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.
White Boys Can't Control It
Culture Club Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Life gets you high
You hold out thinking
And you know why
You hold out
With the law of men
And when you die
Put down your gun
And find your heart
We're dying soldiers
We don't dance (for the devil)
When your a white boy
Your life is lust
You kiss and run
And you mistrust
You hold out
With the nowhere men
You dance your dance
And try again
Put down your gun
And find your heart
We're dying soldiers
In the dark (we are no rebels)
You know white boys (can't control it)
You know white boys (never hold it)
You know white boys (hard to swallow)
You know white boys always follow
(follow who?)
Put down your gun
And find your heart
We're dying soldiers
We don't dance (for the devil)
In Culture Club's song "White Boys Can't Control It," the lyrics discuss the struggles of living life as a white male. The opening lines, "When you're a white boy, life gets you high" can be interpreted as the societal privilege that a lot of white males feel they are born with. However, this privilege is juxtaposed with the line "You hold out thinking and you know why," suggesting that despite feeling privileged, white males often struggle with inner demons and are aware of their own shortcomings.
The chorus of the song is an invitation to put down one's gun and find their heart, implying that holding onto aggression and violence will not solve their problems. The lines "We're dying soldiers, we don't dance (for the devil)" suggest that white males often feel the need to be tough and aggressive in order to fit in or prove their masculinity but in doing so, they are harming themselves and those around them.
Further into the song, the lyrics touch on themes of mistrust and promiscuity, indicating that white males struggle with their relationships and have trouble forming connections due to their own internal conflicts. The song ends with the repeated line "You know white boys can't control it," emphasizing that despite societal advantages, white males still struggle to find their place in the world and come to terms with their own identities.
Line by Line Meaning
When your a white boy
Life has different rules and expectations for you if you belong to the white community
Life gets you high
White privilege gives you a sense of superiority and entitlement
You hold out thinking
You resist changing your mind and behavior for the sake of social justice
And you know why
You are aware of the systemic biases that favor white people over others
You hold out
You refuse to see the world from a different perspective and choose to stay ignorant
With the law of men
You live in a world where justice and order are defined by those in power
And when you die
Even after death, your legacy of privilege and inequality continues
Your born again
Your privilege is passed down and inherited by future generations
Put down your gun
Stop defending your privilege and trying to enforce your will on others
And find your heart
Develop empathy and compassion by recognizing the equality and value of all human life
We're dying soldiers
We are all participants in the struggle for social justice and equality
We don't dance (for the devil)
We refuse to be complicit in unjust systems and institutions
Your life is lust
Materialism and consumerism are your driving forces
You kiss and run
You engage in superficial relationships and don't take responsibility for your actions
And you mistrust
You view the world with cynicism and fear
With the nowhere men
You are part of a society that doesn't care about the marginalized and the invisible
You dance your dance
You pursue your own self-interest without regard for others
And try again
You keep repeating your mistakes and perpetuating social injustices
In the dark (we are no rebels)
We are not fighting against power, we are fighting for justice and equality
You know white boys (can't control it)
White privilege is deeply ingrained and the only way to change it is to relinquish power
You know white boys (never hold it)
White privilege is so pervasive that it's almost impossible to recognize and accept
You know white boys (hard to swallow)
White privilege is uncomfortable to acknowledge and accept, especially to those who benefit from it
You know white boys always follow
White privilege perpetuates a cycle of exploitation and oppression
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: MICHAEL CRAIG, ROY HAY, JON MOSS, GEORGE O'DOWD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind