Sign Your Name

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"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.^[3] The music video features model Kelly Brennan.^[4]

"Sign Your Name"
Single by Terence Trent D'Arby
from the album Introducing the Hardline According to Terence Trent D'Arby
B-side	"Greasy Chicken"
Released	December 28, 1987 (1987-12-28)[1]
Genre	Soul
Length	4:37
Label	Columbia
Songwriter(s)	Terence Trent D'Arby
Producer(s)	Martyn Ware, Terence Trent D'Arby, Howard Gray
Terence Trent D'Arby singles chronology
"Dance Little Sister" (1987) "Sign Your Name" (1987) "Rain" (1988)
Music video
"Sign Your Name" on YouTube

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
Number One	[2]

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."^[2] 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'."^[5] Another editor, James Hamilton, wrote in his dance column, "Moodily shuffling sad 109/54+1⁄2-0bpm lament, not really for floors".^[6]

Track listings

• 7-inch single

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

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (1988) Peak position Australia (Australian Music Report)[7] 3 Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[8] 7 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[9] 2 Canada Top Singles (RPM)[10] 5 Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[11] 5 France (SNEP)[12] 14 Ireland (IRMA)[13] 1 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[14] 2 Netherlands (Single Top 100)[15] 2 New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[16] 13 Spain (AFYVE)[17] 4 Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[18] 4 Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[19] 8 UK Singles (OCC)[20] 2 US Billboard Hot 100[21] 4 US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[22] 13 US Dance Club Play (Billboard)[23] 23 US Hot Black Singles (Billboard)[24] 2 US Cash Box Top 100[25] 3 West Germany (GfK)[26] 7

Year-end charts Chart (1988) Position Australia (ARIA)[27] 27 Belgium (Ultratop)[28] 18 Canada Top Singles (RPM)[29] 69 Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[30] 26 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[31] 18 Netherlands (Single Top 100)[32] 18 UK Singles (OCC)[33] 32 US Billboard Hot 100[34] 58 US Hot Black Singles (Billboard)[35] 24 US Cash Box Top 100[36] 41 West Germany (Media Control)[37] 33

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[38]	Silver	200,000‡
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Sheryl Crow version

"Sign Your Name"
Single by Sheryl Crow
from the album 100 Miles from Memphis
Released	September 15, 2010
Length	5:38
Label	A&M
Songwriter(s)	Terence Trent D'Arby
Producer(s)	Sheryl Crow, Doyle Bramhall II, Justin Stanley
Sheryl Crow singles chronology
"Summer Day" (2010) "Sign Your Name" (2010) "Coal Miner's Daughter" (2010)
Music video
"Sheryl Crow - Sign Your Name (Official Music Video)" on YouTube

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.^[39] The music video, directed by Wayne Isham, was released on September 16, 2010, through Crow's VEVO account.^[40]

Charts

Chart (2010)	Peak position
US Adult Alternative Songs (Billboard)[41]	18