Late-to-come feedback, but Sara Dallin said in a 2019 interview that the song is not about rape. "It was just about hero worship. It wasn't about rape. I don't know where that came from. It's absolute rubbish."
It's pretty clear that the lyrics are about a girl imagining herself with a man who is more interesting than the boys around her. If the song began with some other inspiration, which seems credible, it has been removed from the lyrics as performed.
Only 34 years after the song was a hit, we have the answer.
A walk in the park can become a bad dream
People are staring & following me' 'You're breathing, you're touching, but nothing's for free,
???? ???????????????????? ???????????????? ???????????????? ???????? ???????????????????????? ???????? ????????' - Sara D's denial was in response to the 2017 Guardian interview where Siobhan Fahey stated the song was about date-rape (& the other 2 band members seemingly agreed)- I'd also read the same thing in a mid-'80s interview; I was surprised & impressed that the pop-song, & pop-band, had depth. Maybe Sara D prefers not to think of it that way, but to me the lyrics had an edge,...
A walk in the park can become a bad dream
People are staring & following me' 'You're breathing, you're touching, but nothing's for free,
???? ???????????????????? ???????????????? ???????????????? ???????? ???????????????????????? ???????? ????????' - Sara D's denial was in response to the 2017 Guardian interview where Siobhan Fahey stated the song was about date-rape (& the other 2 band members seemingly agreed)- I'd also read the same thing in a mid-'80s interview; I was surprised & impressed that the pop-song, & pop-band, had depth. Maybe Sara D prefers not to think of it that way, but to me the lyrics had an edge, which is why I'd wanted to know the meaning, & it did fit with the '80s article, & later 2017 interview, which said it was about a young sex-assault survivor. I'd agree with Siobhan..
*The ???? is meant to read = 'I never want this to happen to me'. Not sure where I 1st read (in the '80s) about the song's meaning, probably not 'Smash Hits', maybe 1 of the more serious Music papers like 'Sounds' ,if they ever featured Bananarama - But the 2017 interview was in The Guardian; “The thing I’m proudest of,” (Fahey) continues, “is that we made quirky pop. The lyrics were much darker than you’d imagine. Robert De Niro’s Waiting is about date rape.” “You’ll listen to it with new ears now,” Woodward smiles. “I wanted it to...
*The ???? is meant to read = 'I never want this to happen to me'. Not sure where I 1st read (in the '80s) about the song's meaning, probably not 'Smash Hits', maybe 1 of the more serious Music papers like 'Sounds' ,if they ever featured Bananarama - But the 2017 interview was in The Guardian; “The thing I’m proudest of,” (Fahey) continues, “is that we made quirky pop. The lyrics were much darker than you’d imagine. Robert De Niro’s Waiting is about date rape.” “You’ll listen to it with new ears now,” Woodward smiles. “I wanted it to be like Pull Up to the Bumper,” adds Dallin, dryly. “It didn’t quite work out like that, did it?”
Late-to-come feedback, but Sara Dallin said in a 2019 interview that the song is not about rape. "It was just about hero worship. It wasn't about rape. I don't know where that came from. It's absolute rubbish."
It's pretty clear that the lyrics are about a girl imagining herself with a man who is more interesting than the boys around her. If the song began with some other inspiration, which seems credible, it has been removed from the lyrics as performed.
Only 34 years after the song was a hit, we have the answer.
A walk in the park can become a bad dream People are staring & following me' 'You're breathing, you're touching, but nothing's for free, ???? ???????????????????? ???????????????? ???????????????? ???????? ???????????????????????? ???????? ????????' - Sara D's denial was in response to the 2017 Guardian interview where Siobhan Fahey stated the song was about date-rape (& the other 2 band members seemingly agreed)- I'd also read the same thing in a mid-'80s interview; I was surprised & impressed that the pop-song, & pop-band, had depth. Maybe Sara D prefers not to think of it that way, but to me the lyrics had an edge,...
A walk in the park can become a bad dream People are staring & following me' 'You're breathing, you're touching, but nothing's for free, ???? ???????????????????? ???????????????? ???????????????? ???????? ???????????????????????? ???????? ????????' - Sara D's denial was in response to the 2017 Guardian interview where Siobhan Fahey stated the song was about date-rape (& the other 2 band members seemingly agreed)- I'd also read the same thing in a mid-'80s interview; I was surprised & impressed that the pop-song, & pop-band, had depth. Maybe Sara D prefers not to think of it that way, but to me the lyrics had an edge, which is why I'd wanted to know the meaning, & it did fit with the '80s article, & later 2017 interview, which said it was about a young sex-assault survivor. I'd agree with Siobhan..
*The ???? is meant to read = 'I never want this to happen to me'. Not sure where I 1st read (in the '80s) about the song's meaning, probably not 'Smash Hits', maybe 1 of the more serious Music papers like 'Sounds' ,if they ever featured Bananarama - But the 2017 interview was in The Guardian; “The thing I’m proudest of,” (Fahey) continues, “is that we made quirky pop. The lyrics were much darker than you’d imagine. Robert De Niro’s Waiting is about date rape.” “You’ll listen to it with new ears now,” Woodward smiles. “I wanted it to...
*The ???? is meant to read = 'I never want this to happen to me'. Not sure where I 1st read (in the '80s) about the song's meaning, probably not 'Smash Hits', maybe 1 of the more serious Music papers like 'Sounds' ,if they ever featured Bananarama - But the 2017 interview was in The Guardian; “The thing I’m proudest of,” (Fahey) continues, “is that we made quirky pop. The lyrics were much darker than you’d imagine. Robert De Niro’s Waiting is about date rape.” “You’ll listen to it with new ears now,” Woodward smiles. “I wanted it to be like Pull Up to the Bumper,” adds Dallin, dryly. “It didn’t quite work out like that, did it?”