Soft Cell is an electronic music duo that came to prominence in the early 8… Read Full Bio ↴Soft Cell is an electronic music duo that came to prominence in the early 80s. They consist of vocalist Marc Almond and instrumentalist David Ball. The duo is most widely known for their 1981 worldwide hit version of "Tainted Love" and influential multi-platinum debut ''Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret''. In the UK, they had five Top 5 hits, including "Bedsitter", "Say Hello, Wave Goodbye", "Torch" and "What!", and also had four Top 20 albums between 1981 and 1984. The duo split in 1984, but reformed in the early 2000s to tour and released a new album in 2002. Their songs have been covered by various artists including David Gray, Marilyn Manson, Nouvelle Vague and A-ha.

Both Marc Almond and Dave Ball grew up in seaside towns (the former, Southport, and the latter, Blackpool), and later met while students at the Leeds Polytechnic Fine Arts University (now Leeds Metropolitan University). Almond, a performance artist, collaborated with Ball on a few avant-garde multi-media performances at the university. Although Ball's musical background consisted of guitar, he had access to the university studio and was experimenting with the nascent synthesizer technology at the time. The two students became the prototypical synth duo and were initially associated with other New Wave scenesters dubbed "New Romantics" by the British Press. Other bands associated with this scene included Visage, Duran Duran, and Spandau Ballet.

Marc Almond had a productive career as a solo artist later in the 80s and 90s and with Marc & the Mambas and other collaborations. Dave Ball has done a few solo productions with other British new wave acts in the early 80s. He also later was involved in the electronic dance act The Grid with Richard Norris.

Almond and Ball's reunion as Soft Cell became official with well-received initial concerts - they performed at the opening of the Ocean nightclub in London in March 2001 to strong reviews, and a mini tour followed later in the year. The track "God Shaped Hole" featured on the Some Bizzare compilation titled "I'd Rather Shout at a Returning Echo than Kid Someone's Listening", released in 2001. The album Cruelty Without Beauty was released in late 2002, followed by a European tour and a partial US tour in early 2003. The new album featured their first new songs together in almost twenty years. One of those songs was their 2003 single "The Night" (UK #39). Interestingly, Soft Cell had considered recording "The Night" in place of "Tainted Love" back in 1981 as their last-ditch attempt to score a chart hit. In a 2003 interview with BBC's Top of the Pops, keyboardist David Ball asserted, "I think history has kind of shown that we did make the right choice [in 1981]."

In August 2007, the band announced they were working on a remix album, "Heat - The Remixes". The remix album is expected to be released in May 2008 and will include classic Soft Cell tracks remixed by such acts as Manhattan Clique, Cicada, Richard X, Ladytron, MHC, Mark Moore, Kinky Roland, Spektrum, George Demure, Yer Man and many more.

Divided Soul
Soft Cell Lyrics

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Got my preacher in the kitchen
Got my dealer in the hall
I'm blind to the truth
Though I say I've seen it all
I'm always asking why
I want to laugh but I have to cry
Gonna live for the day
Looking for tomorrow

Gonna go off the rails if I don't find a god to follow

I know
I don't know which way to go
I'm living on the edge all the time going out of my mind
Oh yeah, I'm a divided soul

Got my lawyer in the bathroom
I've got a hooker in my bed
I'm taking medication
For the voices in my head
Got a holster on my shoulder
A bible in my hand
I'm the serpent in Eden
Praying for redemption
On evil I'll be feeding
To make my resurrection

I know
I don't know which way to go
I'm living on the edge all the time going out of my mind
Oh yeah, I'm a divided soul

I'm turning up the music
I'm drowning out the screams
I'm a man of passion
A child of apathy
Though I keep on running
Life's catching up with me

I know
I don't know which way to go
I'm living on the edge all the time going out of my mind
Oh yeah, baby
I know
I don't know which way to go
I'm living on the edge all the time going out of my mind
Oh yeah yeah
I know
I've not got long to go
I'm living on the edge all the time going out of my mind
Oh yeah, I'm a divided soul

I'm a risk taking
Danger loving
Chance risking
Trouble tasting
Liar a thief
An apostle of grief
I'm a killer or a lover
One or the other

Who the hell am I??

I'm a divided soul
I'm a divided soul
I'm a divided soul
I'm a divided soul
We're all divided souls
Yeah, we're all divided souls
We're all divided souls

I'm a divided soul
Divided soul

Overall Meaning

The song "Divided Soul" by Soft Cell is a reflection of one's inner turmoil, depicting a person who is torn between different sides of their personality. The lyrics suggest that the singer is surrounded by different people and substances that represent different aspects of their psyche. They have a preacher in the kitchen, a dealer in the hall, a lawyer in the bathroom, and a hooker in their bed. Additionally, they're taking medication to manage the "voices in their head." The singer is unable to make sense of these conflicting elements of their identity, and it's causing them to feel unstable and unsure about who they are.

Throughout the song, the singer expresses a desire to find clarity and meaning in their life. They want to live for the day but are always looking for tomorrow. They wish to laugh but are forced to cry. The overall theme suggests that the singer is searching for spiritual guidance as they feel lost and disconnected from themselves. The use of biblical references, such as having a bible in their hand and being the serpent in Eden, suggests that the singer is struggling with issues related to morality and sin. Similarly, their desire for redemption and their acknowledgment of being an apostle of grief suggests that they are wrestling with their identity and seeking a path towards enlightenment.

In conclusion, Soft Cell's "Divided Soul" is a song that explores a person's inner struggles and crises of identity. It is a reflection on the many conflicting forces that shape our personalities and a call to find unity and meaning in life.

Line by Line Meaning

Got my preacher in the kitchen
I am surrounded by religion and what they say is right.

Got my dealer in the hall
I also have access to drugs and the temptation to abuse them.

I'm blind to the truth / Though I say I've seen it all
Despite my arrogant claim of having seen everything, I am actually unaware of what's really going on.

I'm always asking why / I want to laugh but I have to cry
I can't comprehend the absurdity of life and can only react with a mixture of humor and sorrow.

Gonna live for the day / Looking for tomorrow / Gonna go off the rails if I don't find a god to follow
I live in the present, but I also seek for a better future, and I will run amok unless I find a guiding doctrine to follow.

Got my lawyer in the bathroom
I have a confidant who will defend me in all legal cases.

I've got a hooker in my bed
I have a prostitute with whom I've had sexual relations.

I'm taking medication / For the voices in my head
I am medicating my inner demons.

Got a holster on my shoulder / A bible in my hand / I'm the serpent in Eden / Praying for redemption / On evil I'll be feeding
I have a gun and the word of god, but I am also the devil himself, and I seek forgiveness while nourishing my maliciousness.

I'm turning up the music / I'm drowning out the screams
I use music as an escape from my emotional pain.

I'm a man of passion / A child of apathy
I can be passionate, but much of the time I am apathetic.

Though I keep on running / Life's catching up with me
I am trying to escape from life's problems, but eventually, they catch up to me.

I'm a risk-taking / Danger-loving / Chance-risking / Trouble-tasting / Liar or a thief / An apostle of grief / I'm a killer or a lover / One or the other
I am a reckless, thrill-seeking individual, who is not to be trusted, and I do not know which path I'll take: one of destruction or one of compassion.

Who the hell am I??
I do not know my identity.

We're all divided souls
We all struggle with our inner demons and ambiguous identities.

I'm a divided soul
I am a conflicted individual, unable to discern what is good for me and what is not.

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Mute Song Limited
Written by: MARC ALMOND PETER, DAVID A. BALL

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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