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.
Victims
Culture Club Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
They shine in your eyes
When they kiss and tell
Strange places we never see
But you're always there
Like a ghost in my dream
And I keep on telling you
Please don't do the things you do
Pull my puppet strings
I have the strangest void for you
We love and we never tell
What places our hearts in the wishing well
Love leads us into the stream
And it's sink or swim
Like it's always been
And I keep on loving you
It's the only thing to do
When the angel sings
There are greater things
Can I give them all to you
Oh, hmm
Pull the strings of emotion
Take a ride into unknown pleasure
Feel like a child on a dark night
Wishing there was some kind of heaven
I could be warm with you smiling
Hold out your hand for a while
The victims we know them so well
So well
Ah, ah
Ah, ah
The victims we know so well
They shine in your eyes when they kiss and tell
Strange places we never see
But you're always there like a ghost in my dream
And I keep on telling you
Please don't do the things you do
When you do those things, pull my puppet strings
I have the strangest void for you
Show my heart some devotion
Push aside those that whisper never
Feel like a child on a dark night
Wishing we could spend it together
I could be warm with you smiling
Hold out your hand for a while
The victims we know them so well, so well
Ooh
The song "Victims" by Culture Club is a profound representation of the emotions and desires that exist in a romantic relationship. The song describes the enduring presence of the victims in the singer's life - the individuals who shine brightly in your eyes but then proceed to kiss and tell about the love affair. Often, they take us to strange places that we never imagined ourselves being in, yet they remain present like a ghost in their dreams. The singer pleads with their lover to stop doing the things they do and pulling their puppet strings since they crave the devotion and warmth of being together.
The lines "Love leads us into the stream and it's sink or swim like it's always been" hold a deep meaning since it is highlighting the risk involved in being in love. It is impossible to predict how things will turn out in a relationship, and one needs to be ready to sink or swim as the case may be. The singer keeps on loving his partner despite the risk. They feel that they can give all the greater things to them if the angel sings. The song intensifies with the lyrics expressing the hope of being warm and smiling with their partner while knowing the victims so well.
Line by Line Meaning
The victims we know so well
We are all familiar with the people who have been hurt and mistreated in relationships
They shine in your eyes
When they kiss and tell
You get excited when the victims share their experiences with you, even though it's not appropriate to do so
Strange places we never see
But you're always there
Like a ghost in my dream
You're always present in situations where people have been hurt, even if you're not physically there
And I keep on telling you
Please don't do the things you do
When you do those things
Pull my puppet strings
I have the strangest void for you
I keep asking you to stop behaving in certain ways that hurt people, but I can't help but feel drawn to you despite the damage you do
We love and we never tell
What places our hearts in the wishing well
We fall in love but keep our feelings hidden and unexpressed, so they remain unfulfilled
Love leads us into the stream
And it's sink or swim
Like it's always been
Love can either make us or break us, just like it always has throughout history
And I keep on loving you
It's the only thing to do
When the angel sings
There are greater things
Can I give them all to you
I can't help but love you even though you cause harm, and I wish I could offer you something greater than my love
Pull the strings of emotion
Take a ride into unknown pleasure
Feel like a child on a dark night
Wishing there was some kind of heaven
We let our emotions control us and take us to places we've never been before, but it feels like we're lost and searching for something greater
I could be warm with you smiling
Hold out your hand for a while
The victims we know them so well
So well
I could find comfort and happiness with you if you would just let me in, but we both know the pain that comes with love
Lyrics ยฉ BMG Rights Management
Written by: GEORGE O'DOWD, RENE LANGROCK
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@lub.6542
Anyone listening in 2024?โค
@Brandywine6969
Yep. Boy George and CC forever. โค
@lesha1492
Yes! 2024 and all years to come.....beautiful and mesmerizing song.......love him and CC โค
@izabellima5635
โคAlways
@lajinkccat8995
oh yeah.
@wandamcinnis1787
Yaassassssssss
@almaemm3990
One of the most underrated masterpieces from Culture Club! Georgeโs got a great soul voice!
@karenwithers5071
Video?!
@karenwithers5071
Video what's your thoughts on this
@gabriellabenso7299
that's so true!!!