The song lyrics were written by the band Van Halen, as they were asked to write a song for the 1979 movie "Over the Edge" starring Matt Dillon. The movie (and the lyrics, although more obliquely) are about bored, rebellious youth with nothing better to do than get into trouble. If you see the movie, these lyrics will make more sense. It's a great movie if you grew up in the 70s/80s you'll definitely remember some of these characters from your own life. Fun fact, after writing the song, Van Halen decided not to let the movie use it.
Sometimes I feel I've got to
Run away, I've got to
Get away
From the pain you drive into the heart of me
The love we share (whoa, oh, oh, oh)
Seems to go nowhere
And I've lost my light
For I toss and turn, I can't sleep at night
Once I ran to you (I ran)
Now I'll run from you
This tainted love you've given
I give you all a boy could give you
Take my tears and that's not nearly all
Tainted love (whoa, oh, oh, oh)
Tainted love
Now I know I've got to
Run away, I've got to
Get away
You don't really want any more from me
To make things right
You need someone to hold you tight
And you think love is to pray
But I'm sorry, I don't pray that way
Once I ran to you (I ran)
Now I'll run from you
This tainted love you've given
I give you all a boy could give you
Take my tears and that's not nearly all
Tainted love (whoa, oh, oh, oh)
Tainted love
Don't touch me please
I cannot stand the way you tease
I love you though you hurt me so
Now I'm gonna pack my things and go
Tainted love (whoa, oh, oh, oh)
Tainted love (whoa, oh, oh, oh)
Tainted love (whoa, oh, oh, oh)
Tainted love (whoa, oh, oh, oh)
Touch me, baby, tainted love
Touch me, baby, tainted love
Tainted love (whoa, oh, oh, oh)
Tainted love (whoa, oh, oh, oh)
Tainted love
Run away, I've got to
Get away
From the pain you drive into the heart of me
The love we share (whoa, oh, oh, oh)
Seems to go nowhere
And I've lost my light
For I toss and turn, I can't sleep at night
Once I ran to you (I ran)
Now I'll run from you
This tainted love you've given
I give you all a boy could give you
Take my tears and that's not nearly all
Tainted love (whoa, oh, oh, oh)
Tainted love
Now I know I've got to
Run away, I've got to
Get away
You don't really want any more from me
To make things right
You need someone to hold you tight
And you think love is to pray
But I'm sorry, I don't pray that way
Once I ran to you (I ran)
Now I'll run from you
This tainted love you've given
I give you all a boy could give you
Take my tears and that's not nearly all
Tainted love (whoa, oh, oh, oh)
Tainted love
Don't touch me please
I cannot stand the way you tease
I love you though you hurt me so
Now I'm gonna pack my things and go
Tainted love (whoa, oh, oh, oh)
Tainted love (whoa, oh, oh, oh)
Tainted love (whoa, oh, oh, oh)
Tainted love (whoa, oh, oh, oh)
Touch me, baby, tainted love
Touch me, baby, tainted love
Tainted love (whoa, oh, oh, oh)
Tainted love (whoa, oh, oh, oh)
Tainted love
Lyrics submitted by Boonechic_21
Tainted Love Lyrics as written by Edward Cobb
Lyrics © MUSIC SALES CORPORATION
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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In regards to the meaning of this song:
Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.”
That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.
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"Fast car" is kind of a continuation of Bruce Springsteen's "Born to Run." It has all the clawing your way to a better life, but in this case the protagonist never makes it with her love; in fact she is dragged back down by him.
There is still an amazing amount of hope and will in the lyrics; and the lyrics themselve rank and easy five. If only music was stronger it would be one of those great radio songs that you hear once a week 20 years after it was released. The imagery is almost tear-jerking ("City lights lay out before us", "Speeds so fast felt like I was drunk"), and the idea of starting from nothing and just driving and working and denigrating yourself for a chance at being just above poverty, then losing in the end is just painful and inspiring at the same time.
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@[Diderik:33655] "Your a holiday!" Was a popular term used in the 50s/60s to compliment someone on their all around. For example, not only are they beautiful, but they are fun and kind too ... just an all around "holiday".
