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"Cigarettes Will Kill You"
Single byBen Lee
from the albumBreathing Tornados
B-side	"Girls Talk"
Released	8 March 1999 (1999-03-08)
Length	3:48
Label	Modular
Songwriter	Ben Lee
Producer	Ed Buller
Ben Lee singles chronology
"Career Choice" (1997) "Cigarettes Will Kill You" (1999) "Ship My Body Home" (1998)

"Cigarettes Will Kill You" is a song by Australian singer-songwriterBen Lee from his third studio album,Breathing Tornados (1998). Produced byEd Buller, the song became a breakout success for Lee. It was voted number two on the 1998Triple J Hottest 100^[1] and reached number 46 on theAustralian Singles Chart in 1999. In 2025, the song placed 83 on theTriple J's Hottest 100 of Australian Songs.^[2]

The song was featured in the 2002 Australian comedyCrackerjack. It has also been referenced inthe Axis of Awesome's song medley "Four Chord Song", a reference to the fact that thechord progression in "Cigarettes Will Kill You" is similar to that ofJourney's "Don't Stop Believin'" andToto's "Africa".

During his 24 April 2006 concert atIrving Plaza inNew York City, Lee described how he came up with the title for the track, recalling that he'd been listening tothe Verve's "The Drugs Don't Work" and was so impressed with its title that he decided to name his own song with a similarly catchy title.

The title of "Cigarettes Will Kill You" as well as many of the lyrics refer to cigarette smoking as a metaphor for continuing to go back to a bad relationship even though one knows it will end terribly and cause pain. Lee recounted how one often badly needs short-term comfort to get through an otherwise sad, frustrating life even though everyone knows that smoking can cause health problems. The single's cover even resembles a pack of cigarettes.

In August 2021, Lee confirmed on hisofficial TikTok account that the lyric "I want a TV embrace" was amondegreen based on a misheardFiona Apple lyric. In Apple's song "Sleep to Dream", Lee had thought Apple had sung "This mind this body and this voice cannot be stifled by your TV embrace"—the real lyric being "This mind this body and this voice cannot be stifled by your deviant ways". It was years later Lee realised his mistake but still used the lyric anyway.

All songs were written by Ben Lee unless otherwise stated.

Australian CD single^[3]

1. "Cigarettes Will Kill You" – 3:50
2. "Girls Talk" (Elvis Costello) – 2:35
3. "You're Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go" (Bob Dylan) – 3:16

UK CD single^[4]

1. "Cigarettes Will Kill You" – 3:48
2. "Girls Talk" (Costello) – 2:37
3. "How to Survive a Broken Heart" – 2:49

UK 7-inch single^[5]

A. "Cigarettes Will Kill You" – 3:48

B. "Girls Talk" (Costello) – 2:37

• "Four Chord Song"

• 1998 singles
• 1998 songs
• Ben Lee songs
• Grand Royal singles
• Modular Recordings singles
• Music videos directed by Phil Harder
• Song recordings produced by Ed Buller
• Songs about tobacco

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