Curiosity Killed the Cat was a British band who found success in the United… Read Full Bio ↴Curiosity Killed the Cat was a British band who found success in the United Kingdom pop charts in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

They played soulful, funky pop jazz and were initially signed to Phonogram Records' Mercury imprint. The first came to notice of the UK music and style press when they hooked up with photographer Andy Warhol for the video of the 1986 single Misfit. This featured the band in New York and at one point featured Ben Ben Volpeliere-Pierrot dancing down a side street whilst Andy Warhol referenced Bob Dylan's "Subterranean Homesick Blues" by dropping pieces of white card in time to the music (an efect that would also be copied by INXS in the Mediate of 1988).

Their debut album Keep Your Distance entered the British charts at number one in May 1987, and stayed in the Top Ten for 13 weeks, however the release of that album's "Free" lost some of the momentum by limping to only Number 56 in the UK charts.

The bands second album Getahead was lead by an upbeat funky track called "Name and Number". Even though this record only reached Number 14 in 1989, the "Hey How You Doin'" refrain would find itself in the Top Ten two years later as part of the De La Soul song "Ring Ring Ring (Hey Hey Hey)".

After the lack-leisure performance of Getahead and second single First Place, Curiosity (as they were now billed) found themselves dropped from Mercury Records. However three years after the release of that single they returned to the UK Top Ten as a three piece on RCA Records, with a cover of Johnny Bristol's Hang on in There Baby. However the band's follow ups (covers of I Need Your Lovin' and Gimme the Sunshine) flopped in the UK, which resulted in the album Back to Front only being released in Japan and selected overseas markets.

In the 2000s the band reformed for an appearance on a National Lottery midweek show on BBC 1 and since then Ben Ben Volpeliere-Pierrot has toured under the name Curiosity Killed the Cat on a number of 1980s revival packages.

Since Curiosity disbanded, Ben has, by request, continued to perform both live and in the studio and has recently teamed up with dance supremos "Element" (AKA Bimbo Jones) who have already produced remixes for the likes of Deep Dish, Usher and The Bodyrockers. They are also the co production duo responsible for "Meck's" "Thunder In My Heart Again".

Band members
Ben Volpeliere-Pierrot (vocals; * 19 May 1965)
Julian Brookhouse (guitar; * 15 May 1963)
Nick Thorp (bass; * 25 October 1964)
Miguel Drummond (drums; * 27 January 1964)

Free
Curiosity Killed the Cat Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

All we want is our lifes to be free
If we can't be free
Then we don't want to be we
All we want is our lifes to be free
If we can't be free
Then we don't want to be we
Do you travel alone and what you do or say
Or any other way

Your ways are walling my stonin'
It's seems you live in another day
You chases all of your own but are you passes by
I see you future nowhere you rented it right by the
Things I'll make you wanna sight problems we can share
All we want is our lifes to be free
If we can't be free we don't want to be we
Sha ba da ba da ba ba did we woo
Sha ba da ba da ba ba baby sha ba da ba da ba ba

Did we woo sha ba da ba da
Ellen you see don't we show or they break and live as one and let freedom
Your neighbors are still flesh and
Bone so we'll live together cause you never no way you need them and I'm
Attempting to break free from all
Your misery you'll find you're loosing your style
Look to the form or the prime I'll do wanna be
Wonder doesn't smile
All we want is our lifes to be free yeah
If we can't be free we don't want to be we
Sha ba da ba da ba ba did we woo sha ba da ba da
Ba ba now won?t want you sha ba da ba da ba ba did we woo yeah... set me

Free now, set me free now
Sha ba da ba da ba ba.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Curiosity Killed the Cat's song Free represent the desire for freedom in life. The song presents a tone of rebellion against societal norms and the need for self-actualization. The repetition of "All we want is our lives to be free" highlights the importance of being free and the necessity of having control over one's life. The lyrics challenge the listener to reconsider their actions and choices that prevent them from being free. The line "Your ways are walling my stonin'" demonstrates the frustration that arises when people restrict the freedom of others with their actions or beliefs. "You chases all of your own but are you passes by" highlights the importance of living without regrets and taking control of one's destiny.

The line "Ellen you see don't we show or they break and live as one and let freedom" highlights the importance of living in unity and allowing freedom for all. The song suggests that freedom can only be achieved when people come together and live in harmony. The repetition of "Sha ba da ba da ba ba" is used to signify the joy and excitement that comes with being free. Overall, the lyrics of Free inspire people to take control of their lives and live without regrets.

Line by Line Meaning

All we want is our lifes to be free
The ultimate desire is to live a life with no boundaries, no restrictions, and no constraints.

If we can't be free
If living without boundaries is not an option, then it's not worth living for.

Then we don't want to be we
One's identity is formed by the freedom they have, and without it, they are nothing.

Do you travel alone and what you do or say
Do your actions and words reflect your true self, or are you merely following the crowd?

Or any other way
Are you willing to take the path less traveled—that is, the one that leads to liberation?

Your ways are walling my stonin'
Your conformity is stifling me and preventing me from being my true self.

It's seems you live in another day
You're stuck in the past and unable to see the possibilities of the future.

You chases all of your own but are you passes by
You pursue what you believe to be important, but are you missing out on other opportunities in the process?

I see you future nowhere you rented it right by the
You're not living your own life, but rather just going through the motions and following someone else's plan.

Things I'll make you wanna sight problems we can share
The struggles we face due to our lack of freedom can be a bonding experience.

Did we woo sha ba da ba da
Chanting to signify enthusiasm and agreement.

Ellen you see don't we show or they break and live as one and let freedom
Can't you see the need for us to stand up against conformity and live as one with true freedom?

Your neighbors are still flesh and
We are all human, and our differences should not be used as an excuse to control one another.

Bone so we'll live together cause you never no way you need them and I'm
We need each other to live, and so we should not let our differences keep us apart.

Attempting to break free from all
We're fighting to escape the chains of conformity that limit our true selves.

Your misery you'll find you're loosing your style
If you give into conformity, you risk losing your individual identity and your happiness in the process.

Look to the form or the prime I'll do wanna be
We should strive to be our true selves, rather than blindly following society's standards of what we should be.

Wonder doesn't smile
The beauty of the world cannot be seen or appreciated if we are stuck in conformity and not truly living.

Sha ba da ba da ba ba did we woo sha ba da ba da
Chanting in agreement once again.

Ba ba now won?t want you sha ba da ba da ba ba did we woo yeah... set me Free now, set me free now
We want to be truly free and not restrained by society's norms and expectations.

Sha ba da ba da ba ba.
Final chant to signify agreement and enthusiasm for freedom.

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, WORDS & MUSIC A DIV OF BIG DEAL MUSIC LLC
Written by: KYLIE ANN MINOGUE, STEPHEN JOHN ANDERSON

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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