Sign Your Name

"Sign Your Name" is a song written and performed by American singer-songwriter Terence Trent D'Arby (now known as Sananda Maitreya), released as the fourth single (third in the US) from his debut album, Introducing the Hardline According to Terence Trent D'Arby (1987). The song was an international success, reaching number one on the Irish Singles Chart, number two on the UK Singles Chart, and number four on the US Billboard Hot 100. It was remixed by Lee "Scratch" Perry for some European releases. The music video was directed by Vaughan Arnell and was premiered in January 1988. The music video features model Kelly Brennan.

Critical reception

Max Bell from Number One noted that the song finds D'Arby "in his quiet, sensitive, loving disguise, as opposed to his crafty, naughty, whoopsadaisy ma'am alter ego." He also felt that "Sign Your Name" "testifies at least to a knowledge of soul", and concluded, "From a Heaven 17 influenced beginning a fair single starts to brood but this could be a sucker punch rather than a knockout." Roger Morton from Record Mirror commented, "'Bop shoo wop wop/Bop shoo wap wap'. Terence has joined Showaddywaddy? Sadly not. This is the fourth single from the Hardline album, a crooner not a rasper, with some fine quavering from Tel's tonsils and a rhythm closely related to that of Scritti Politti's 'The Sweetest Girl'." Another editor, James Hamilton, wrote in his dance column, "Moodily shuffling sad 109/54+1⁄2-0bpm lament, not really for floors".

Track listings

• US and UK 7-inch single; US cassette single

1. "Sign Your Name" – 4:45
2. "Greasy Chicken" – 4:40

• US 12-inch maxi-single

1. "Sign Your Name" (Extended Remix) – 5:48
2. "Sign Your Name" (Lee 'Scratch' Perry Remix) – 5:18

• UK and European 12-inch maxi-single

1. "Sign Your Name" (Extended Remix) – 5:48
2. "Greasy Chicken" – 4:40
3. "Under My Thumb" (Live) – 4:50
4. "Jumping Jack Flash" (Live) – 4:19

• Lee 'Scratch' Perry Remixes 12-inch single

1. "Sign Your Name" (Lee 'Scratch' Perry Remix) – 5:18
2. "If You All Get to Heaven" (Lee 'Scratch' Perry Remix) – 4:52
3. "Rain" (Lee 'Scratch' Perry Remix) – 2:54
4. "Greasy Chicken" – 4:40

Charts

Certifications

Release history

Sheryl Crow version

Sheryl Crow released her rendition of the song in 2010 as the second single from her eighth studio album, 100 Miles from Memphis. It features Justin Timberlake on background vocals. The music video, directed by Wayne Isham, was released on September 16, 2010, through Crow's VEVO account.

Charts