20 Things You Didn't Know About Diamonds Are Forever (1971)

6. “They Can Stimulate And Tease Me...”

Many Bond songs contain risqué lyrics without becoming too lewd and Dame Shirley Bassey’s Diamonds Are Forever is a prime example.

A collaboration between John Barry and lyricist, Don Black, who had previously worked together on Thunderball (1965), the song depicts diamonds as being more reliable than men.

It also alludes to the male sex organs, which Harry Saltzman objected to. Saltzman had also disliked Bassey’s song for Goldfinger (1964), claiming that it was too old-fashioned, and Cubby Broccoli had to convince him on both occasions that the songs were just what the films needed. Indeed, Bassey’s song for Diamonds Are Forever is regarded as one of the best Bond themes.

Barry and Black collaborated again on Lulu’s songs for The Man with the Golden Gun (1974), whilst Barry’s successor, David Arnold worked with Black on Tomorrow Never Dies (1997) and The World Is Not Enough (1999).

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