Don't Tell Me Lies

“Don’t Tell Me Lies” is the title of the debut single by the British pop group Breathe. It was written by group members David Glasper (lead vocals) and Marcus Lillington (guitar, keyboard). The song was recorded in the mid 1980s, shortly after the formation of the original lineup of the group. Released as a single in the UK in early 1986, the song was a modest success, reaching #77 on the UK Singles Chart and providing the group with their first national exposure. By 1987, Breathe had secured an album deal, and the result of that was their debut, All That Jazz. Original pressings of the album did not contain “Don’t Tell Me Lies”, but the track was added on subsequent pressings soon after. Following the international success of other singles from the album (“Hands to Heaven”, “How Can I Fall?”), “Don’t Tell Me Lies” was re-issued as a single in the UK and released as the group’s third single in the United States. The song made a bigger impact on the British pop chart this time round, peaking at #45 in March 1989. Following in the success of their previous singles in the US, the song became Breathe’s third consecutive Top 10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, where it peaked at #10; it was also embraced by adult contemporary radio, where the song reached #5. The song is more uptempo than the ballads for which Breathe had become associated, with a greater emphasis on horns and percussion. To date, this was the group’s last US Top 10 hit.