George's androgynous style caught the attention of music executive Malcolm McLaren, who arranged for George to perform with the group Bow Wow Wow, featuring Annabella Lwin, at various shows. George called himself Lieutenant Lush and nearly stole the spotlight from Lwin. George and Bow Wow Wow didn't last long after that and George started his own group with bassist Mikey Craig. In Praise Of Lemmings was to be the name of the group. Jon Moss (who had drummed with The Damned, Adam and the Ants and London) came aboard. Shortly thereafter, Roy Hay came into the mix, after an association with another guitarist proved unsatifactory, and they abandoned yet another name, Sex Gang Children. After realizing that the group consisted of an Irish transvestite singer, a Jamaican-Briton on bass, a Jewish drummer, and an Englishman on guitar, they settle on the name Culture Club.
The band signed with Virgin Records in the U.K. and with Epic Records in America, as Virgin didn't have a U.S. presence at the time, and released it's debut album "Kissing To Be Clever" in 1982. The first single "White Boy" wasn't a mainstream hit and failed to chart but George was still happy because "five thousand people bought my single and didn't even know me". The next single, "I'm Afraid Of Me" also did not become a pop hit. It wasn't until the release of the third single, "Do You Really Want To Hurt Me", that the group enjoyed massive success. It hit #1 in sixteen countries (#2 U.S.) and the group became a staple on American radio and the new MTV network. This single was followed by the number two peaking "Time (Clock Of The Heart)" and the number nine "I'll Tumble 4 Ya". This gave Culture Club the distinction of being the first group since the Beatles to amass at least three top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 from a debut album.
1983 and 1984 saw the group at it's peak, dominating charts, MTV, and magazine covers partly due to the release of it's next album "Colour By Numbers". First single "Church Of The Poison Mind" (featuring Helen Terry) became a Top 10 hit and "Karma Chameleon" hit #1 for four weeks in the U.S. and was the biggest selling UK single of the year, having six weeks at No.1). It also became a #1 single in numerous countries around the world and stands as the group's biggest hit. "Miss Me Blind" and "It's A Miracle" were Top 10 and Top 20 hits respectively and "Victims" was another U.K. hit. The group took home the Grammy for Best New Artist - Duo Or Group and George gave a speech to U.S audiences via satellite; "Thanks America. You've got style and taste, and you know a good drag queen when you see one". Colour By Numbers would go on to sell four million copies in the U.S. at it's time of release and millions more worldwide, making Culture Club the biggest group in the world at the time. Years later, Rolling Stone magazine would include the LP in it's list of Top 100 Albums Of All-Time.
George's striking looks inspired many Boy George look-alike contests around the world, and his face became the image of Culture Club. He became an alternative teen idol, and had the extravagant lifestyle to go with it. His appeal was due to his likeableness and his wit. He is responsible for one of the 1980's most famous quotes, which he delivered to Barbara Walters on a tv interview - "I prefer a nice cup of tea to sex" - which many years later he would say was totally untrue. The fact that he could actually sing and had a distinct soulful voice was a great attribute as well.
By 1985 Boy George had become a household name in many countries around the world. That year he appeared, redheaded, on the Band Aid single to raise money for aid to famine-stricken Ethiopia, with a lead vocal role. The worldwide success of the multi-British and Irish artist single lead to a U.S version, "We Are The World. And in 1986 he guest-starred on an episode of the A-Team entitled "Cowboy George". However, two subsequent Culture Club albums (Waking Up With The House On Fire and From Luxury To Heartache) performed poorly as the band only manage to obtain two more hits; "The War Song" and "Move Away". Throughout the years, George had been involve in a relationship with Culture Club's drummer Jon Moss and when that fizzled, he turned to drugs to ease the pain. This caused the downward spiral of the group and they eventually disbanded, as George could no longer work with Moss. One sign of the group's imminent breakup was that they didn't appear at the Live Aid event, and they were a major act.
George's addiction to heroin was severe and he began an on again-off again fight against the drug for many years. He would appear in public under the influence and even attempted to do concerts in such state. Addictions to other drugs followed and George's brother, in an attempt to save his famous sibling from death, went on U.K. national television and blew the whistle on George. Some of George's associates had died of overdoses but when an American musician he was working with was found dead at his London mansion from an overdose, this hit home for George. He finally quit using drugs.
