Only When You Leave Lyrics
I only want to learn what you know
But now you're leavin'
How many hearts must you break
And how many calls must I make
In this world all that I choose has come unbearable
But love is in your touch
Ooh, it's killing me so much
I'll need to love you
And when the action has all gone
I'm just a little fool enough to need you
A fool enough too long
Only when you leave, you'll leave in danger
Ooh, I'll make sure that you pay
So give a little passion to a stranger
And take this soul away
So how could this have gone so fast
And now you're leavin'
How many times must I learn
It's only when you've gone that I burn
In the end, all that is left has come unbearable
It's hard to change your mind
So leave it all behind
I'll need to love you
And when the action has all gone
I'm just a little fool enough to need you
A fool enough too long
Only when you leave, you'll leave in danger
Ooh, I'll make sure that you pay
So give a little passion to a stranger
And take this soul away
I only want to learn what you know
Ooh, but now you're leavin'
How many hearts must you break
And how many calls must I make
In this world all that I choose has come unbearable
But love is in your touch
Ooh, it's killing me so much
I'll need to love you
And when the action has all gone
I'm just a little fool enough to need you
A fool enough too long
Only when you leave, you'll leave in danger
Ooh, I'll make sure that you pay
So give a little passion to a stranger
And take this soul away
Ooh, I'll make sure that you pay
So give a little passion to a stranger...
I'm surprised no one has commented on this song yet. I love the music and tempo of this song, it's very thrilling. As for what it means, well, it is clearly about a prostitute and her 'john'. This is keyed off of the lyric, 'give a little passion to a stranger.' Who gives passion to a stranger but a prostitute. Clearly, the prostitute is either leaving the business or moving away, which is a big disappointment to the john who has fallen in love with her. The 'action' that is gone is lovemaking. I also think the lyric that says, 'it's only when your gone that I burn.' Apparently, the prostitute has given him a venereal disease such as chlymydia or gonarrhea that causes a burning sensation. He doesn't really notice it until after love making. And then of course, as in all good Spandau Ballet songs, the element of pychosis is introduced, 'only when you leave, you'll leave in danger ooh and I'll make sure that you pay'. How ironic, the john who has been paying all of these years is now going to make the prostitute he has been frequenting pay. Very complex song about a subject matter that is not commonly sung about. Very interesting.
I remember from somewhere that this song - it's about a Man who is addicted to a Woman who is all wrong for him but he can't stay away from her.
But I believe it is more than just Lust, it is very much a Love Song. As he is definitely falling in Love and getting addicted to her in the process, but she's all business with him as she is a Prostitute and: After every encounter with her, he's eager to learn (find out) if there is anything more to this beyond the act of lovemaking, does she feel anything towards him or was it meaningless all business, just a John nothing more, and he attempts that repeatedly on multiple occasions. Cause he has realised he's in Love, for he misses her when she leaves, he longs for her, and worst - he Needs her, which transcends Wanting. It is now becoming Unbearable to be without her, nor be with her working this Job. He confesses that it is Love that he feels, and not Lust which would certainly have been fulfilled by her visit and the act of lovemaking (Action), but no it still lingers, then he admits that it is a bit foolish on his part to want her beyond the act itself, and that her leaving has now lead to it being a Danger to him... A danger of hurting. And since he can't change her mind to leaving, he's gonna make her pay for exposing him to this Danger (Feelings he has for her), by making her do, by giving a bit of Passion (which is defined as: intense sexual love/a state or outburst of strong emotion/an intense desire or enthusiasm for something) to him whom all along has been the stranger in this relationship. For Prostitutes are guarded that way, they treat each John in a purely business fashion, and once Passion seeps in then its too late for her to get out, and thats how he intends to make her pay. And if that was to happen then she would truly have his soul and would then truly belong to each other. (Taking This Soul: strip him of any authority over himself he still may have). I found it interesting that he said This Soul Away and not My Soul Away. I believe it reflects his willingness to readily giveth if she was willing to have him.
I hope I did the song justice.
I have to admit that being a native speaker of another language makes it twice as difficult for me to understand the lyrics of Spandou Ballet\'s songs, The prostitution thing makes sense, I hadn\'t thought of it that way, I thought she was just a woman who didn\'t like serious relationships we should ask Gary K what he meant I think that not even Tony understood what he meant lol, for me the most disturbing thing was the video, it starts with a dead man on the floor and in the middle of the video when she approaches him he seems to have left her dead on the floor under where he was sitting. and then they put a scene where she reappears, which makes me think that he killed her and that after having killed her he misses her and that\'s what the song is about, and so it makes sense that what he says is only when she leaves him , he needs her, and that she is in danger when he leaves because he is going to make her pay.
Is it the definitive playboy track? Pure elegancy, relaxation and savoir-faire. Those were the hedonistic times from Spandau. A delicacy.
I'm not convinced this song is about prostitution and VD...although I don't deny it could be interpreted that way. I do believe this song is written from the perspective of an obsessed lover who is at least on the verge of some sort of mental or emotional breakdown.
The lyrics indicate the composer has had some type of intimate (likely sexual..."layin' in the afterglow...") relationship with the person he is singing to. But his infatuation doesn't appear to be requited. The relationship wasn't as big a deal to the subject as it was to the writer, and now he is left with emotions and thoughts that are gnawing away at him:
"I only want to learn what you know..." "How many calls must I make..." "It's killing me so much..." "...you leave in danger, and I'll make sure that you pay..."
These are the ramblings of a person obsessed with someone else. I also think the phrase, 'so give a little passion to a stranger,,,' might refer to the subject of his obsession sharing intimacy with someone else he isn't familiar with (not necessarily a prostitution reference) but that causes him to state that he can't be responsible for his reaction when she does...'take this soul away...'
It's actually a stalker's anthem.