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.
Frustration
Soft Cell Lyrics
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Frustration
Frustration
I have life
Ordinary wife
I have car
A favorite bar
A moderate wage
I get the pains
That come with age
I am so ordinary
I have child
She goes wild
I have home
A mortgage of my own
I have hobby
But it's nothing very special
I do the garden
I watch girls
I am so ordinary
I have life
I have cage
I'm going bald
I want to tell the world
I've done nothing
I've achieved nothing
I work for a firm
But I want to burn it down, down
I am so ordinary
I am so ordinary
I was born
One day I'll die
There was something in between
I, I don't know what
Or why
I'm a man
I want to break a rule
I am a no, no, no, no, no, no, nobody
Everybody's fool
I am so ordinary
Frustration
Frustration
Frustration
Frustration
I'm so tired of endless art
Love stories
I'm beginning to not give a damn
I wish I could reach right out for the untouchable
Film starring Bruce, John Wayne, Elvis Presley
Experiment with cocaine, LSD and set a bad bad example
Live a little, run a harem, be a tiger
Meet Bo Derek and be her Tarzan
Reach, reach out out
Live, live, live
Die, die, die
I, I, I, I wanna die
Frustration, oh
Frustration
Frustration
Frustration
I wanna die
I wanna die, die, die, die
Die, die, d..d..d..die, die, die
Frustration
I wanna die
The song “Frustration” by Soft Cell captures the essence of the monotony and boredom that arises from living a mundane life with no clear purpose or direction. The song revolves around the idea of how frustrating it can be to live an ordinary life, devoid of any excitement or adventure. The singer talks about the various aspects of his life, such as his job, marriage, and hobbies, and how they fail to bring him any real joy. He seems dissatisfied with his life and craves something more out of it.
The lyrics are a reflection of the pervasive feeling of disillusionment that permeated the culture in the 1980s. The song offers a commentary on the limitations of modern society and the seemingly endless cycle of work and consumption that leaves many feeling empty and unfulfilled. The line "I want to burn it down" speaks to the frustration and anger that many people feel towards the systems that govern their lives but feel powerless to change.
Taken as a whole, “Frustration” is a song about the desire to break free from the constraints of societal norms and expectations and to live life on one’s own terms. The song urges us to take chances, embrace the unknown, and prioritize living a full and meaningful life over fitting into society's preconceived notions of what is expected of us.
Line by Line Meaning
Fr..fr...fr...frustration!
Expressing the feeling of frustration.
I have life
Speaking of one's existence.
Ordinary wife
Having an average married life.
I have car
Owning a vehicle.
A favorite bar
Having a preferred hangout spot.
I have job
Employed with pay.
A moderate wage
Receiving a decent salary.
I get the pains
Experiencing physical or emotional discomfort due to aging.
That come with age
Referencing the natural process of aging.
I am so ordinary
Feeling unremarkable or unspecial.
I have child
Being a parent.
She goes wild
Referring to a child's rebellious behavior.
I have home
Having a residence.
A mortgage of my own
Owing a debt for one's home.
I have hobby
Having a pastime.
But it's nothing very special
Not having a particularly exciting hobby.
I do the garden
Gardening for leisure or as a chore.
I watch girls
Observing attractive women.
I have life
Emphasizing one's existence again.
I have cage
Feeling trapped or restricted in one's life.
I'm going bald
Losing hair on one's head.
I want to tell the world
Desiring to be heard or seen by others.
I've done nothing
Feeling unaccomplished in life.
I've achieved nothing
Not having reached any significant or impactful accomplishments.
I work for a firm
Being employed by a company.
But I want to burn it down, down
Desiring to rebel or destroy one's workplace.
I was born
Speaking of one's birth.
One day I'll die
Acknowledging mortality.
There was something in between
Recognizing that life happened between birth and death.
I, I don't know what
Expressing uncertainty about life's purpose.
Or why
Questioning the meaning of it all.
I'm a man
Stating one's gender identity.
I want to break a rule
Feeling the need to rebel or go against norms.
I am a no, no, no, no, no, no, nobody
Feeling invisible or unimportant.
Everybody's fool
Feeling like others are taking advantage of one's lack of importance or influence.
Frustration
Expressing the feeling of frustration.
I'm so tired of endless art
Feeling fatigued by creative expression or meaning-making.
Love stories
Being weary of tales of romance.
I'm beginning to not give a damn
Losing interest or concern.
I wish I could reach right out for the untouchable
Longing for something impossible or beyond one's grasp.
Film starring Bruce, John Wayne, Elvis Presley
Referencing classic Hollywood movies and actors.
Experiment with cocaine, LSD and set a bad bad example
Fantasizing about deviant behavior and rebellion.
Live a little, run a harem, be a tiger
Musing about living recklessly and indulging in hedonism.
Meet Bo Derek and be her Tarzan
Dreaming of romantic encounters with famous people.
Reach, reach out out
Expressing a desire to connect with others.
Live, live, live
Desiring to experience life to the fullest.
Die, die, die
Feeling overwhelmed or suicidal.
I, I, I, I wanna die
Repeatedly expressing the desire to die.
Frustration, oh
Expressing the feeling of frustration again, in an exasperated tone.
I wanna die
Restating the desire to die.
Die, die, die, die
Continuing to express the desire to die.
Frustration
Expressing the feeling of frustration one more time, in discontent.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DAVID JAMES BALL, MARC ALMOND
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@PelagicPunk
It's a shame these guys didn't get as much recognition as they deserved.
@werebunniee
Emery Ashdown the truth.
@leefoster4171
Agreed
@Vastatio
@DANNY DIRE you're getting too carried away, Erasure have had a TON of airtime wtf are you talking about???
@nikkityler5000
Brilliant album
@williamhilinsky1327
They did. Long live the '80's
@pyrtwistPyrtwistWorldInMotion
The older I get the more this song makes sense. Hard to believe Marc is a ordinary man
@livvrlovvi7211
doubt he is
@Tomversal
Everyone is talking about Marc and yeah he's amazing but listen to this synth work from Dave! Legendary... Both of them
@mattbelinski7760
Dave has an amazing ability to put the notes in the correct order to sound like the most amazing things you’ve ever heard. Sex Dwarf is a great example of this!