The band originated with vocalist Stephen Holt (vocals) and guitarist Graham Lambert. Another uncredited founding member, was basist Glenn Chesworth. His partnership with the band lasted only a couple of years. The band emerged alongside The Stone Roses and Happy Mondays from the indie scene of the late 1980s and early 1990s. Bassist, Martyn Walsh, and drummer, Craig Gill, joined in 1984. Playing garage rock, they were joined by keyboardist, Clint Boon, who changed their sound based around harmonic (and often psychedelic) keyboards and jangly guitars.
After a couple of singles on a local indie label, Holt left the group and was replaced by Tom Hingley. The band were propelled to fame after being 'discovered' by the Radio 1 DJ John Peel and had their greatest chart success in the UK with a single entitled This is How it Feels, which is a song about loneliness and unemployment.
At the time of their initial success, the band earned some notoriety for their squiggly-eyed cow 'Cool as Fuck' T-shirts; a student at Oxford Polytechnic was prosecuted on obscenity charges for wearing one. One of their roadies, Noel Gallagher, went on to great success with the band Oasis. The band is named after an Inspiral Carpets tour poster which included the venue Swindon Oasis.
They reworked their single Find Out Why as the theme tune to early 90's kids TV show 'The 8:15 From Manchester'. Another release I Want You was used by Sony to advertise their in-car entertainment systems on this advert ; an early example of advertising agencies co-opting and promoting non-mainstream music to add kudos to mainstream brands (a trend that has increased significantly).
After the release of their 4th studio album, Devil Hopping, they started to record new, more darker-sounding demos in 1995 which their label, Mute Records rejected. An amicable split followed but they re-formed in 2003 for a tour and new compilation. For the next several years, they played gigs on and off, until Hingley could no longer give his 100% commitment so original vocalist, Stephen Holt, rejoined in March 2011.
Tainted Love
Inspiral Carpets Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Run away I've got to
Get away
From the pain that you drive into the heart of me
The love we share
Seems to go nowhere
And I've lost my light
For I toss and turn I can't sleep at night
Once I ran to you
Now I'll run from you
This tainted love you've given
I give you all a boy could give you
Take my tears and that's not nearly all
Oh...
Now I know I've got to
Run away I've got to
Get away
You don't really want IT any more from me
To make things right
You need someone to hold you tight
And you'LL think love is to pray
But I'm sorry I don't pray that way
ref..
Don't touch me please
I cannot stand the way you tease
I love you though you hurt me so
Now I'm going to pack my things and go
Tainted love, tainted love (2 times)
Touch me baby, tainted love (2 times)
Tainted love (3 times)
The Inspiral Carpets' version of the song "Tainted Love" is a reimagining of the 1964 Gloria Jones' original. The song is about a toxic relationship where the singer feels trapped and suffocated by their partner's actions, and they feel they must escape to get away from the emotional pain that their partner is causing. They describe their shared love as getting them nowhere and how they have lost their own light due to their sleepless nights.
The song's first verse begins with the singer stating that they feel trapped and need to run away. The line "From the pain that you drive into the heart of me" is particularly powerful, as it highlights the emotional anguish inflicted upon the singer by their partner through their actions. The second verse is about the singer's response to this pain, which is to try to leave the relationship. They describe giving their partner all they could, including their tears, but this is not enough to fix their situation. They resolve to leave the relationship completely, and the refrain "tainted love" emphasizes how the love between them has become impure and corrupted.
Moreover, the repetition of “tainted love” in the chorus emphasizes the singer's feelings about their relationship. The lines "Don't touch me please "and "I cannot stand the way you tease" shows that the partner has been taking the singer for granted, thus damaging their love. The song generally describes how the singer is taking control of their life and admits that they cannot continue with the lover any more.
Line by Line Meaning
Sometimes I feel I've got to
At times, I get an ardent desire to
Run away I've got to
Escape from this emotional torture I must
Get away
I need to leave this behind; to break free
From the pain that you drive into the heart of me
You make me feel such great pain that crushes my heart
The love we share
Our relationship
Seems to go nowhere
Our love is stagnant and not making any progress
And I've lost my light
I feel empty - devoid of joy
For I toss and turn I can't sleep at night
I am unable to sleep peacefully as my worries keep me awake
Once I ran to you
I used to seek your solace
Now I'll run from you
But now, I need to run away from you
This tainted love you've given
The love you have shown me is corrupted
I give you all a boy could give you
I have devoted everything to you
Take my tears and that's not nearly all
My tears are not the only thing I am dedicating to you
Now I know I've got to
I realize I have to
Run away I've got to
I must leave and avoid the pain
Get away
I cannot stay any longer
You don't really want IT any more from me
You no longer desire me or anything from me
To make things right
To fix this wrong
You need someone to hold you tight
You require someone to provide comfort
And you'LL think love is to pray
You consider devotion as a religious act
But I'm sorry I don't pray that way
But I cannot oblige to your devotion
Don't touch me please
Do not touch me, I insist
I cannot stand the way you tease
I do not enjoy how you tease me
I love you though you hurt me so
Although you cause me pain, I cannot stop loving you
Now I'm going to pack my things and go
I am leaving you and moving on
Tainted love, tainted love (2 times)
Our relationship of corrupt love
Touch me baby, tainted love (2 times)
Touch me, even though our love is corrupted
Tainted love (3 times)
This corrupt love of ours
Contributed by Alex S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.