Virgin Records had now set up a U.S. operation and George moved from Epic Records in America to Virgin worldwide. George's first solo album released after the breakup of the band was entitled "Sold". It was very successful in the U.K., spawning many hit singles (including the #1 U.K. hit "Everything I Own") but he could not duplicate that success in the U.S. He did score a moderate hit with the song "Living My Life" (#40 U.S.) from the "Hiding Out" soundtrack. His next U.S album would be "High Hat", comprised of songs from two of his solo British albums released after "Sold". As an album, "High Hat" is one of his strongest releases in America material wise, but was overlooked, although it contained the excellent R&B dance number "Don't Take My Mind On A Trip", produced by Teddy Riley. The single became a moderate R&B hit. Many of his following releases were songs to protest against the UK's restrictions on sex education relevant to the needs of homosexual students (known as Clause 28). In 1989 George formed his own label, More Protein. He also recorded under the moniker Jesus Loves You, (writing under the pseudonym Angela Dust), releasing an underground club hit "Generations Of Love" and what would become a signature song, "Bow Down Mister", inspired by his involvement in the Hare Krishna movement.
Life after Culture Club
In 1992, George scored a hit with a Pet Shop Boys produced cover version of the song "The Crying Game", which was featured on the movie of the same name, and landed in the top twenty on the Billboard Hot 100. Although he had subsequent solo hits in the U.K. since the breakup of the band, this would be his first U.S. hit since Culture Club's 1986 single "Move Away". However, he did not capitalized on his resurgence by immediately releasing an album. When he finally did release the rock-driven Cheapness And Beauty a few years later, the momentum had already died. From that album, he released his version of the Iggy Pop song "Funtime." Still, George would say that the "Crying Game" era gave him a sense of satisfaction. His former lover Jon Moss had told him, after the messy breakup of Culture Club, that George would never have another major hit in America without the band. George was more than happy to prove him wrong.
Boy George continues to remain a global pop icon and a successful music DJ. He once again started touring the world as a DJ in the late 1990s and starred in the London musical Taboo, based on his life (George didn't play himself, opting instead to take on the persona of Australian-born performance artist Leigh Bowery). Taboo was a huge success in London's West End. During 2003 he presented a weekly show on London's LBC radio for 6 months. George has been reported by fans who have met him in person to be an avid autograph signer. In August 1994, a British court tossed out a paternity suit filed against him by a Californian woman.
Harper Collins published the autobiography of Boy George, Take It Like A Man, in 1995. George wrote of his relationship with Kirk Brandon, singer with Spear of Destiny and the earlier Theatre of Hate, who began a High Court action against George.
George, taking the witness stand, faced a "malicious falsehood" charge brought against him by Brandon, now married and a father, who denied that he once had a sexual relationship with George. Brandon lost. During the trial, Boy George had claimed that Kirk Brandon had been the love of his life and that he still loved him.
In his book, George also told his side of his secret relationship with Culture Club drummer Jon Moss. He stated many of the songs he wrote for Culture Club were directed at Moss. He also alleged that Moss had broken off his engagement to be with George, and that Moss was never comfortable in a gay relationship although Moss was bisexual.
In July 1998, a reunited Culture Club performed three dates in Monte Carlo and then joined Human League and Howard Jones in a "Big Rewind" tour of the US. The following month, the band appeared on Late Night with David Letterman and made an appearance in Britain, their first in 14 years. Later that year, the band had a Top Ten hit in the UK with "I Just Wanna Be Loved".
In 1998, Boy George began writing a weekly column in The Daily Express and hosted a weekly radio show on the Galaxy Radio Network. In October 2005 he was arrested in New York City on suspicion for possession of cocaine and appeared in court in February 2006. George stated the drugs were not his and has declared his innocence.
Current activity
He's a successful DJ that occassionally tours and remains a pop icon.
Boy George has also sung "Bow Down Mister" with the Indian songstress, Asha Bhosle.
He has also recently appeared as a guest on the British comedy-talk show The Kumars at No. 42.
In 2005 he published Straight in Britain, his second autobiographical book. He lives in Manhattan.
On October 7 2005, he was arrested in Manhattan on suspicion of possessing cocaine, (BBC Online Report) and appeared in court on 1 February, 2006 (BBC Online Report) on charges of cocaine possession. On 8 March 2006 he pleaded guilty to wasting police time; the charge of possessing cocaine was dropped, and he was given a non-custodial sentence and fined. (BBC News report).
Quotes
London newspaper, 1984: "I'm not gay, and I'm not a transvestite." (At other times he has characterized himself as "bisexual", "very confused", "not confused", and "not really all that keen on sex".)
