| length = 4:48 <small>(Album version)</small><br>8:46 <small>(Full version)</small>
| label = Factory - <small>FAC 123</small>
| writer =
| producer = New Order
| prev_title = Murder
| prev_year = 1984
| next_title = Sub-culture
| next_year = 1985
"The Perfect Kiss" is the ninth single by the British alternative dance and rock band New Order. It was recorded at Britannia Row Studios in London and released on 13 May 1985 by Factory Records. The overall meaning of the song is unclear to its writer today. In an interview with GQ magazine, New Order's singer and guitarist Bernard Sumner said "I haven't a clue what this is about." He agreed with the interviewer that his best known lyric is in the song: "Pretending not to see his gun / I said, 'Let's go out and have some fun. The lyrics, he added, came about after the band was visiting a man's house in the United States who showed his guns under his bed before they went out for an enjoyable night. It had been quickly written, recorded and mixed without sleep before the band went on tour in Australia.
Retrospective reviews
Writing for AllMusic, Mike DeGagne called it one of the band's "most dynamic tracks", praising how the song's "slightly stressed rhythmic undercurrent, crisp movement, and flawless dance club beat accompany Summer's vocals without diminishing them the least bit and New Order had yet another hit, forged in the same style as 1982's [sic] 'Blue Monday.'"
Video
An 11-minute live version of the song, used as its official video, was filmed by Jonathan Demme in 1985, which Billboard in 2017 termed New Order's "most arresting visual ever." There also exists a 5:18 edit of the video found on the limited edition DVD included with some copies of the US release of International, as well as an alternate recording from the same session, the audio of which was released on the limited edition bonus CD included with some copies of the Retro box set.
Track listing
Charts
Weekly charts
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|+ Weekly chart performance for "The Perfect Kiss"
! scope="col"| Chart (1985)
! scope="col"| Peak<br/>position
|-
! scope="row"| Australia (Kent Music Report)
| 85
|-
|-
! scope="row"| Netherlands (Dutch Top 40 Tipparade)<br/>
| 2
|-
|-
|-
! scope="row"| UK Indie (MRIB)
| 1
|-
|-
|}
Year-end charts
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|+ Year-end chart performance for "The Perfect Kiss"
! scope="col"| Chart (1985)
! scope="col"| Position
|-
! scope="row"| US Dance Club Songs (Billboard)
| 47
|-
! scope="row"| US Dance Singles Sales (Billboard)