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.
Meet Murder My Angel
Soft Cell Lyrics
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Another kind of love
Meet another kind of love
Different than the real thing
But just as demanding
And just as demeaning
Treacled in apathy
By one so simple act of annihilation
And I've not cried like this
And I've not felt this calm
Meet murder my angel
You've arrived at the moment
To cross over the threshold
I met another kind of love
Met another kind of love
And I've not felt alive in this way
For a long time
Your pleaser
Annoyer
Destroyer
And voyeur
Waits alone at the corner
At the back door to paradise
The back door to paradise
You're shaking all over
It's time to cross over the threshold
And there's no way back my angel
There's no way back for an angel
Meet murder my angel
You've arrived at the moment
To cross over the threshold
It's such a feeling
Oh such a feeling
Oh it's such a feeling
My angel
The lyrics to Soft Cell's song Meet Murder My Angel seem to be depicting a scene of an individual who is about to commit murder. They invite another, different kind of love to meet them, one that is just as demanding and demeaning as real love. The individual's worries are swept away by the simple act of annihilation, and they express that they have not felt so calm or alive in a long time. The lyrics take a somewhat disturbing turn as they invite "murder" to come and meet them, and seem to be addressing this "angel" as if it is a personification of death. The individual is shaking all over, but there is no turning back now.
The lyrics are quite ambiguous and can be interpreted in various ways. It could be that the individual is experiencing a powerful emotional release through music, and the lyrics are a metaphor for that experience. Alternatively, the lyrics could be about the giddiness of dark impulses, and the intense relief that comes with finally acting on them. At its most literal level, the song could be about an actual murder or plan to commit one. The precise meaning remains elusive, and it is up to the listener to decide what the song is trying to convey.
Line by Line Meaning
Come and meet
Introducing a different kind of love
Another kind of love
Love that is unlike the conventional kind
Meet another kind of love
Discover this unique type of affection
Different than the real thing
This love is nothing like what's expected
But just as demanding
Despite the difference, it still needs attention
And just as demeaning
It slowly corrodes and belittles
Treacled in apathy
Lacking emotion and energy
All worries swept away
With one simple act of destruction, all problems vanish
By one so simple act of annihilation
With minimal effort, everything is ruined
And I've not cried like this
This is the first time I've felt this kind of sadness
And I've not felt this calm
But at the same time, I've never felt this peaceful
Meet murder my angel
Welcome this unique form of love, full of destruction and sorrow
You've arrived at the moment
This is the opportunity
To cross over the threshold
To change and embrace new experiences
I met another kind of love
I discovered this unconventional form of affection
And I've not felt alive in this way
It's unlike anything I've ever experienced before
For a long time
This feeling has been absent for a while
Your pleaser
The cause of your satisfaction
Annoyer
The cause of your irritation
Destroyer
The cause of your destruction
And voyeur
The observer of all this happening
Waits alone at the corner
Lurking, waiting for the right moment
At the back door to paradise
The gateway to a better life, unattainable
You're shaking all over
The anticipation and fear is overwhelming
It's time to cross over the threshold
The only way out is to embrace this different love
And there's no way back my angel
Once you experience this kind of love, there's no going back
It's such a feeling
This experience is so intense and overwhelming
Oh such a feeling
It's nothing like anything you've ever felt before
My angel
This unconventional love is your new fate
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DAVID JAMES BALL, MARC ALMOND
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind