Girls On Film

It's either about models or porn, but either way, it's the same thing: exploitation and regret. I love that line - "she wonders how she ever got here as she goes under again". That's beautifully sad.

Great song! Better than the other stuff they put out after they became mega-famous. If you want a great flashback to the early 80s, watch this video.

way too much read into it there...

its about porn

I agree totally with Canada on this. Duran Duran has always been one of those bands that's had a lot more to them than the general public gives them credit for.

It's about girls...on film. Never really thought about whether it was referring to exploitation or legitimate modeling. Maybe the thin line between the two? The unedited video did cause a bit of controversy, didn't it?

I just assumed it was about girls in the entertainment business in general. All "going under again" reaching for the fame.

Probably the most straightforward lyrics ever written by Simon LeBon, probably because the chorus lyric is a hold-over from original singer Andy Wickett's time in the band. It's about the exploitation of women in the London fashion scene in the early 80's; many of which frequented the clubs the band played in before they were signed to a major label.

This song is supposedly about exploitation of models and that is very obvious to me after listening to the lyrics. I wonder how it could possibly be taken seriously enough to be offensive. I quote the second verse:

"Lipstick cherry all over the lens as she's falling And miles of sharp blue water coming in where she lies The diving man's coming up for air 'Cause the crowd all love pulling Dolly by the hair By the hair And she wonders how she ever got here as she goes under again ."

At first extremely sarcastic, and then ending with the woman's point of view. I have noticed that it is very very rare to come across a song where a man or woman writes about the opposite gender free from the filter of the sexual gaze. At least in my experience. Even artists like Springsteen are guilty of projecting their own romantic desires onto women (or men depending on who's singing). Girls on Film is guilty of this for most of the song but in that one line "And she wonders how she ever got here as she goes under again" it transcends the normal cliche which is funny. A song about exploitation and which is criticized as being extremely sexist is in that one part the least sexist of most songs I can think of.

Also, the line "Girls on Film (two minutes later)". I can't help but laugh at that, that is so tongue-in-cheek.

it's about female models/or porn stars. exploitation.

I love this songg, im 13 but i love all music:old and new. i think duran duran always have a hidden meaning to their songs. i think that this song is about the girls who want to make it as models and started out in the london modelling scene in the '80s, they will do anything to make it even to the point where they are exploited.:)<3x..