Tainted Love
Armand van Helden Lyrics


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Sometimes I feel I've got to
Run away I've got to
Get away
From the pain that you drive into the heart of me
The love we share
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
Oh tainted love
Tainted love

Now I know I've got to
Run away I've got to
Get away
You don't really want it any more from me
To make things right
You need someone to hold you tight
And you'll 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
Oh tainted love
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 going to pack my things and go
Tainted love, tainted love
Tainted love, tainted love
Touch me baby, tainted love
Touch me baby, tainted love
Tainted love




Tainted love
Tainted love

Overall Meaning

The song Tainted Love by Armand van Helden is a cover of a 1964 song by Gloria Jones. The lyrics convey a message of lost love, pain and hurt. The chorus, "Tainted love, tainted love," refers to the fact that the love between the singer and the person he is addressing has become corrupted and any attempts to repair or restore it are futile.


The first stanza describes the physical and emotional pain inflicted on the singer by the person he loves. He feels the need to run away and escape the negative emotions that are being driven into his heart. The second stanza reveals that the singer used to run towards this person, but now he is running away from them. He has given everything he could in the relationship, but the love he was given in return has been tainted. He is willing to leave and take his tears with him.


The third stanza shows the singer acknowledging that their relationship cannot be salvaged. He recognizes that the person he is addressing needs someone to hold them tight and think that love is a prayer. However, he cannot provide that. The last line of the song, "Don't touch me please, I cannot stand the way you tease," shows that the person he is addressing is still trying to hold on to him, but he cannot take the emotional abuse any longer.


Overall, the song Tainted Love is a powerful message about the destructive power of love when it is not reciprocated in a healthy way.


Line by Line Meaning

Sometimes I feel I've got to
At times, I experience the intense need to


Run away I've got to
Escape from this situation is a must


Get away
Distance myself


From the pain that you drive into the heart of me
You're causing me unbearable emotional distress


The love we share
The affection we have for each other


Seems to go nowhere
Is unfulfilling and leads to nothing positive


And I've lost my light
It has dimmed my inner joy


For I toss and turn I can't sleep at night
I can't find peace and rest, even at night


Once I ran to you (I ran)
Previously, I came to you (quite literally)


Now I'll run from you
But now, I want to get away


This tainted love you've given
The love you're offering comes with negative baggage


I give you all a boy could give you
I have given you everything that a young man can offer


Take my tears and that's not nearly all
You have made me cry, and that isn't even the half of it


Oh tainted love
This love is corrupted and ruined


Now I know I've got to
I am now aware that I need to


You don't really want it any more from me
You're no longer interested in what I have to offer


To make things right
To fix what's wrong


You need someone to hold you tight
You want somebody to embrace you affectionately


And you'll think love is to pray
You believe that love is a form of worship


But I'm sorry I don't pray that way
Apologies, but I don't share your perspective on love


Don't touch me please
Please, don't touch me


I cannot stand the way you tease
I can't handle your playful torment anymore


I love you though you hurt me so
Despite the distress you've caused, I still have love for you


Now I'm going to pack my things and go
Therefore, I've decided to leave and take my belongings with me


Tainted love, tainted love
This love is dirty and corrupt


Touch me baby, tainted love
Physical affection is not something desirable anymore


Tainted love
This love is ruined


Tainted love
This love is corrupted




Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

@mrjodoku

gr8 memories...ill tune....MARS

@doc6571

Love it ritzys portsmouth awsome time walk down that path anytime

@xXxsweet

1018, roseland, underground, red zone, sound factory when it was all house back in d days

@pikapcl

word, latinsunz!! dont forget about the sound factory too (when the tunnel line was too long)

@nesNYC

Tunnel NYC 1990 ...

@marcoa8631

biology 89..

@misspage5824

Factory x

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