Julian
Boy George Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Those scatter-cushion lips, eyelashes that flutter like a butterfly
Your arms around me in the morning oh but the catalogue of lies
So many things just don't add up
Your just a child why should I be surprised
Why can't you pick up the phone
Oh how gutless can you be
Run as far as you can
Oh Julian don't tell me it was all just lies
Oh Julian don't keep it all internalized
Oh Julian your just a small boy in a big mans world
I said some foolish things but you took my voice away
Like an audience of one, such a lonely game to play
Hey you feel so much, have you nothing more to say
Except just leave me alone
We'll both laugh about this one day
Don't tell me the world is changing
You're living proof of just how uptight it can be
And a fag who hates himself is her own worse enemy
Oh Julian was it anything for fame
Oh Julian will ya do it all again
Oh Julian the fizz has gone from your champagne
I hold nothing back, I give it all away
I am the Thunder 317
Blue eyed, vulnerable seeking and similar
Camp-acting, very scene, I'm flaming, I'm screaming
Looking for someone brave enough to love me
Oh Julian don't tell me it was all just lies
Oh Julian don't keep it all internalized
Oh Julian your just a small boy in a big mans world
In the song "Julian" by Boy George, he sings about a troubled relationship that revolves around lies and deceit. He talks about how he felt like his world revolved around the hazel eyes of Julian, but soon realizes that he was merely a child who wasn't ready for a mature relationship. Boy George describes Julian's lips as "scatter-cushion" which could mean that Julian was very expressive and charming with his words that were not necessarily genuine.
Boy George points out how Julian took his voice away and made him feel lonely, yet Julian had so much to say. He acted like an audience of one and played a lonely game. The song talks about how Julian was not honest with himself and lacked courage. Boy George emphasizes that Julian will never escape him as he was too scared to pick up the phone and confront Boy George. The lyrics highlight how Julian was seeking fame and attention, and he would do it again just to get attention.
Boy George also talks about being a blue-eyed and vulnerable person who wants to be loved. He accepts himself as flamboyant and camp-acting and feels that he is similar to Julian in many ways. However, Boy George warns Julian that he shouldn't internalize everything and that he is just a small boy in a big man's world.
The song "Julian" was released in 1987 and was part of Boy George's album "Sold." The song was written by Boy George and John Themis. Here are some interesting facts about the song:
Line by Line Meaning
Felt like my world revolved around your hazel eyes
I was infatuated with you and thought the world of you, your eyes were particularly captivating to me
Those scatter-cushion lips, eyelashes that flutter like a butterfly
Your lips were full like scatter cushions, and your eyelashes were long and fluttery, making you very attractive
Your arms around me in the morning oh but the catalogue of lies
You were affectionate towards me in the morning, but I soon realized you had told me many lies
So many things just don't add up
I couldn't ignore the discrepancies in your stories or actions, which made me suspicious of you
Your just a child why should I be surprised
I shouldn't be surprised by your deceitful behavior, considering that you're still young and immature
Why can't you pick up the phone
I feel ignored by you, and wish you would answer my calls
Oh how gutless can you be
I think you're cowardly for not being honest with me
Run as far as you can
You can try to run away from the situation, but you won't be able to escape the consequences of your actions
You'll never escape me
You may try to leave, but I'll always remember what you did to me
Oh Julian don't tell me it was all just lies
I hope that you didn't deceive me completely, and that there was some truth to what you said
Oh Julian don't keep it all internalized
Don't keep your feelings bottled up, it's important to express yourself
Oh Julian your just a small boy in a big mans world
You're still inexperienced and have a lot to learn, and the world can be unforgiving
I said some foolish things but you took my voice away
I may have said some silly or inappropriate things, but you made me feel self-conscious to the point of silencing me
Like an audience of one, such a lonely game to play
Talking to you felt one-sided and lonely, like I was the only one trying to communicate
Hey you feel so much, have you nothing more to say
You seem like you have deep emotions but you're not expressing them, and I'm curious why
Except just leave me alone
You're telling me to go away and stop bothering you
We'll both laugh about this one day
Someday, we'll be able to look back and find humor in this situation
Don't tell me the world is changing
I don't want to hear that the world is becoming more accepting of differences, because that's not how I perceive it
You're living proof of just how uptight it can be
Your behavior shows that society can still be rigid and intolerant towards certain groups
And a fag who hates himself is her own worse enemy
Someone who is gay and self-loathing is their own worst enemy, as they are the ones causing their own pain and suffering
Oh Julian was it anything for fame
I wonder if you were only pretending to be interested in me for the sake of gaining attention and popularity
Oh Julian will ya do it all again
I question whether you would repeat your actions or if you regret what you did to me
Oh Julian the fizz has gone from your champagne
Your sparkle and charm has faded away, leaving you less appealing than before
I hold nothing back, I give it all away
I am completely honest and sincere when it comes to expressing myself
I am the Thunder 317
This is likely a personal reference or nickname that is unclear without further context
Blue eyed, vulnerable seeking and similar
I have blue eyes and feel vulnerable, searching for someone who is like-minded
Camp-acting, very scene, I'm flaming, I'm screaming
I am very flamboyant and expressive, putting on a show and being theatrical
Looking for someone brave enough to love me
I am searching for someone who is not afraid to love me for who I am, despite the challenges that may come with it
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: KEVAN FROST, GEORGE ALAN O'DOWD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind