Marc Almond has had a long and varied career spanning circa 40 years. During this time, after a career with Soft Cell and Marc and the Mambas, he has collaborated with an extremely wide range of artists including Antony and The Johnsons, Jools Holland, Siouxsie Sioux, Nick Cave, P.J. Proby, Nico, Kelli Ali of the Sneaker Pimps, Neal X (on the albums Fantastic Star and Open All Night), Marie France, Agnes Bernelle, Lydia Lunch, Gene Pitney on the #1 UK single "Something's Gotten Hold of My Heart", Foetus (a.k.a. J. G. Thirlwell), Jimmy Somerville of The Communards and Bronski Beat, Psychic TV, Coil, Sally Timms of Mekons, King Roc, John Cale and David Johansen of The New York Dolls and German band Rosenstolz.
Almond initially shot to fame in the early 1980s as one half of synth duo Soft Cell, whose combination of drama and peep show sleaze set to an electronic beat gave them hits such as "Tainted Love" (UK #1), "Bedsitter" (UK #3), "Torch" (UK #2), "Say Hello Wave Goodbye" (UK #3), "Soul Inside" (UK # 16), "What?" (UK #3) and the club hit "Memorabilia". They were first spotted by David Oddie, boss of Wakefield based Ambergris Records in a Bradford club, who passed his enthusiasm onto Dead Good Records in Lincoln, famous for their Hicks From The Sticks compilation, who in turn approached Polygram, the newly formed amalgam of Polydor and Phonogram. Although Soft Cell disbanded in 1984 just before the release of fourth album, This Last Night In Sodom, the duo reunited in 2001 for live shows and in 2002 released a new album entitled Cruelty Without Beauty, from which the single "The Night" (UK #39) was taken.
His biggest UK hits as a solo artist have been cover versions; the aforementioned 1989 number one duet with Gene Pitney and another near chart-topper in 1991 with David McWilliams' "The Days of Pearly Spencer", which peaked at #4. In 1985, he duetted with Jimmy Somerville and Bronski Beat on a cover of Donna Summer's "I Feel Love (Medley)" and it hit #3. The highest UK positions his self-penned singles have reached so far have been "Stories of Johnny" (#23 in 1985), "Tears Run Rings" (#28 in 1988) and "Adored and Explored" (#25 in 1995).
Almond's work runs the gamut from electronica and dance music to French chanson, traditional piano ballads, and Russian romance songs, as exhibited on his 2003 album Heart on Snow. Influences include David Bowie, a childhood hero of his, as well as early 1960s Northern Soul and disco. Other major influences have been Scott Walker from Walker Brothers and Jacques Brel, 12 of whose songs Almond reworked in English for his 1989 album Jacques. Almond's own lyrics are a creative expression of what he sees and are not to be confused with his own life. He also operates a record label, Blue Star Music, on which he has released many of his solo and collaborative records in the UK.
Almond currently lives in the Bermondsey area of south east London. In his autobiography he describes previously living in Earl's Court, in a converted church in Fulham and most memorably in Soho's Berwick Street, where he lived in a flat overlooking the Raymond Revuebar.
I've Never Seen Your Face
Marc Almond Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Sometimes we kiss
Sometimes we just look
In spiritual bliss
In warmth or heat
In sound or vision
We like to come
To some decision
In the dark
Down in the street
In the park
In threat of law
In sweat of fear
I'd risk it all
To have you near
I've never seen your face
But I'm longing for the time
When we don't have to hide
Anymore
We'd swap phone numbers
But we'd never call
Of real excuses
We've none at all
Though good intentions
Are on our mind
We may not like
What we might find
We hold emotion
Well in check
No words of love
Just words of sex
So much to say
So much held back
We don't surrender
We just attack
I've never seen your face
But I'm longing for the time
When we don't have to hide
Anymore
Light the candle
Burn a fuse
It's now or never
Win or lose
To have and hold
To give and take
Through thick or thin
Make or break
I've never seen your face
But I'm longing for the time
When we don't have to hide
Anymore
Anymore
The song "I've Never Seen Your Face" by Marc Almond is a fascinating and deeply emotional exploration of the complexities and contradictions of modern relationships. The lyrics describe a relationship that is based on physical attraction and shared desires, but which is also riddled with fear, insecurity, and a sense of shame. The singer of the song is torn between his intense longing for the other person and his fear of what might happen if their true feelings were revealed.
