It Doesn't Have to Be

"It Doesn't Have to Be" is a song by English synth-pop duo Erasure, released on 16 February 1987. It was issued as a single six weeks before the release of the duo's second studio album, The Circus (1987). Following the number-two UK placing of previous single "Sometimes", it became Erasure's second Top 20 hit in the UK (peaking at number twelve) and their third Top 20 hit (number sixteen) in West Germany.

"It Doesn't Have to Be"
Single by Erasure
from the album The Circus
B-side"In the Hall of the Mountain King"
Released16 February 1987 (1987-02-16)[1]
Recorded1986
GenreSynth-pop
Length3:53
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Flood
Erasure singles chronology
"Sometimes"
(1986)		 "It Doesn't Have to Be"
(1987)		 "Victim of Love"
(1987)
Music video
"It Doesn't Have to Be" on YouTube

The lyric of the song deplores a lack of necessity for strife and may be understood to refer to apartheid in South Africa, but there is no particular reference. The middle eight is in Swahili, an eastern, not southern African language: Lala pamoja na mimi / Nyumbani yako, nyumbani yako / Sababu wewe hapana kaa na mimi / Nyumbani yako, nyumbani yako, 'Sleep (together) with me / At your place [house], at your place / Why don't you stay with me / At your place, at your place.' So they deplore a lack of necessity for strife not only between two peoples, but also between two people.

The single's B-side is a rendition of "In the Hall of the Mountain King", a piece taken from Norwegian composer and pianist Grieg's Peer Gynt suite.

Track listings

Charts
Chart (1987) Peak
position
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[2] 17
Denmark (IFPI)[3] 5
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[4] 20
Germany (Official German Charts)[5] 16
Ireland (IRMA)[6] 19
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[7] 38
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[8] 34
Spain (AFYVE)[9] 30
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[10] 19
UK Singles (OCC)[11] 12
West Germany (Media Control Charts)[12] 16

References
  1. Smith, Robin (14 February 1987). "Index". Record Mirror. p. 2. ISSN 0144-5804.
  2. "Erasure – It Doesn't Have to Be" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved March 6, 2023.
  3. Danish Singles Chart. 27 March 1987.
  4. Pennanen, Timo (2021). "Erasure". Sisältää hitin - 2. laitos Levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla 1.1.1960–30.6.2021 (PDF) (in Finnish). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. p. 75. Retrieved 22 June 2022.
  5. "Erasure – It Doesn't Have to Be" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved March 6, 2023.
  6. Jaclyn Ward. "The Irish Charts - All there is to know". Irishcharts.ie. Archived from the original on 2011-10-16. Retrieved 2012-06-24.
  7. "Erasure – It Doesn't Have To Be". Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 22 June 2022.
  8. Steffen Hung. "Erasure - It Doesn't Have To Be". dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved 2012-06-24.
  9. Salaverri, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
  10. Steffen Hung. "Erasure - It Doesn't Have To Be". hitparade.ch. Retrieved 2012-06-24.
  11. "The Official Charts Company - It Doesn't Have To Be by Erasure Search". The Official Charts Company. 6 May 2013.
  12. "charts.de". charts.de. 1987-02-16. Retrieved 2012-06-24.
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