“I was definitely stoned when I wrote it,” says Robbie Grey. “It was during the day, I remember it really well. I sat down on the floor of my flat in London, a cheap place in the housing association, and wrote the verse just straight off in about 10 minutes.” As the stream of lyrics flooded out in apocalyptic visions and other imaginary states, there was “I Melt with You.”
The message: Make love as the world dissolves and melt into one.
That was it. Cusping Modern English’s 1982 sophomore release After the Snow, Grey’s momentary creative inebriation resulted in one of the most infectious pop anthems, and the calamitous tale of love still resonates nearly 40 years later.
“It does feel like the world is coming to an end, doesn’t it?” ponders Grey, who says he tends to lean on the darker side when it comes to pop songs. “What I’ve always tried to do with the pop songs is put some dark stuff in there. When you live in England, there’s a lot grey. I’m pretty sure that’s the reason you get a lot of good music from here. It has to do with the climate, because you spend a lot of time indoors.”
Read the rest of the story behind “I Melt with You” at American Songwriter
Tina Eves 