The first verse of the song describes the physical aspects of the relationship - touching, kissing, and looking - but also acknowledges that there is a spiritual dimension to it. The second verse delves deeper into the emotional complexity of the relationship. The singer is willing to take risks and face the threat of the law or the sweat of fear in order to be close to the other person, but at the same time, he is reluctant to reveal his true feelings. He acknowledges that there is a lot left unsaid between them, and that they are both holding back, but he also recognizes that there is a powerful attraction that keeps drawing them together.
The chorus of the song expresses the hope that someday they will be able to be themselves with each other, without the need for secrecy or hiding. The final verse suggests that this is a critical moment in their relationship - they must decide whether to take a leap of faith and go all in, or to continue to hold back and risk losing what they have. The song ends on a hopeful note, with the suggestion that they will eventually find a way to be together in the open, without fear or shame.
Line by Line Meaning
Sometimes we touch
We have physical contact with each other at times
Sometimes we kiss
We kiss each other on occasion
Sometimes we just look
We simply stare at each other without doing anything else
In spiritual bliss
When we are together, we feel a sense of spiritual contentment and happiness
In warmth or heat
Whether it's a warm or hot environment, we still find ourselves drawn to each other
In sound or vision
We find each other attractive both audibly and visually
We like to come
We enjoy engaging in sexual acts together
To some decision
We want to make a decision about where our relationship is heading
Under the moon
We have romantic moments together under the moonlight
In the dark
We engage in sexual acts when it's dark
Down in the street
We have sexual encounters out on the street
In the park
We have romantic moments and possibly sexual encounters in parks
In threat of law
We take risks to be together even if it means breaking the law
In sweat of fear
We are afraid but willing to take risks to be together
I'd risk it all
I would take the ultimate risk to be with you
To have you near
I want to be near you, physically and emotionally
I've never seen your face
I've never met you in person
But I'm longing for the time
I am eagerly anticipating the moment when we can finally be together
When we don't have to hide
When we can finally reveal our relationship to the world
We'd swap phone numbers
We exchange phone numbers
But we'd never call
We never actually call each other
Of real excuses
We don't have any valid reasons for not calling each other
We've none at all
We don't have any excuses for not calling each other
Though good intentions
We have good intentions to call each other, but we never do
Are on our mind
We think about calling each other, but we never actually follow through
We may not like
We might not like what we find out about each other
What we might find
We may discover unpleasant things about each other
We hold emotion
We keep our emotions under control
Well in check
We control our emotions well
No words of love
We don't express our love for each other verbally
Just words of sex
Our communication revolves around sexual acts or desires
So much to say
We have a lot to talk about
So much held back
We don't reveal everything to each other
We don't surrender
We don't submit to each other's desires or wants
We just attack
We aggressively pursue each other physically
Light the candle
We create a romantic atmosphere
Burn a fuse
We ignite the passion between us
It's now or never
We have to make a decision now
Win or lose
We have to take a risk and decide whether or not to pursue a relationship
To have and hold
We want to be together and commit to each other
To give and take
We are willing to compromise with each other for the benefit of our relationship
Through thick or thin
We are committed to each other no matter what happens
Make or break
Our decision will either lead to a successful relationship or a failed one
Anymore
We want to be able to express our relationship openly without fear or hesitation
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: MARC ALMOND, DAVID A BALL, RICHARD NORRIS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind