"Never Tear Us Apart" is a single released by Australian rock group INXS in August 1988. It was also included on the band's sixth studio album, Kick. The music was written by Andrew Farriss, who recorded a blues-style demo and gave it to Michael Hutchence. The INXS singer then penned a personal love lyric, which was straight from the heart.^[1]

"Never Tear Us Apart" is a sensuous ballad, layered with synthesizers and containing dramatic pauses before the instrumental breaks. Kirk Pengilly lends a cathartic saxophone solo near the end. According to the liner notes of Shine Like It Does: The Anthology (1979–1997), the song was originally composed on piano as a bluesy number in the style of Fats Domino. Producer Chris Thomas suggested a synth-based arrangement instead.

The video for the song, featuring an extended intro, was filmed in various locations in Prague^[2] along with "Guns in the Sky" and "New Sensation", all directed by Richard Lowenstein.

The single reached #24 in the UK, and stayed on the charts for seven weeks. In the U.S., it reached #7 on the Billboard Hot 100.

After his death in 1997, Michael Hutchence's coffin was carried out of St. Andrews Cathedral by the remaining members of INXS and younger brother Rhett, as "Never Tear Us Apart" was played in the background. This song is now thought of by many original INXS fans as Hutchence's anthem.

The song was used in the opening sequence of the director's cut of the 2001 cult film, Donnie Darko. It would have been featured in the original release had the rights for it not been deemed too expensive by the producers. ("The Killing Moon" by Echo & the Bunnymen served as its replacement.)^[3]

In 2006, the song was voted "Nation's Favourite Lyric" by viewers of pay TV music channel VH1 in Australia.

Recently, the song has been adopted by The Squadron, the Newcastle United Jets supporter group, and sung in unison at the start and 85th minute of their A-League association football matches.^[4] This is in homage to the line, "cause we all have wings, but some of us don't know why", used now in reference to the Jets symbol of their club. The song's popularity has prompted a move to have the song be played at the beginning of each half, first happening on 18 October 2008, when the Jets defeated the Melbourne Victory 1-0.

In 2001, a remix called "Precious Heart" was released as a single, and credited as Tall Paul vs. INXS.

Australian CD single

1. "Precious Heart" (radio edit) – 3:36
2. "Precious Heart" (Original Mix) – 7:40
3. "Precious Heart" (Riva Mix) – 7:40
4. "Precious Heart" (Marc O'Toole Remix) – 8:41
5. "Precious Heart" (Lush Mix) – 8:42

UK CD single

1. "Precious Heart" (radio edit) – 3:36
2. "Precious Heart" (original mix) – 7:40
3. "Precious Heart" (Lush Mix) – 8:42

• "Precious Heart" (original mix) – 7:40
• "Precious Heart" (radio edit) – 3:36
• "Precious Heart" (Lush Mix) – 8:42
• "Precious Heart" (Marc O'Toole Remix) – 8:41
• "Precious Heart" (Riva Mix) – 7:40

"Never Tear Us Apart" was re-recorded by INXS with Ben Harper for their twelfth studio album, Original Sin. The song has been released on iTunes and as a promotional single to radio stations prior to the release of the new album.

Ben Harper has been known to perform "Never Tear Us Apart" at his concerts since 2009, especially when in Australia. He revealed in an interview on Australia's Nova FM on 2 August 2010, "At this point, I've lived that song. I've lived enough years and gone through enough in my life to have earned the right to sing that song." On Sydney's Triple M, he stated "covering "Never Tear Us Apart" is like covering "Dock of the Bay". I'm not here to make grandiose over-statements - it's just a fuckin' fact. That's one of the greatest soul songs ever written."

On 1 August 2010, the song was made available on INXS.com (a playable version only, not available for download). The audio version was accompanied by a YouTube video of Ben Harper performing the song with Jon Farriss at the "Splendour in the Grass" festival at Woodfordia, Queensland, Australia, filmed on 30 July 2010.

The song was released on iTunes on 12 August 2010.

INXS re-recorded "Never Tear Us Apart" with Ben Harper and French singer Mylène Farmer who wrote new French lyrics for this new version. The song is due to be the first single from the 2010 INXS album in November in France and Belgium.

The song was recorded by British singer Paloma Faith's cover of the song was featured in a UK television commercial for John Lewis, which began airing from 15 September 2012.^[5] The song will be included on her repackaged version of her second studio album Fall to Grace (2012).^[6]

The song was covered by Tom Jones for his 1999 album Reload featuring the Australian singer Natalie Imbruglia. The song was also covered by Joe Cocker for his 2002 album Respect Yourself.

Bono, a good friend of Hutchence, sometimes snippets the chorus during live performances of several U2 songs.^[8]

The hardcore band, This Is Hell, covered the track on their 2009 EP Warbirds. "Never Tear Us Apart" was also covered by 2010 X Factor Australia winner Altiyan Childs for his self-titled debut album. In 2011, punk rock supergroup Me First and the Gimme Gimmes recorded a cover of the song on their all Australian covers EP, Go Down Under.

The Vitamin String Quartet covered the song in the 100th episode of Gossip Girl.^[9][10][11]

Beck with St. Vincent on vocals, recorded a cover of the song in May 2010 for Beck's Record Club, which invites musicians to cover an album in one day (sans rehearsal and redos) and then release one song each week as a single.^[12][13]

The Horrible Crowes recorded a cover version live on Sirius XM radio, that was used as the b-side to their single Ladykiller.

In June, 2012, American singer Carrie Underwood covered the song during one of the shows of the Australian leg of her Blown Away World Tour.^[14]

Also in 2012, Indie/Folk artist Cary Brothers covered the song as the opening track of his EP Covers Volume One.