The song offers a critique of everyday life— characterizing the “Damaged Goods” of a breakup in the terms of a financial transaction.
This song featured the original Gang—Jon King on lead vocals, Andy Gill on guitar and vocals, Hugo Burnham on drums, and Dave Allen on bass.
Jon King told Clash Magazine:
“Saturday afternoons, we wandered, walleyed, through the sun-bright aisles of Morrison’s supermarket in Leeds, looking for a 2-4-1 bargains and generic baked beans. The hopeless in-store slogan at the point of sale was: “The change will do you good” meaning “change” as in money and “change” as in switch store. Someone got paid for this rubbish!. I found this good starter for words about a doomed relationship where legover had become, maybe, too much of a good thing. Or at any rate, a thing. Andy (Gill, guitarist) punctuates the main lyric with a call and response thing and sings the iconic mid section “Damaged goods, send them back” words. The music’s cute: alternate the guitar and bass duh duh dink! Duh duh dink! & build the song around this R&B clatter among dynamic drop outs where everyone got to feature. We didn’t want a pop structure. We’d had it with dominant, subdominant, tonic chord progressions. So we had none, instead.“
Damaged Goods
Gang of Four Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I always knew it would
Sometimes I'm thinking that I love you
But I know it's only lust
Your kiss so sweet
Your sweat so sour
Your kiss so sweet
Sometimes I'm thinking that I love you
But I know it's only lust
The sins of the flesh
Are simply sins of lust
Sweat's running down your back
Sweat's running down your neck
Heated couplings in the sun
(Or is that untrue?)
Colder couplings in the night
(Never saw your body)
Your kiss so sweet
Your sweat so sour
Sometimes I'm thinking that I love you
But I know it's only lust
The change will do you good
I always knew it would
You know the change will do you good
You know the change will do you good
Damaged goods (ah, ah, ah, ah)
Send them back (ah, ah, ah, ah)
I can't work, I can't achieve (ah, ah, ah, ah)
Send me back (ah, ah, ah, ah)
Open the till (ah, ah, ah, ah)
Give me the change you said would do me good
Refund the cost (ah, ah, ah, ah)
You said you're cheap but you're too much
Your kiss so sweet
Your sweat so sour
Sometimes I'm thinking that I love you
But I know it's only lust
The change will do you good
I always knew it would
You know the change will do you good
You know the change will do you good
I'm kissing you goodbye
(Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye, goodbye, goodbye)
I'm kissing you goodbye
(Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye)
I'm kissing you goodbye
(Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye, goodbye, goodbye)
I'm kissing you goodbye
(Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye)
I'm kissing you goodbye
(Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye, goodbye, goodbye)
I'm kissing you goodbye
(Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye)
(Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye, goodbye, goodbye)
(Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye)
(Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye, goodbye, goodbye)
Bye (goodbye, goodbye, goodbye)
The lyrics of Gang of Four's song Damaged Goods describe a relationship that is purely physical and ultimately doomed to fail, despite the singer's occasional feelings of love towards their partner. The opening lines suggest that change would be beneficial for the singer's partner, who may be unhappy or in need of a fresh start. However, despite moments of tenderness ("Your kiss so sweet") and passion ("heated couplings in the sun"), it is clear that the relationship is shallow and unfulfilling. The final lines of the song indicate that the singer is saying goodbye to their partner and the relationship, acknowledging that it was never built to last.
Throughout the song, there is a sense of detachment and distance, particularly when the singer describes couplings that they have not witnessed ("Never saw your body"). The repetition of the line "Your kiss so sweet / Your sweat so sour" reinforces the idea of a physical relationship that lacks emotional depth. The phrase "sins of the flesh" suggests that the singer sees their actions as sinful or morally dubious, but they continue to pursue the relationship regardless.
Overall, the lyrics of Damaged Goods paint a picture of a relationship that is based solely on physical attraction and lacks the connection and intimacy necessary for long-term success.