I think your first comment is closer to being accurate. The singer/song writers state "Millions of eyes can see, yet why am i so blind!? When the someone else is me, its unkind its unkind". I believe hes referring to the girl toying with him and using him. He wants something deeper with her, thats why he allows himself to be as a puppet (even though for her fun and games) as long as it makes her happy. But he knows deep down that she doesnt really want to be serious with him and thats what makes him.
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How would you describe the feeling of being in love? For Ed Sheeran, the word is “Magical.” in HIS three-minute album opener, he makes an attempt to capture the beauty and delicacy of true love with words. He describes the magic of it all over a bright Pop song produced by Aaron Dessner.
For anyone who's interested these are the facts of this song. It was written by Ed Cobb in the 60s and was originally sung by Gloria Jones (the partner of T-Rex's Marc Bolan) In early 80s it was covered by English alternative synth-pop duo Soft Cell, and later again by Marilyn Manson and others.
Soft Cell's 1981 version is the most well-known version recorded, hence the common misconception that singer-songwriter Marc Almond wrote it. Since the early 80s it's been a dance club staple, especially the kick-ass extended version!
It is NOT about either AIDS or the tragic death of Marc BOLAN! As far as the lyrics go there's no great mystery. The song is sung from the POV of a guy who's in a toxic - or "tainted" - relationship with another person who is emotionally and physically stringing them along. So although he truly loves the other person, he eventually makes the difficult decision to leave knowing that his own needs will never be met.
haha...........marilyn mansons was NOT better....
The 80's WAS FUN even without cell phone, Xbox Live, or FaceBook. And everybody born in the 70's certainly has every lyric engraved in their minds forever.
The 80's were fun because there were no cell phones; xbox; Facebook; etc. Now people spend time often alone behind screens when in the 80's we were forced to communicate. Even making a phone call meant having to find a way to the nearest pay phone. During a trip looking for a phone we met many strangers along the way or we had to ask friends to drive us, etc. We were social in a better way...face-to-face. If we wished to dump somoene we couldn't just text him/her; we had to (at a minimum) say what we felt (or didn't feel) over the phone to a real person's voice (one who would then share his/her pain, etc). We are a colder society due to technology and we are also a more impatient society...wanting instant results the way we get them in video games, etc. I feel SO blessed to have been born pre-70's! And the music of the 70's and 80's was WONDERFUL...
OMG...you gave me a positive rating ;) I feel so...sooo....sooo blessed.
The 7" version had a cover of "Where did our love go" on the b-side. The 12" version had "Tainted Love" merging into "Where did our love go". As a result of having cover versions on both sides of the single Soft Cell made very little money from one of the biggest selling singles ever.
i absolutely love this song sooooooooooooooooo much it is so fun listening to it i never get tired of it!!!!!!!!!!!!! i could listen to it 100times and never get tired of it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Clearly somebody suffering through what therapists call "Narcissistic Abuse." While that term is thrown around lightly, it applies to a personality disorder in the DSM.
The phrase "pray that way" was meant IMHO to be "prey that way." Somebody with this character adaptation (NPD) preys on others with a phony love and affection, in order to control another human being. About 2/3rds are men, and another 1/3 are women (often called "covert," "introverted" or "shy" narcissists.
Much work is being done in this field now (especially from the Mayo Clinic) and this song could be a survivor's anthem. You can wake up in a fog, and realize that the love you thought was real was truly a means to exploit you.
So you run.... if you ever expect to preserve your sanity.
@thomcat The original, by Gloria Jones, went "you think love is to play, but I'm sorry, I don't play that way". <br /> And like that better, and I kinda wish that Scorpions used those lyrics in their cover instead of soft cells. But I'd been thinking the same thing, that "pray" was probably supposed to be "prey".
this is such an AWESOME song -- the two beats between "sometimes i feel i've got to" beat/beat "run away" that are repeated through the song, MAKE the song!
Dun dun! TAINTED LUVVV! that song..is the best...it has by far the most kik-ass beat-beat i've heard in a long time.. i luv this song to death... :-) -Pö£ô-
Actually, I think there's an extended version with that bit from the Supreme's song. Either way, this song is amazing times ten.