"The Honeythief" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Single by Hipsway | ||||
from the album Hipsway | ||||
B-side | "Wild Sorrow" | |||
Released | 1986 | |||
Genre | New wave[1] | |||
Length | 3:10 | |||
Label | Mercury | |||
Songwriter(s) |
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Producer(s) | Gary Langan | |||
Hipsway singles chronology | ||||
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"The Honeythief" is a 1986 song performed by the Scottish band Hipsway.[2]
The song's title was inspired by a 16th-century painting, "Venus and Cupid, the Honey Thief", found in the Burrell Collection art museum in Glasgow.[3]
The lyrics are based on Vladimir Nabokov's book Lolita.[4] In 1987, singer Grahame Skinner said, "It's just written from the point of view of a lecherous man who has an attraction for an innocent young girl — 'She's the honey and I'm the thief'."[4]
It was included on their 1986 self-titled debut album and released as a single, which reached number 17 on the UK Singles Chart,[5] and number 19 on the Billboard Hot 100.[6] Its remix reached number 9 on the US Dance Club Play Singles chart.[6]
"The Honeythief" was the band's only top 40 hit in the US.[7] It has since appeared on over a dozen '80s music compilations.[8]
Chart (1986–1987) | Peak position |
---|---|
Australian (Kent Music Report)[9] | 91 |
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[10] | 49 |
Ireland (IRMA)[11] | 20 |
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[12] | 33 |
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[13] | 26 |
UK Singles (OCC)[5] | 17 |
US Billboard Hot 100[6] | 19 |
US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play[6] | 9 |
US Cash Box[14] | 28 |