Line by Line Meaning
The change will do you good
A change in your life will benefit you
I always knew it would
I have been aware of this for some time
Sometimes I'm thinking that I love you
I occasionally have emotions of love towards you
But I know it's only lust
But I am aware that these emotions are driven by sexual attraction
Your kiss so sweet
There is passion and affection in your kisses
Your sweat so sour
The smell of your sweat is unpleasant and bitter
The sins of the flesh
The acts of physical intimacy
Are simply sins of lust
Are motivated solely by sexual desire
Sweat's running down your back
You are perspiring heavily on your back
Sweat's running down your neck
You are perspiring heavily on your neck
Heated couplings in the sun
Intense physical intimacy during the day
(Or is that untrue?)
(A question whether this actually happened)
Colder couplings in the night
Less passionate physical intimacy at night
(Never saw your body)
(I have never seen your physique)
Damaged goods (ah, ah, ah, ah)
Referring to a person, who is physically or emotionally unfit for a relationship
Send them back (ah, ah, ah, ah)
Return them back, because they are not worth having
I can't work, I can't achieve (ah, ah, ah, ah)
I am unable to do anything productive or successful
Send me back (ah, ah, ah, ah)
Return me back, because I am not valuable
Open the till (ah, ah, ah, ah)
Open the cash register
Give me the change you said would do me good
Give me the beneficial outcome you promised me
Refund the cost (ah, ah, ah, ah)
Return the money paid
You said you're cheap but you're too much
You claimed to be inexpensive but you actually cost far too much
I'm kissing you goodbye
I am parting ways and leaving you behind
(Goodbye, goodbye, ...)
(Repetition of the same word to emphasize the act of leaving)
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: David Allen, Hugo Burnham, Andrew Gill, Jonathan King
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@bryantrujillo8295
The change will do you good
I always knew it would
Sometimes I'm thinking that I love you
But I know it's only lust
Your kiss so sweet
Your sweat so sour
Your kiss so sweet
Your sweat so sour
Sometimes I'm thinking that I love you
But I know it's only lust
The sins of the flesh
Are simply sins of lust
Sweat's running down your back
Sweat's running down your neck
Heated couplings in the sun
(Or is that untrue?)
Colder couplings in the night
(Never saw your body)
Your kiss so sweet
Your sweat so sour
Sometimes I'm thinking that I love you
But I know it's only lust
The change will do you good
I always knew it would
You know the change will do you good
You know the change will do you good
Damaged goods (ah, ah, ah, ah)
Send them back (ah, ah, ah, ah)
I can't work, I can't achieve (ah, ah, ah, ah)
Send me back (ah, ah, ah, ah)
Open the till (ah, ah, ah, ah)
Give me the change you said would do me good
Refund the cost (ah, ah, ah, ah)
You said you're cheap but you're too much
Your kiss so sweet
Your sweat so sour
Sometimes I'm thinking that I love you
But I know it's only lust
The change will do you good
I always knew it would
You know the change will do you good
You know the change will do you good
I'm kissing you goodbye
(Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye, goodbye, goodbye)
I'm kissing you goodbye
(Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye)
I'm kissing you goodbye
(Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye, goodbye, goodbye)
I'm kissing you goodbye
(Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye)
I'm kissing you goodbye
(Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye, goodbye, goodbye)
I'm kissing you goodbye
(Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye)
Bye (goodbye, goodbye, goodbye)
@m3Lnavigator
This never grows old. That syncopated tight rhythm of guitars,🎸 bass and drums 🥁👌 💯
@MissMcFluffyStuff
I came back after coming across a FB memory of me sharing this song 12 years ago. Def never gets old, and I'm so glad I was given the memory to come back. 🤍
@noodlehat3250
Andy is cool as shit when he stands there and stares out at the crowd. RIP.
@KeyofDavid5778
That guitar riff is just killing it !
@jakobdueck7491
very true!
@jatinmodgill1779
Ah yeah
@mateito9181
gustavo cerati - dominó
@rogerivan
@@mateito9181 Wilko Johnson de Dr Feelgood
@Rosco1973
Omfg what a tune, that bass with the guitars and drums is just pure pleasure.
@joewalker511
Everytime I do a search for this band it's always for the same reason....not songs, or vocals,or guitar, but for an absolute KILLER bass line! That alone makes me a fan...