As Postcard's flagship band, Orange Juice quickly distinguished the label as a leading proponent of independent pop music; their 1980 debut single "Falling and Laughing," recorded for less than 100 pounds, garnered massive critical acclaim, and subsequent releases like "Blueboy," "Simply Thrilled Honey," and "Poor Old Soul" further established the group as a major new talent. Soon, sessions began for a full-length album; however, in the midst of recording, Orange Juice left Postcard to sign to Polydor, which funded the LP's completion. After the 1982 release of the album, titled You Can't Hide Your Love Forever, ex-Josef K guitarist Malcolm Ross joined the group, hastening the exit of Kirk and Daly (who went on to form Memphis) and paving the way for Zimbabwe-born drummer Zeke Manyika.
The addition of Manyika gave Collins the new capability of exploring a more complex fusion of pop and blue-eyed soul; consequently, 1982's Rip It Up was a more ambitious affair than its predecessor, veering from the buoyant Motown tribute "I Can't Help Myself" to the energetic pop of the title track, Orange Juice's lone Top Ten single. However, subsequent releases failed to chart, and relations between the group and Polydor began to disintegrate; amid these tensions, both Ross and McClymont quit, with Ross later resurfacing in Aztec Camera. Reduced to the duo of Collins and Manyika, Orange Juice enlisted reggae producer Dennis Bovell to record the 1984 EP Texas Fever.
After a makeshift tour, Collins and Manyika returned to the studio to record a dark, ambitious full-length effort; released in 1984, neither The Orange Juice nor its singles "What Presence?!" and "Lean Period" charted, and Collins was dropped from his contract, although Polydor kept Manyika on as a solo act. Only in 1995 did the stunning single "A Girl Like You" finally win Collins the commercial respect that had so long eluded him and his former bandmates. Later on, throughout the late '90s and early 2000s, the rise of Scottish bands as disparate as Belle & Sebastian and Franz Ferdinand won Orange Juice a younger set of fans, helped in great part by the 2005 compilation The Glasgow School.
Biography by Jason Ankeny
Turn Away
Orange Juice Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When you turn away
I don't know quite what to say
It doesn't matter if I say
I'll never tell you lies
I always hate to see you cry
You can never understand
And if you punch me in the eye
It's always you that starts to cry
I don't know quite what to do
Laugh but I'm lost without you
I wish that I could wash away
All those things I say
I'd like to get inside your head
And when I'm trying to talk some sense
I wonder if it's me
Or someone that I'd like to be
You can never understand
And you won't let me touch your hand
And if you punch me in the eye
It's always you that starts to cry
I don't know quite what to do
Laugh but I'm lost without you
You can never understand
And you won't let me touch your hand
And if you punch me in the eye
It's always you that starts to cry
I don't know quite what to do
Laugh but I'm lost without you
I always hate to see you cry
And I don't know quite what to say
But I'll be waiting at the end
For you, my special, special friend
The lyrics to Orange Juice's song Turn Away express the confusion and frustration of a person who is dealing with the emotional distance of their partner. They don't know what to do or say when their partner turns away, and despite their insistence that they'll never lie, they hate to see their partner cry. The singer wants to be closer to their partner, to understand them on a deeper level and be able to touch them, but their partner won't let them. Even when their partner gets physically aggressive, the singer ends up feeling confused and lost without them.
The lyrics convey a sense of longing and a desire to connect with the partner, as well as a sense of helplessness and confusion about how to do so. There's a sense of frustration that despite the singer's efforts, they can't seem to break through to their partner. However, the repeated line "Laugh but I'm lost without you" suggests that despite the challenges, the singer is committed to their partner and is willing to wait for them at the end.
Line by Line Meaning
I don't know quite what to do
I am confused and unsure of how to act in this situation
When you turn away
When you ignore me or refuse to engage with me
I don't know quite what to say
I am at a loss for words and unsure of how to express myself
It doesn't matter if I say
My words and actions do not seem to make a difference in our situation
I'll never tell you lies
I promise to always be honest with you
I always hate to see you cry
I feel upset and sympathetic when I see you upset and crying
You can never understand
You do not seem to be able to comprehend my feelings or intentions
And you won't let me touch your hand
You reject physical contact or intimacy with me
And if you punch me in the eye
You may physically lash out at me when you are upset or frustrated
It's always you that starts to cry
Despite me being the victim of physical violence, you tend to cry and become emotional
Laugh but I'm lost without you
I try to cope with this situation by laughing it off, but deep down I feel lost and vulnerable without you
I wish that I could wash away
I regret and wish I could take back the hurtful things I have said or done
All those things I say
The hurtful words and actions that have caused tension and distance between us
I'd like to get inside your head
I want to understand your perspective and thoughts on our relationship
And when I'm trying to talk some sense
When I try to reason with you and resolve our issues
I wonder if it's me
I question whether the problem is me and my inability to communicate effectively
Or someone that I'd like to be
Or whether I am being true to myself and expressing my true feelings
But I'll be waiting at the end
I will always be here for you and will wait for you to be ready to work things out
For you, my special, special friend
Because you mean a lot to me as a unique and valuable friend in my life
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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