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.

Surrender To A Stranger
Soft Cell Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Lonely

I'd like to drown me in my coffee
Counting hours with cappuccinos

Sitting framed within the window

I sit here acting like I'm reading
I'm lonely

I'm reading minds

And sadly dreaming
There's some of me left to believe in

Surrender

Surrender

That businessman smell
Found in one night hotels

The sheets are unwashed

Tobacco and sweat
From the stories they tell

And initials in dust

The man at the desk
Throws you looks of disgust

Soon I'll try hard to lose you
Drown you in my cappuccino

Surrender

Surrender

Sodom and Gomorrah
Come tomorrow

I won't know you from Adam or Eve

Look me in the eyes

And tell me you love me

Once, before you leave

Surrender

Surrender

Overall Meaning

In the first verse of Soft Cell's "Surrender To A Stranger," the singer details his loneliness as he sits in a cafe, wishing he could immerse himself in his coffee, counting the hours away with each cappuccino. As he sits there framed within a window, he puts up a front, pretending to read even though he's really reading minds. However, he still continues to have some hope that there's something left for him to believe in. This builds up to the chorus, where he repeatedly calls for surrender.

The second verse is about an encounter in a one-night hotel with what seems to be a prostitute as the singer uses the analogy of the sin-filled cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. The details he shares about the man he's with are vivid and unflattering, including their unwashed sheets, the scent of sweat, tobacco smoke, and the initials of past guests caked into the dusty surfaces. The singer seems to imply that he's trying to lose this man and forget the encounter as he prepares to drown him in cappuccino. The song ends with the singer demanding one last look of love before the stranger leaves, screaming for surrender.

Line by Line Meaning

Lonely
Feeling alone

I'd like to drown me in my coffee
Trying to escape loneliness by drinking coffee

Counting hours with cappuccinos
Passing time with coffee

Sitting framed within the window
Sitting near the window

I sit here acting like I'm reading
Pretending to read

I'm lonely
Feeling alone

I'm reading minds
Reflecting on thoughts

And sadly dreaming
Dreaming with sadness

There's some of me left to believe in
Still having hope

Surrender
Giving up

That businessman smell
The smell of businessmen