Duran Duran – “Do You Believe in Shame?”:
Elegy, Reflection, and Reinvention
“Do You Believe in Shame?” is a really vulnerable and reflective moment for Duran Duran. Released in April 1989 as the last single from their 1988 album Big Thing, this was a rare, quiet ballad from a band known for its flashy style and high-energy hits. The song is a beautiful tribute to three people who influenced them: producer Alex Sadkin, legendary artist Andy Warhol, and David Miles, a close childhood friend of Simon Le Bon.
A Song About Saying Goodbye
Written by Simon Le Bon, Nick Rhodes, and John Taylor, the song is just steeped in grief and memory. Le Bon later shared that this was the first of a trio of songs he wrote for Miles, followed by the hits “Ordinary World” and “Out of My Mind.” Musically, it’s a departure from their usual sound, with a gentle melody and introspective tone. Le Bon’s vocals carry this quiet, heartfelt ache, especially in the line: “I believe a little part of you inside of me will never die.”
The track blends soft rock and new wave with some subtle funk elements. The production, handled by the band with Jonathan Elias and Daniel Abraham, is restrained and elegant, creating a perfect backdrop for the song’s heavy emotional weight.
An Arty, Symbolic Video
The music video, directed by acclaimed Chinese filmmaker Chen Kaige, was shot in New York City and is a total piece of art. It features the three core members—Le Bon, Rhodes, and Taylor—in separate, loosely connected stories, all exploring themes of loss, memory, and being alone. You see Nick at a symbolic auction, John lighting candles in a cathedral, and Simon watching a blind man cross a busy street. It’s all very cinematic and moody.
The video ends with a line of dominoes falling to form a question mark, which perfectly echoes the song’s title and that feeling of uncertainty that comes with loss. It’s a rich, metaphorical video and easily one of the band’s most artistic and melancholic visual statements.
How It Landed and the Legal Aftermath
Even with its emotional depth, “Do You Believe in Shame?” was only a modest commercial success, peaking at No. 30 in the UK, No. 14 in Italy, and No. 72 in the US. There’s also a fascinating story behind the scenes: a successful legal challenge was brought against the band due to the song’s close melodic resemblance to the Dale Hawkins rock classic “Suzie Q” (famously covered by Creedence Clearwater Revival and the Rolling Stones). As a result, the writing credits were officially changed to include the original composers of “Suzie Q.”
The single came out in a ton of different formats, including a triple 7-inch pack and a 3-inch CD, with some cool, rare B-sides like “The Krush Brothers LSD Edit” and “God (London).” These tracks added to the song’s introspective feel and were even used as spoken-word intros during the band’s 1989 Electric Theatre tour.
While it might not have been a chart-topper, “Do You Believe in Shame?” has become a fan favorite and a true testament to Duran Duran’s artistic range. It’s a song that skipped the flashy stuff in favor of pure feeling, and in doing so, showed the world the band at their most human.