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.
The Best Way To Kill
Soft Cell Lyrics
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Multiply tell a little lie
To pull the wool
Over God's little eye
Before he makes up his mind
And that wouldn't do
Life is one long play for today
The one that everybody pretends
They've never never heard
Oh yeah
And it gets in my skin
And I find myself fitting a form
That is worn like a badge on a blazer at school
Tear it off rip it up
Stick your two fingers up at the world
And the lying little worms
That would take you for a fool
For your life has to be this way
And you can't say this
And you can't watch that
It'll darken your mind little child
A moral straight-jacket to stop you running completely wild
Oh yeah
And it's nice when being yourself behind a locked door
Talk in whispers when you're scared out of your mind
By the law
Who leave no bruises but the ones in your heart
And they're the ones that really hurt
Yeaaahhh
[Chorus: Repeat 2X]
The debate of the day, win a long holiday
You at home can decide what would be the best way to kill
The best way to kill
And you don't stand a chance in hell
But you go down fighting to the sound of the bell
Losers all in the eyes of the men with the pens
But winners all in the end
The lyrics of Soft Cell’s “The Best Way to Kill” touch on the themes of dishonesty, conformity, and rebellion against societal constraints. The first verse of the song speaks to the idea that dishonesty can spread like poison within a group, and that people often tell small lies to get ahead. This is followed by a commentary on the way that society limits and controls individuals, dictating what they can say, watch, and do. The singer of the song rejects this, tearing off the badge of conformity, and sticking two fingers up at the world. The chorus speaks to the idea of rebellion and fighting against the things that hold us back. The lyrics “the debate of the day, win a long holiday, you at home can decide what would be the best way to kill,” suggest that the singer believes that society wants to kill creativity and individuality, and that it is up to each person to decide how to fight against this.
The second verse of the song touches on the idea of censorship and the way that the law can limit our choices and control our behavior. The singer suggests that it is better to be yourself alone, behind locked doors, than to be forced to conform to what society expects of you. The final lines of the song suggest that the battle against conformity is one that we will not easily win, but that by fighting back, we can ultimately become winners.
Overall, the lyrics of “The Best Way to Kill” are a commentary on the ways in which society seeks to control and limit us, and the importance of fighting back against this control in order to be true to ourselves.
Line by Line Meaning
Dishonesty breeds like poison in an unhealed wound
Lies spread quickly and do harm like an infection
Multiply tell a little lie
Small lies add up and become significant
To pull the wool
To deceive someone
Over God's little eye
Trying to deceive God
Before he makes up his mind
Before God realizes what is happening
And that wouldn't do
Being caught in a lie would be bad
Life is one long play for today
People are only concerned about immediate gratification
The one that uses all the four-letter words
People who use bad language and are vulgar
The one that everybody pretends
People who try to sound good and put on appearances
They've never never heard
Denying what they know or pretend not to hear
Oh yeah
Expression of affirmation
And it gets in my skin
Bothersome or frustrating
And I find myself fitting a form
Conforming to social norms and expectations
That is worn like a badge on a blazer at school
Conforming like a uniform that everyone wears
Tear it off rip it up
Rejecting and breaking free from conformity
Stick your two fingers up at the world
Rebelling against the system
And the lying little worms
People who deceive and manipulate others
That would take you for a fool
People who would try to trick or take advantage of you
For your life has to be this way
Society expecting people to fit into certain boxes
And you can't say this
Restricting freedoms of speech and expression
And you can't watch that
Restricting what people can see or experience
It'll darken your mind little child
These restrictions will negatively impact a person's mental state
A moral straight-jacket to stop you running completely wild
Restrictions on behavior and expression to prevent chaos
Oh yeah
Expression of affirmation
And it's nice when being yourself behind a locked door
Freedom to be oneself in private
Talk in whispers when you're scared out of your mind
Fear of being punished for being oneself
By the law
Legal system that enforces societal norms
Who leave no bruises but the ones in your heart
Mental and emotional harm caused by the legal system
And they're the ones that really hurt
The emotional harm caused by the legal system is significant
Yeaaahhh
Expression of affirmation
The debate of the day, win a long holiday
A hypothetical situation where debating controversial topics would lead to a reward
You at home can decide what would be the best way to kill
Fantasizing about a world where individuals could choose how to punish others
The best way to kill
An extreme form of punishment against those who deceive or harm others
And you don't stand a chance in hell
The likelihood of achieving a world like this is extremely small
But you go down fighting to the sound of the bell
Being determined even if it is futile
Losers all in the eyes of the men with the pens
Those who rebel against societal norms are labeled as losers
But winners all in the end
Despite this, these individuals may ultimately be happier and more fulfilled
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DAVID JAMES BALL, MARC ALMOND
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind