The Go-Go's 1981 debut single 'Our Lips Are Sealed' has been revealed to have emerged from a clandestine romance between band member Jane Wiedlin and Terry Hall, frontman of The Specials, after the acts toured together in the United Kingdom. Hall was already in a committed relationship back home and the two maintained their connection through handwritten letters and musical collaboration, with Hall contributing poetry and lyrical ideas to what would become the band's signature track.

The song's lyrics take on sharper meaning given its origin—lines about keeping secrets and managing public scrutiny directly reflect the hidden nature of their involvement. Released on their debut album, 'Beauty and the Beat,' the track achieved moderate initial chart success at number 20 on the Billboard Hot 100 but demonstrated remarkable longevity with a 30-week chart run. Wiedlin later reflected that she initially hesitated to share the deeply personal composition with her bandmates, though they embraced it as a cornerstone of their catalogue. She has since acknowledged that as a young woman of around 20 at the time, she would not knowingly pursue a relationship with someone already committed elsewhere.