily synthesized instrumentation dominated by keyboards and synth bass, with arpeggiated patterns providing melodic drive and programmed drums establishing a steady 114 BPM rhythm in 4/4 time.[11] [12] An acoustic guitar introduces textural contrast, accentuating the electronic core without overshadowing it, as part of a deliberate blend of acoustic and synthetic elements.[6] Vince Clarke handled primary instrumentation via synthesizers, contributing bubbly chordal figures and pulsing sequences typical of his synth-pop approach.[13] Composed in C major and maintaining that tonality throughout without a key change, the arrangement progresses from a sparse intro of synth arpeggios to layered verses and expansive choruses, emphasizing vocal prominence through clear production mixing.[14] The track's production, overseen by Stephen Hague for the parent album The Innocents, integrates analogue synth timbres with digital sequencing for hybrid clarity, avoiding live guitars beyond the acoustic accent to preserve electronic purity.[15]Lyrical Analysis
The lyrics of "A Little Respect", written by Erasure members Vince Clarke and Andy Bell, articulate a direct appeal for reciprocity in romantic relationships, framing respect as an essential precondition for emotional reciprocity rather than a unilateral obligation.[16][7] The narrator expresses willingness to offer profound love—"I'm so in love with you / I'll be forever blue"—but conditions it on mutual acknowledgment, as in the chorus: "Give a little respect to me / And if I should falter, would you open your arms out to me?"[17] This structure posits relational health as causally dependent on balanced contributions from both parties, a principle applicable to partnerships irrespective of participants' identities, where one-sided deference erodes sustainability. The repetitive phrasing in the chorus—"I want a little respect just a little / I want a little respect just a little bit"—intensifies the portrayal of emotional asymmetry, depicting the strain of unreciprocated investment as a pathway to despair, evidenced by verses invoking potential heartbreak: "Oh baby refrain / From breaking my heart."[16] Such iteration mirrors the persistence required to elicit change, countering narratives of passive endurance by demanding active engagement, as reinforced in lines questioning external barriers to fidelity: "What religion or reason / Could drive a man to forsake his lover."[18] Bell's contributions drew from personal relational experiences, yet the lyrics universalize the theme to emphasize compassion as a bilateral imperative for harmony, without anchoring to contemporaneous social movements.[7][19] This focus on mutual effort aligns with the song's portrayal of love as a negotiated equilibrium, where pleas for "one chance" to "make love not war" highlight respect's role in averting conflict through shared vulnerability, a dynamic rooted in the lyrics' insistence on verifiable commitment over abstract tolerance.[17] The absence of prescriptive identities in the text allows the message to transcend specific contexts, underscoring that relational viability hinges on demonstrable reciprocity, as the narrator seeks affirmation through action: "Show me that you love me too."[16]Release and Commercial Performance
Single Release Details
"A Little Respect" was released as the third single from Erasure's album The Innocents on 19 September 1988 by Mute Records in the United Kingdom and Germany.[1] The single was distributed in multiple formats, including 7-inch vinyl featuring the 3:31 radio edit on the A-side paired with the non-album B-side "Like Zsa Zsa Gabor" and a 12-inch maxi-single containing extended remixes.[20] The 12-inch versions included remixes such as the 12" House Mix lasting 6:57 and the Big Train Mix at 6:07, along with a Rico Conning remix of "Like Zsa Zsa Gabor" extending to 6:05.[21] These physical vinyl releases were eligible for certifications based on manufacturer shipments rather than retail sales.[22] In the United States, Sire Records handled distribution, issuing the single in 1988 with catalog number 7-27738 for the 7-inch format and similar remix configurations on 12-inch pressings to support promotion.[22] Regional variations included distinct catalog numbers, such as INT 111.869 for the German 7-inch pressing, reflecting localized manufacturing and pressing.[23] Initial marketing emphasized the single's availability in both standard and extended club-oriented formats to target diverse audiences across markets.[20]Chart Performance
"A Little Respect" debuted on the UK Singles Chart on 1 October 1988, reaching a peak position of number 4 and accumulating 13 weeks on the chart, with 4 weeks in the top 10.[3] In the United States, the single peaked at number 14 on the Billboard Hot 100 for one week in March 1989 after debuting on 10 December 1988, spending a total of 12 weeks on the chart; it also reached number 2 on the Billboard Dance Club Songs chart.[4] In Germany, it attained a peak of number 34.[1]| Chart (1988–1989) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Singles (OCC) | 4 |
| US Billboard Hot 100 | 14 |
| US Billboard Dance Club Songs | 2 |
| Germany (GfK Entertainment) | 34 |