Shortly after, they recruited their good friend and photographer Glenn Gregory on vocals to complete their lineup for Heaven 17. Contrary to popular belief, they were not 'New Romantics' per se and had different visual characteristics than groups such as Spandau Ballet and the Culture Club. Like The Human League, Heaven 17 heavily used synthesizers and drum machines while taking influence from the minimalist electronica music of the 70s.
They had a few minor hits in their early days, including the song "Play To Win" that featured on the album 'Penthouse and Pavement'. Their debut single '(We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thang' from the same album attracted some attention, became a left-wing anthem for a while, and was banned by the BBC because of its overtly political lyrics, but it still reached number 45 in the UK singles chart.
Major chart success eluded them until the single 'Temptation' (in which they were augmented by the vocalist Carol Kenyon) reached number 2 in the UK charts in summer 1983. Other songs from the same album, The Luxury Gap, also charted though not as high - 'Come Live With Me' reached number 5 in the UK, 'Crushed By The Wheels Of Industry' reached number 17, and 'Let Me Go', reaching 41 in November 1982. The album itself charted at their best ever position, number four.
At the end of 1983, the band helped re-launch Tina Turner's solo career, producing and providing backing vocals on her debut hit 'Let's Stay Together'. 1984 featured the release of the moderately successful How Men Are, which reached number 12.
The band also worked on the Band Aid single at the end of 1984, with Gregory supplying vocals alongside Midge Ure and Sting. However, they did not perform at Live Aid the following year.
Pleasure One (featuring the single 'Trouble') appeared in 1986 and it was followed up in 1988 with Teddy Bear, Duke & Psycho (featuring the single 'Train Of Love In Motion'). The early 90's were a quiet period for the band and they wouldn't work together as Heaven 17 until 1996's Bigger Than America. In the preceding years, Marsh and Ware produced a second B.E.F. album to 1981's original Music of Quality and Distinction and Gregory formed the band Ugly. Ware became an in-demand producer, working for the likes of Terence Trent D'Arby, Alison Moyet and Erasure. 2005 saw the release of the long-awaited Before After; the album having a much more contemporary dance sound compared to previous albums.
Soul Warfare
Heaven 17 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Soul warfare
Soul warfare
Soul warfare
If I was someone else
Would you still say what you're saying?
Would you conscience be straying?
Soul warfare
Soul warfare
It's all that I can do to put my faith in you
It's all that I can give to be a fugitive
It's all that there can be, not wanting to be free
It's all that I can take these fifteen days awake
It's more than I can hide, my needs can't be denied
A million miles or more, can't keep me from your door
There is no place to run until the fighting's done
More bloodshed every day, the soul war's here to stay
If I want something more
It could be you who'll be paying
As this is my soul war
These are the rules we'll be playing
Soul warfare
Soul warfare
It's not for you to say
Which district I'll be destroying
You could never know
The tactics I'll be employing
Soul warfare
Soul warfare
You could be part of me
Forget the wealth you're forsaking
Your strategy is clear
My soul is there for the taking
Soul warfare
Soul warfare
It's all that I can do to put my faith in you
It's all that I can give to be a fugitive
It's all that there can be not wanting to be free
It's all that I can take, these fifteen days awake
It's more than I can hide my needs can't be denied
A million miles or more, can't keep me from your door
There is no place to run until the fighting's done
More bloodshed every day, the soul war's here to stay
It's all that I can do to put my faith in you
It's all that I can give to be a fugitive
It's all that there can be not wanting to be free
It's all that I can take, these fifteen days awake
It's more than I can hide my needs can't be denied
A million miles or more, can't keep me from your door
There is no place to run until the fighting's done
More bloodshed every day, the soul war's here to stay
"Soul Warfare" by Heaven 17 is a song about a tumultuous relationship in which two individuals are constantly battling for control over each other's souls. The song is rife with imagery of warfare, making it clear that the singer is engaged in a fight for his own soul against his lover or partner. The lyrics suggest a power struggle in which both parties are willing to go to great lengths to maintain control over the other.
The song starts with the repeated refrain of "soul warfare," which immediately sets the tone for what's to come. The first verse poses a couple of hypothetical questions, suggesting that the singer is trying to figure out whether his partner's feelings for him are genuine or not. In the second verse, however, he seems to resign himself to the fact that he's stuck in this battle, and there's no way out. The repeated line, "It's all that I can do to put my faith in you," speaks to the desperation of the singer's situation.
The chorus repeats several times and speaks to the intensity of the conflict between the two lovers. The line, "It's more than I can hide, my needs can't be denied," suggests that both parties are fighting over something fundamental to their survival. Meanwhile, the closing line, "the soul war's here to stay," suggests that the battle will continue indefinitely.
Line by Line Meaning
Soul warfare
The intense battle for one's own soul
Soul warfare
The intense battle for one's own soul
Soul warfare
The intense battle for one's own soul
Soul warfare
The intense battle for one's own soul
If I was someone else
If I were a different person
Would you still say what you're saying?
Would your words and actions be the same towards me?
If I were someone else
If I were a different person
Would your conscience be straying?
Would you feel guilty for treating me differently or the same?
It's all that I can do to put my faith in you
Having faith in someone is difficult
It's all that I can give to be a fugitive
One can only offer to run away from their troubles
It's all that there can be, not wanting to be free
Feeling trapped and not wanting to escape
It's all that I can take these fifteen days awake
Surviving day by day with the pressure of the soul warfare
It's more than I can hide, my needs can't be denied
Unable to hide or deny one's deepest needs
A million miles or more, can't keep me from your door
Nothing can stop one from seeking what they desire
There is no place to run until the fighting's done
No escape from the soul warfare until it is resolved
More bloodshed every day, the soul war's here to stay
The battle continues and will never end
If I want something more
If I desire something greater
It could be you who'll be paying
Someone else may suffer the consequences of my desires
As this is my soul war
The soul warfare belongs to me alone
These are the rules we'll be playing
These are the conditions of the soul warfare
It's not for you to say
It is not up to you
Which district I'll be destroying
Which part of myself I will harm in the soul warfare
You could never know
You could never understand
The tactics I'll be employing
The strategies I will use to fight the soul warfare
You could be part of me
You may have a role in my soul warfare
Forget the wealth you're forsaking
Ignore the consequences of your involvement
Your strategy is clear
You have a plan of your own
My soul is there for the taking
I am vulnerable and exposed in the soul warfare
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: GLENN GREGORY, IAN MARSH, MARTYN WARE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind