Their first album, 1982's Kissing to Be Clever, became a major international hit, spawning the hit singles "Do You Really Want to Hurt Me" (which went 'all the way' in the BBC-Charts in late 1982), "Time (Clock of the Heart)", and "I'll Tumble 4 Ya". Unique in his eccentric manner of dress and androgynous look, Boy George became a worldwide celebrity.
Their second album, 1983's Colour By Numbers also did extremely well, giving the band its second number one hit in the UK with "Karma Chameleon." Karma Chameleon reached No.1 in many countries and they even starred in UK's Top of the Pops in September 1983. However, trouble was brewing within the Culture Club camp. Unknown to the public, George was having an affair with drummer Jon Moss. The affair (which lasted over four years) was often problematic and the pressure to hide the relationship started to take its toll.
The band also started to lose its place musically. Their next album, 1984's Waking Up With the House on Fire was a major disappointment. Though the band gained a small comeback with 1986's From Luxury to Heartache (thanks to the hit "Move Away"), both George's and Jon's fights created much tension, eventually leading to the breakup of the band. Around this time, George also became addicted to heroin, which created a frenzy with the tabloids. Eventually, George would let go of the habit and begin his solo career. A minor hit from the "Hiding Out" soundtrack called "Live My Life" peaked at U.S. #40. While George scored several hits in Europe and finally hit the U.S. top 20 with 1992's "The Crying Game", he was never able to reach the success he achieved with Culture Club.
In 1998, the band put their problems aside and decided to do a reunion tour. Kicked off with a performance on VH1 Storytellers, the tour was a major success. Shortly after, Culture Club recorded a new album titled Don't Mind If I Do. Though never released in the U.S., the first single, "I Just Wanna Be Loved" (UK #4), was featured on a compilation based around the Storytellers performance.
The band went on to tour for a few more years. Recently, however, Culture Club has been inactive, largely due to Boy George's concentration on his successful career as a DJ. In late 2006, Culture Club announced a reunion - albeit, without Boy George as lead singer.
If The Lord Can Forgive
Culture Club Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I must forgive to protect my broken heart
I see the vultures, like dark angels
As they swoop
But only God will ever really know the truth
If the Lord can forgive, why can′t you?
Oh, I know it ain't such an easy thing to do
Will you keep me in your prayers,
If the Lord can forgive, why can't you?
You call it evil
I disagree
So hard to face the darker parts of you and me
You point the finger
And you cast a stone
But you have secrets, and confessions of your own
If the Lord can forgive, why can't you?
Oh, I know it ain′t such an easy thing to do
Will you keep me in your prayers,
′Cause I know the good Lord cares?
If the Lord can forgive, why can't you?
Broken spirit, I know your name
So lift your head high, I can feel your shame
Your mind is twisted
This crazy fear
But you′re in my heart
I'm gonna keep you there
Gonna keep you there
Gonna keep you there
Oh yeah
If the Lord can forgive, why can′t you?
Oh, I know it ain't such an easy thing to do
Will you keep me in your prayers,
′Cause I know the good Lord cares?
If the Lord can forgive, why can't you?
If the Lord can forgive, why can't you?
Oh, I know it ain′t such an easy thing to do
Will you keep me in your prayers,
′Cause I know the good Lord cares?
If the Lord can forgive, why can't you?
If the Lord can forgive, why can′t you?
The song "If The Lord Can Forgive" by Culture Club is an emotional plea for forgiveness, addressing the difficulty of forgiving someone who has hurt you deeply. The singer is accused of loving someone despite them committing a crime, yet feels the need to forgive in order to protect their own broken heart. The lyrics acknowledge the presence of others who judge and point fingers, but believes that only God truly knows the truth. The song raises the question of why it is so hard for humans to forgive, when God can do so readily.
The song explores the internal struggle of forgiving someone who has caused pain and questioning why others find it so hard to forgive as well. The singer recognizes the imperfections in both themselves and the other person, stating that it is difficult to face the “darker parts of you and me.” The line "Broken spirit, I know your name" suggests that the singer has been through similar struggles, while the repeated chorus emphasizes the importance of forgiveness and prayer.
Line by Line Meaning
I stand accused of loving you, despite the crime
Despite the wrongdoing that has occurred in our relationship, I still love you, and I am being judged for it.
I must forgive to protect my broken heart
In order to heal and move on from the pain you have caused, I choose to forgive you.
I see the vultures, like dark angels As they swoop
I am aware of the negative people around us who are waiting for us to fail or fall apart.
But only God will ever really know the truth
Although others may judge us, only God truly knows the depth of our love and the truth of our situation.
If the Lord can forgive, why can’t you?
If even God can find it in His heart to forgive, then why can’t you do the same?
Oh, I know it ain’t such an easy thing to do
Forgiving someone who has hurt you deeply is a difficult process.
Will you keep me in your prayers, ’Cause I know the good Lord cares?
I am asking for your support and compassion, knowing that God is watching over us.
You call it evil I disagree
Even though you may see our love as wrong or sinful, I refuse to believe that it is evil.
So hard to face the darker parts of you and me
It is difficult to confront the negative aspects of ourselves and our relationship.
You point the finger And you cast a stone But you have secrets, and confessions of your own
Although you may blame and judge me, you also have your own faults and hidden truths.
Broken spirit, I know your name So lift your head high, I can feel your shame
I recognize that you are hurting and struggling, but I encourage you to hold your head up and face your shame.
Your mind is twisted This crazy fear But you’re in my heart I’m gonna keep you there
You may be struggling with your own fears and doubts, but I will always hold you close to my heart and support you.
If the Lord can forgive, why can’t you?
Once again, I question why it is so difficult for you to extend the same forgiveness that God offers us.
If the Lord can forgive, why can’t you?
I reiterate my confusion and plea for you to forgive and move forward.
Oh, I know it ain’t such an easy thing to do
Once again, I acknowledge the difficulty of forgiveness.
Will you keep me in your prayers, ’Cause I know the good Lord cares?
I am once again asking for your support and for you to trust in God’s love and guidance.
If the Lord can forgive, why can’t you?
I end the song with the same questioning and plea for forgiveness that runs throughout it.
Writer(s): George O'dowd, John Themistocleous
Contributed by Cooper E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.