Richard Hell and the Voidoids (A.K.A. The Voidoids) were an American punk b… Read Full Bio ↴Richard Hell and the Voidoids (A.K.A. The Voidoids) were an American punk band from the first wave of punk rock, fronted by Richard Hell (born Richard Meyers), a former member of the Neon Boys, Television and the Heartbreakers. Formed in New York City, at various times the band included influential guitarist Robert Quine, Ivan Julian, Naux Maciel, former Contortions and The Raybeats guitarist Jody Harris, Golden Palominos leader Anton Fier, and future Ramones member Marc Bell (Marky Ramone). The group is best known for Hell's nihilistic worldview, reflected in songs like "Who Says?". Their song "Blank Generation" served as an anthem for the punk movement in New York.

The Voidoids were started in 1976 when Richard Hell left The Heartbreakers. The first lineup consisted of Hell, Quine, Julian and Bell. The band released what has been considered their best album, Blank Generation, in 1977. This lineup dissolved around 1979.

A new lineup in 1982, this time with Hell, Quine and new members Naux (Juan Maciel) on guitar and Fred Maher on drums, was featured on The Voidoids second album Destiny Street. According to Hell, Destiny Street suffered due to Hell's being distracted during the recording process, especially by the use of narcotics. This second lineup dissolved around 1985.

1990 saw the release of the live album Funhunt (Live at the CBGB's & Max's), which was compiled from a series of audience tapes recorded between 1978 and 1985. 1990 also featured a reformation for a Japanese tour.

In 2009 Destiny Street Repaired, a remake and "repair" of Destiny Street, was released. Destiny Street Repaired featured guitarists Marc Ribot, Bill Frisell and Ivan Julian playing along to the original rhythm tracks.

Their best known songs were "Blank Generation", "Love Comes in Spurts", "The Kid With the Replaceable Head" and "Time".

Love Comes In Spurts
Richard Hell and the Voidoids Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I was a child
who wanted a love so wild
though tight as slow motion
But crazed with devotion

Babe, insane with devotion,
Just a whole other notion
I was fourteen and a half

and it wasn't no laugh

Love comes in spurts (oh no, it hurts!)
Love comes in spurts (oh no, it hurts!)
Love comes in spurts (it always hurts!)
Love comes in spurts (oh no!)

I just can't get wise
to those tragical lies
though I now know the facts
they still cut like an axe

baby, love comes in spurts
in dangerous flirts
and it murders your heart
they didn't tell you that part, baby!

Love comes in spurts (oh no!)
Love comes in spurts (oh no, it hurts!)
Love comes in spurts (oh no, it hurts!)
Love comes in spurts (it always!)

I just can't get wise
to those tragical lies
though I now know the facts
they still cut like an axe

baby, love comes in spurts
in dangerous flirts
and it murders your heart
they didn't tell you that part, baby!

Love comes in spurts (oh no!)
Love comes in spurts (oh no, it hurts!)
Love comes in spurts (oh no, oh no, oh no!)
Love comes in spurts (it always hurts!)

Love comes in spurts (it always hurts!)
Love comes in spurts (oh no, it hurts!)

Love comes in spurts (oh no, it hurts!)
Love comes in spurts (oh no, oh no, oh no!)

Overall Meaning

The song "Love Comes in Spurts" by Richard Hell and the Voidoids is a poignant expression of the agony of unrequited love. The lyrics paint a picture of desire that is all-consuming and obsessively devoted, yet is impossible to attain. The opening lines, "I was a child who wanted a love so wild, though tight as slow motion...But crazed with devotion," reveal the intensity of the singer's longing for a love that is both passionate and lasting. The refrain of "Love comes in spurts, oh no, it hurts" emphasizes the pain of longing and the impossibility of fulfillment.

As the song progresses, the singer's disillusionment becomes apparent. He admits that he cannot "get wise to those tragical lies," and though he is aware of the reality of his situation, it still "cuts like an axe." The repetition of the refrain underscores the bitterness and frustration of realizing that love is not what he had hoped it would be. Even as he warns of the dangers of flirtation and the heartbreak of love, he cannot escape the recognition that "love always hurts."

The song is a powerful statement on the nature of love and its impact on the human heart. The raw, emotional style of the lyrics and the music speak to the universal experience of longing for something that may be unattainable, yet remains an essential part of life.

Line by Line Meaning

I was a child
I was very young and inexperienced

who wanted a love so wild
I desired a passionate and intense love

though tight as slow motion
even if it was slow and steady

But crazed with devotion
I was obsessed with the idea of love

Love comes in spurts (oh no, it hurts!)
Love can be unpredictable and painful

I just can't get wise
I can't seem to become more knowledgeable

to those tragical lies
about the falsehood of love

though I now know the facts
even though I'm aware of what really happens

they still cut like an axe
it still hurts deeply

in dangerous flirts
in risky and uncertain situations

and it murders your heart
it can cause emotional pain