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.
Real love, true love (It feels good girl)
Tainted love (It's so good girl) real love
True love (It's alright baby) tainted love, real love, true love
Tainted love
Think of her think of me, think about us it's a intimacy
I'm tryin to strum like guitars in this beat
And consider ridin she'll kick the blahzay spleen
Plus, you got a man but he ain't quite me
The type of man that try to give you what you need
And, he wanna know where you are where you be
Where you going where you today where you started to be (Damn)
If I was him I wouldn't even leave
I would trust you what you say that you are where you been
Say, he the type of nigga that's still cheap
Take his girl on a date and they go to Mickey D's
See, I'm the type that try to style in a jeep
Try to take you out to see things and occasionally creep
Yeah your man is doing things I can't really see
Don't sound too good it sound tainted to me
Real love (It's so real girl) true love (It's so right girl)
Tainted love (It's real) real love (It's so good girl)
True love (For real love) tainted love (Tainted)
Real love (Yeah yeah) true love (It's so good girl) real love
How many years does it take for a record to blow?
I'm doin exactly how many licks it took for my hoes
Spendin your cash flow cause she was so out hoe
Scandal love, cause love full of scandal
Too much chick for that ass she couldn't handle that
Well it's the same tainted love in the music business
People they lose thet brain just to get up in this
Let's be a star for day, everything in life is just ok
People say things they don't really wanna say
Hey but it's ok cause your a star for the day
People a smile at you when they really wanna frown
Well a that's just the way tainted folk get down
Just keep it real and, we'll see
When the situation is tainted love is always free
Love is always free love is always free
Real love, true love, tainted love, real love
True love, tainted love, real love, true love, real
You say you love me but is it really real
Would you, fix me green tea if I'm feelin ill
Would you, give me a back rub to sooth after a long day
Dinner by candlelight but your the main entree
And if so I do the same with other treats to give you
Trailin rose pedals from your door to beneath your pillow
With a bucket of champagne on your night stand
Experience with someone who want in they life span, the same
Real love, real, real, everybody knows that love's real love
Someone to trust in you for real
Everybody need love that's real
I would never want nothin tainted
Wait a minute what you feel
Faded if your lovin was tainted
True, oh, I know true love is hard to find
Just let it find you for real
If you found love to keep it real
Keep love from being tainted, being tainted
Oooh do you, be, alright
(T3: Just sit y'all, Dwele, on more time y'all come on)
If you, be, alright...
Tainted love (It's so good girl) real love
True love (It's alright baby) tainted love, real love, true love
Tainted love
Think of her think of me, think about us it's a intimacy
I'm tryin to strum like guitars in this beat
And consider ridin she'll kick the blahzay spleen
Plus, you got a man but he ain't quite me
The type of man that try to give you what you need
And, he wanna know where you are where you be
Where you going where you today where you started to be (Damn)
If I was him I wouldn't even leave
I would trust you what you say that you are where you been
Say, he the type of nigga that's still cheap
Take his girl on a date and they go to Mickey D's
See, I'm the type that try to style in a jeep
Try to take you out to see things and occasionally creep
Yeah your man is doing things I can't really see
Don't sound too good it sound tainted to me
Real love (It's so real girl) true love (It's so right girl)
Tainted love (It's real) real love (It's so good girl)
True love (For real love) tainted love (Tainted)
Real love (Yeah yeah) true love (It's so good girl) real love
How many years does it take for a record to blow?
I'm doin exactly how many licks it took for my hoes
Spendin your cash flow cause she was so out hoe
Scandal love, cause love full of scandal
Too much chick for that ass she couldn't handle that
Well it's the same tainted love in the music business
People they lose thet brain just to get up in this
Let's be a star for day, everything in life is just ok
People say things they don't really wanna say
Hey but it's ok cause your a star for the day
People a smile at you when they really wanna frown
Well a that's just the way tainted folk get down
Just keep it real and, we'll see
When the situation is tainted love is always free
Love is always free love is always free
Real love, true love, tainted love, real love
True love, tainted love, real love, true love, real
You say you love me but is it really real
Would you, fix me green tea if I'm feelin ill
Would you, give me a back rub to sooth after a long day
Dinner by candlelight but your the main entree
And if so I do the same with other treats to give you
Trailin rose pedals from your door to beneath your pillow
With a bucket of champagne on your night stand
Experience with someone who want in they life span, the same
Real love, real, real, everybody knows that love's real love
Someone to trust in you for real
Everybody need love that's real
I would never want nothin tainted
Wait a minute what you feel
Faded if your lovin was tainted
True, oh, I know true love is hard to find
Just let it find you for real
If you found love to keep it real
Keep love from being tainted, being tainted
Oooh do you, be, alright
(T3: Just sit y'all, Dwele, on more time y'all come on)
If you, be, alright...
Lyrics submitted by sweetkris83
Tainted Lyrics as written by Jason Powers Andwele Gardner
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Missing Link Music
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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To me, this song is about real love and trust. The video is about the record industry, but I take it more to be about how the singer would treat this girl right, and expect the same back. It's also about trusting the girl not to cheat, and how the girl's current man is too clingy and paranoid. Pretty simple lyrics, but a great song none-the-less