In 1990 the band won two Brit Awards: Best British Group, and Best British Album for "The Raw and the Cooked" which also reached number one in the US album charts. It was re-packed as a remix album ("The Raw & the Remix" and spawned six singles over three years; "She Drives Me Crazy","Good Thing", "Don't Look Back", "I'm Not the Man I Used to Be", "I'm Not Satisfied" and "It's O.K. (It's Alright)".
The trio split in 1992, though they recorded a new track in 1996 to promote their The Finest compilation. Gift soon reactivated the brand and toured in the 2000s as Roland Gift and the Fine Young Cannibals.
Fine Young Cannibals appeared as the house band in the 1987 film comedy Tin Men, peforming some of the songs that ended up on The Raw and the Cooked. Steele and Cox had previously recorded under the moniker Two Men A Drum Machine and a Trumpet.
Love for Sale
Fine Young Cannibals Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Appetizing young love for sale
Love that's fresh and still unspoiled
Love that's only slightly soiled.
Love for sale.
Who will buy?
Who would like to sample my supply?
Who's prepared to pay the price
Love for sale.
Let the poets' pipe of love
in their childish way
I know ev'ry type of love
better far than they.
If you want the thrill of love
I've been thru the mill of love
Old love, new love
E'vry love but true love.
Love for sale.
Appetizing young love for sale
If you want to buy my wares
Follow me and climb the stairs.
Love for sale...
The lyrics of "Love for Sale" by Fine Young Cannibals are a commentary on the commodification and commercialization of love. The song is written as if the singer is a vendor of love, enticing potential buyers with the promise of fresh and unspoiled love, but admitting that all of the love for sale is only slightly soiled. The seller is offering up their supply to anyone willing to pay the price for a trip to paradise, which is a clear reference to the illusion of happiness and bliss that love is often marketed as.
The lines "Let the poets' pipe of love in their childish way, I know every type of love better far than they" suggest that the singer sees through the idealized and romanticized portrayals of love often presented by poets and artists. He has been "through the mill of love", experiencing every type of love except for true love. This highlights the idea that even though love is being sold, it is not a genuine or authentic emotion.
Overall, the song is a commentary on the commercialization and superficiality of love in modern society. It raises the question of whether love can be bought and sold like a commodity, or if it is something deeper and more authentic that cannot be reduced to a transaction.
Line by Line Meaning
Oooh Love for sale
The singer is presenting love as something that can be bought and sold.
Appetizing young love for sale
The love being sold is portrayed as fresh and appealing.
Love that's fresh and still unspoiled
The love being sold is new and untarnished.
Love that's only slightly soiled.
The love being sold may have some flaws but is still desirable.
Love for sale.
Repeating the song's title emphasizes that the focus is on love as a commodity.
Who will buy?
The singer is asking who is willing to purchase the love they are selling.
Who would like to sample my supply?
The singer is offering potential buyers the chance to try out the love being sold.
Who's prepared to pay the price
The singer is asking who is willing to pay the cost to obtain the love they desire.
for a trip to paradise?
The love being sold is described as a pathway to happiness or fulfillment.
Let the poets' pipe of love
in their childish way
The singer is dismissing the romanticized visions of love that poets often describe as naive and immature.
I know ev'ry type of love
better far than they.
The singer is claiming to have a deeper understanding of love than poets do.
If you want the thrill of love
I've been thru the mill of love
The singer is suggesting that they have experienced the ups and downs of love and can offer something exciting to potential buyers.
Old love, new love
E'vry love but true love.
The singer is admitting that the love being sold may not necessarily be genuine or long-lasting.
If you want to buy my wares
Follow me and climb the stairs.
The singer is inviting potential buyers to take action if they are interested in purchasing the love being sold.
Love for sale...
Repeating the song's title once more to emphasize the theme: love is a commodity that can be bought and sold.
Contributed by Juliana O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.