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.
Crimes of Passion
Rough Trade Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She pulled her knees up spread eagle on the bed.
Her Chanel bathrobe, torn down the side,
He was a willing victim, he couldn't resist her.
Shower still dripping, coffee table overturned,
The gun still smoking, scream caught in her throat.
Her lungs still burning, her tempo throbbing,
There's no limit to the depths you can sink to,
There's no limit to the heights you can climb,
Crimes of passion, crimes of passion, crimes.
Crimes, (crimes of passion), (crimes), crimes, (crimes of passion).
Johnny and Eddie lay in bed, their limbs entwined,
The air full of the sickly sweet smell of Amoll.
Their tanned bodies bathed in sweat,
They looked like two young gods,
Writhing in the thros of exctasy.
Billy ran in, pulled out a knife,
Screaming goodbye as johnny begged for his life.
Eddie got Billy in a strangle hold,
Pushed his face into a blood-stained pillow.
There's no limit to the depths you can sink to,
There's no limit to the heights you can climb,
Crimes of passion, crimes of passion, crimes.
Crimes, (crimes of passion), (crimes), crimes, (crimes of passion).
(Crimes), crimes, (crimes of passion).
(Crimes), crimes, (crimes of passion).
There's no limit to the depths you can sink to,
There's no limit to the heights you can climb,
There's no limit to the depths you can sink to,
There's no limit to the heights you can climb,
There's no limit to the depths you can sink to,
There's no limit to the heights you can climb,
There's no limit to the depths you can sink to,
There's no limit to the heights you can climb,
There's no limit to the depths you can sink to,
There's no limit to the heights you can climb,
There's no limit to the depths you can sink to,
There's no limit to the heights you can climb,
There's no limit to the depths you can sink to,
There's no limit to the heights you can climb,
"Crimes of Passion" by Rough Trade is a song that deals with taboo and extreme behavior, particularly sexual deviancy and violence. The song's lyrics are explicit and graphic, describing various scenarios of sexual and violent encounters. In the first verse, a woman is depicted engaging in autoerotic activity before seducing a man who becomes her willing victim. The second verse involves a threesome that turns violent when one of the participants pulls out a knife and kills one of the others. The chorus repeats the phrase "crimes of passion," suggesting that these extreme behaviors are the result of intense emotions that can drive people to commit acts that they would not typically engage in.
The song's message is complex and provocative, offering no clear judgment or condemnation of the behavior depicted in the lyrics. Instead, it portrays a world where extreme behavior is both possible and accepted, suggesting that passion can override reason and lead people down paths they might not otherwise take. The imagery and language used in the lyrics are shocking and designed to provoke a reaction, forcing listeners to confront their own ideas about sex, violence, and morality.
Line by Line Meaning
Her hand slipped down into the moistness of herself,
She touched herself intimately
She pulled her knees up spread eagle on the bed.
She positioned herself on the bed in a sexual manner
Her Chanel bathrobe, torn down the side,
Her expensive robe was ripped in the heat of the moment
He was a willing victim, he couldn't resist her.
He was attracted to her and couldn't say no
Shower still dripping, coffee table overturned,
The scene was chaotic and violent
The gun still smoking, scream caught in her throat.
She had just committed a murder and was in shock
Her lungs still burning, her tempo throbbing,
She was aroused and out of breath
She reached for a crumpled pack and lit up a smoke.
She tried to calm down by smoking
There's no limit to the depths you can sink to,
You can do terrible things when you are overwhelmed by intense feelings
There's no limit to the heights you can climb,
You can experience great pleasure when you give in to your desires
Crimes of passion, crimes of passion, crimes.
People sometimes commit crimes when they are overcome by passion
Johnny and Eddie lay in bed, their limbs entwined,
Two men were in bed together
The air full of the sickly sweet smell of Amoll.
They were using a narcotic drug
Their tanned bodies bathed in sweat,
They were sweating from the physical exertion
They looked like two young gods,
They had strong and beautiful bodies
Writhing in the throes of ecstasy.
They were experiencing intense pleasure
Billy ran in, pulled out a knife,
Someone came in with a weapon
Screaming goodbye as johnny begged for his life.
Someone was killed and begged for mercy
Eddie got Billy in a strangle hold,
Someone fought back and physically subdued the attacker
Pushed his face into a blood-stained pillow.
The attacker was killed and blood was everywhere
Lyrics © Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada (SOCAN)
Written by: CAROL ANN POPE, KEVIN STAPLES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
aust1900
My God! I loved this song so much! Loved those guys - thanks for the post.
Rob Lea
I had no idea there was a video for this song either! Pretty risque stuff for the early 80's!!
AIDAN STAFFORD
The video was my very first experience with the song. During its original release. And, I have been applauding ROUGH TRADE ever since.
jannyrcobs
One of the truly great Canadian bands. Can you imagine what Carole would have to say in her lyrics today if they were still together, given all the sexual controversy that's gone down over the last 25 years?
ooler2
Thank you so much, Howard, for this and all the other rare treats you have posted. I have been a fan of Carole, with or without Rough Trade for thirty years and this is the first time I have seen this video!!
Steve F.
Sure wish this video could be restored. Saw Rough Trade at a concert back in the 80s. That was an awesome experience!
tankmodeler
God, I remember "Video Singles" I used to watch it in the afternoons making supper while in Grad school in Toronto! Too cool to see that again!
katherine hunter
Saw them open for David Bowie and the Serious Moonlight Tour, Stevie Ray Vaughn on lead guitar.
Very memorable night indeed.
Love this song.
Thanks for sharing the video.
Have wondered if I'd ever see it again.
✌❤🇨🇦🎶🌟🙏
AIDAN STAFFORD
Coincidentally, that was MY feeling; when--first--I saw the video. Because I had craved seeing it again, and again, and again.
TheNouveauxdecadence
This is absolute HEAVEN!