Lay Down Your Arms (The Graces song)

For other uses, see Lay Down Your Arms (disambiguation).

"Lay Down Your Arms" is a rock song which Charlotte Caffey, Ralph Schuckett, and Ellen Shipley wrote and composed, and which Shipley produced, for The Graces' album Perfect View (1989). Caffey was lead vocalist, and the song was released as the band's debut single. It charted at #56 in the Billboard charts.^[1]

"Lay Down Your Arms"
Single by The Graces
from the album Perfect View
B-side	"Out in the Fields" "Should I Let You In"
Released	1989 (1989)
Genre	Pop rock
Length	4:14
Label	A&M
Songwriter(s)	Charlotte Caffey Ellen Shipley Ralph Schuckett
Producer(s)	Ellen Shipley Ralph Schuckett
The Graces singles chronology
"Lay Down Your Arms" (1989) "Perfect View" (1989)

Music video

Features the band performing the song in a forest-like setting interspersed with closeup shots of the band members.[^[2]]

Charts

Peak chart positions of "Shake It Off"

Chart (1989)	Peak position
US Billboard Hot 100[3]	56

Belinda Carlisle cover

"Lay Down Your Arms"
Single by Belinda Carlisle
from the album Real
Released	November 15, 1993
Genre	Pop/Country
Length	4:38
Label	Virgin Records
Songwriter(s)	Charlotte Caffey Ralph Schuckett Ellen Shipley
Producer(s)	Ralph Schuckett
Belinda Carlisle singles chronology
"Big Scary Animal" (1993) "Lay Down Your Arms" (1993) "In Too Deep" (1996)
Music video
"Lay Down Your Arms" on YouTube

The song was covered by American singer-songwriter Belinda Carlisle, who, like her friend Caffey, was an alumna of The Go-Go's. It was the second song Carlisle released in November 1993 by Virgin Records from her fifth studio album, Real (1993). Carlisle's version, which Schuckett produced, was the more successful of the two versions, charting at number 27 on the UK Singles Chart. The CD single included three additional tracks: "Tell Me", "Wrap My Arms", and "Here Comes My Baby"; the last two were 8-track demos.

Critical reception

Upon its release as a single, Taylor Parkes of Melody Maker drew comparisons between "Lay Down Your Arms" and Carlisle's preceding single, commenting, "'Big Scary Animal' was a cracker, and this is twice as good again – stylishly dumb."^[4] Alan Jones from Music Week gave Carlisle's version of the song three out of five, writing, "This undistinguished single clatters along without providing any moments of great significance. A hit (all her Virgin singles are) but not one of Carlisle's biggest or best."^[5]

Music video

The accompanying music video for the Carlisle cover was directed by Neil Abramson.^[6]

Track listing

• 4 track CD single

1. "Lay Down Your Arms"
2. "Tell Me"
3. "Wrap My Arms Around You" (8-track demo)
4. "Here Comes My Baby" (8-track demo)

Charts

Chart (1993)	Peak position
UK Singles (OCC)[7]	27
UK Airplay (Music Week)[8]	21
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[9]	75

References

1. "The Graces - Artist Chart History" Billboard. Retrieved June 23, 2007.
2. Video on YouTube
3. "The Graces Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved May 20, 2022.
4. Parkes, Taylor (November 20, 1993). "Singles". Melody Maker. p. 31.
5. Jones, Alan (November 20, 1993). "Market Preview: Mainstream - Singles" (PDF). Music Week. p. 14. Retrieved February 3, 2023.
6. Video on YouTube
7. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
8. "The Airplay Chart" (PDF). Music Week. December 11, 1993. p. 26. Retrieved May 2, 2024.
9. "European Hot 100" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 10, no. 50. December 11, 1993. p. 23. Retrieved September 21, 2024.