1. Rough Trade is… Read Full Bio ↴There are more than one artist named Rough Trade:
1. Rough Trade is a Canadian group, lead by singer Carole Pope and multi-instrumentalist Kevan Staples, which gained success in the 70s and 80s. Their music is filled with themes of catastropic power and dimestore novel smut, entertainingly delivered by Pope's powerful voice.
2. Rough Trade is a punk band from Ålesund, Norway. They released a 7" in 1980, and have been featured on compilations such as "Anarki & kaos" and "Bloodstains Across Norway".
3. Rough Trade is a spoken word artist from Australia that focuses on homoerotic content.
All Touch )
Rough Trade Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I pushed, her tense face away from me
The hard smile, the voice going on
Like a razor blade on glass
All touch, but no contact
It hit me like, it hit me like
It hit me like a slap, oh-oh-oh, all touch
All touch, all touch and no contact
I pushed, his hand, away from me
I pushed, his ha-and away from me
Splintering fragments of conversation
Never got down to cold hard facts
All touch, but no contact
It stabbed me like, it stabbed me like
A knife in the back, oh oh oh, all touch
All touch, all touch and no contact
Tense my body for the final attack
Oh oh oh, all touch
All touch, all touch and no contact
I pushed, her tense face, away from me
I pushed, her tense face away from me
The hard smile, the voice going on
Like a razor blade on glass
All touch, but no contact
It hit me like, it hit me like
It hit me like a slap, oh oh oh, all touch
All touch, all touch and no contact
Challenging eyes over the rim of a cocktail glass
Hoping I'd react, oh-oh-oh
All touch, all touch and no contact
It stabbed me like, it stabbed me like
A knife in the back, oh-oh-oh, all touch
All touch, all touch and no contact
Tense my body for the final attack
Oh-oh-oh, all touch
All touch, all touch and no contact
The song "All Touch" by Rough Trade describes several instances where physical touch fails to translate into emotional connection or understanding. The first two verses tell the stories of two different encounters, one with a woman and the other with a man, both characterized by awkward conversation and ineffective communication, despite physical touch being present. The chorus repeats the phrase "all touch, but no contact," emphasizing this disconnect between physical touch and emotional connection.
The phrase "all touch and no contact" highlights the challenges of intimacy and vulnerability. Physical touch and superficial conversation are not enough to create a genuine connection, and real connection requires a willingness to be vulnerable and open with one another. The song concludes with the line "tense my body for the final attack," suggesting a fear of vulnerability and a sense of guardedness in relationships.
Line by Line Meaning
I pushed, her tense face, away from me
I forcefully moved her strained facial expression away from my vicinity
The hard smile, the voice going on
The forced smile, the monotonous vocalization that's continuing without any break
Like a razor blade on glass
Similar to a sharp-edged blade on a fragile glass surface
All touch, but no contact
Physical touch without actual connection
It hit me like, it hit me like
It struck me with an intensity equivalent to
It hit me like a slap, oh-oh-oh, all touch
It hit me with an effect akin to a physical slap, but it was just a touch without any real contact
I pushed, his hand, away from me
I moved his hand away from me with force
Splintering fragments of conversation
Broken, disconnected bits of communication
Never got down to cold hard facts
We never communicated the brutal truth
It stabbed me like, it stabbed me like
It hurt me powerfully like
A knife in the back, oh oh oh, all touch
No actual contact, but it caused me severe distress as if I was stabbed in the back
Challenging eyes over the rim of a cocktail glass
Eyes staring defiantly over the edge of a glass filled with a mixed alcoholic drink
Hoping I'd react, oh-oh-oh
Wishing for a response from me with a tone of desperation
Tense my body for the final attack
Preparing my physique for a final confrontation
All touch, all touch and no contact
Purely physical touch without tangible communication
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: CAROL ANN POPE, KEVIN STAPLES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@jeffreybarkin3177
CAROLE POPE and "SIR" KEVEN STAPLES are a songwriting #DynamicDual !!!
ROUGH TRADE have perhaps some of the "EDG-Y-IEST" Songs #Canada has Ever Produced!
ABSOLUTELY!
Simply LISTEN to their Craft...
It says it all...
Thank You for SO MANY AMAZING "Concertos" and Memories... You're sure Priceless...
Seriously...
@ngribbins
Criminally underrated band. I can never get enough of this song/album.
@reggaefan2700
That bassist is pretty good. He knows what he's doing.
@user-rg1nd5bt1c
Glad to be a young lad during this golden age of music.
@hb11912
Another classic from the 80’s, so glad I was a teenager then.
@hothatch1520
The power range and command of Carrol’s voice hasn’t been marketed to the legendary status she deserves.
@fuferito
Just saw them in Toronto last night at the Phoenix.
They still rocked and Carole Pope is an incurable punk.
@eltonazo
How was it? I couldntgo and i live in sheebourne
@fuferito
@eltonazo ,
Amazing!
Apparently, they're trying to raise money to fund a musical about the band, and they even sang a never heard of number that will be featured in the show if it ever gets produced.
@bigguys45s29
Peaked as high as No. 58 on the US Billboard Hot 100 Charts in early 1983. Great underrated track.
@reggaefan2700
That bassist is pretty good. He knows what he's doing.