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.
Whatever It Takes
Soft Cell Lyrics
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Behaving in strange ways
Wandering around the supermarket
In a daze
With positive thoughts
Try to get a rush
From the merchandise I bought
Out of my head
Where do we go
Out of my head
When the feelings are dead
Whatever it takes
To get me through
Whatever it takes
To stop me missing you
Whatever it takes
To get me through
Whatever it takes
To stop me missing you
I tried meditation
Crystal therapy
Colonic irrigation
Didn't agree with me
Road rage and new age
Just tricks of the mind
The onset of middle age
Is all that I find
Out of my head
Out of my head
Where do we go
When the feelings are dead
Whatever it takes
To get me through
Whatever it takes
To stop me missing you
Whatever it takes
To get me through
Whatever it takes
To stop me missing you
Whatever whatever whatever...
Whatever whatever whatever
Whatever it takes
To get me through
Whatever it takes
To stop me missing you
Whatever it takes
To get me through
Whatever it takes
To stop me missing you
Whatever it takes
To stop me missing you
Whatever it takes
When only you will do
I'm having a mid life crisis
Help me
I'm having a mid life crisis
Help me
Pour me a drink
Chop me a line
Roll me a joint
Sir, you're credit card's declined
This song is about a person experiencing a mid-life crisis. The lyrics are written from the perspective of someone who is struggling to come to terms with the fact that they are not as young as they used to be. They describe their attempts to find a solution to their feelings of anxiety and confusion by engaging in various activities like meditation, crystal therapy, and even colonic irrigation. However, none of these seem to have any lasting effect, and the person continues to feel lost and disconnected.
The primary message of the song is that the person is willing to do whatever it takes to get through this difficult phase of their life. They are searching for anything that will help them cope with their feelings of emptiness and loss. They turn to material possessions, buying things at the supermarket to try and get a rush. But even this is not enough to fill the void. Ultimately, the person realizes that the only thing that will truly help them is the one thing they cannot have, which is the person they miss.
The lyrics use a mix of humor and melancholy to explore the theme of the mid-life crisis. The person is clearly struggling, but they are also aware of how ridiculous some of their attempts to fix things are. Ultimately, the song is a commentary on the difficulties of growing older and the sense of loss that can come with it.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm having a mid-life crisis
I'm experiencing a difficult period of identity and self-confidence issues at a stage in my life when I thought things would be more settled
Behaving in strange ways
Acting in unfamiliar or unexpected ways as I attempt to cope with my uncertainty and anxiety
Wandering around the supermarket
Roaming aimlessly through everyday places because I feel lost and disconnected from the world
In a daze
Moved by a sense of bewilderment or confusion that prevents me from engaging with reality
I try to fill my head
I try to occupy my thoughts and emotions with positive stimuli in order to keep at bay negative feelings
With positive thoughts
With constructive ideas that can improve my self-esteem and give me hope for the future
Try to get a rush
Attempt to feel a sudden and intense sensation of excitement, pleasure, or happiness through any means necessary
From the merchandise I bought
From the things I acquire in order to feel a temporary sense of fulfillment or satisfaction
Out of my head
When the confusion, uncertainty, and negative feelings become overwhelming and take over my mind
Where do we go
Where do we direct our focus and attention when we face crises of identity, purpose, or belonging
When the feelings are dead
When we feel numb, detached, and devoid of emotions in the face of challenges that we do not know how to overcome
Whatever it takes
No matter what I have to do, regardless of the consequences or the cost, I am willing to try any method or approach that might help me to keep going
To get me through
To help me endure, survive, or persist in the face of adversity or uncertainty
To stop me missing you
To avoid feeling lonely, abandoned or abandoned by someone who was important to me in the past and whose absence still haunts me
I tried meditation
I attempted to find inner peace, stillness, and tranquility through a spiritual or contemplative practice
Crystal therapy
I experimented with alternative or non-conventional methods of healing, such as using crystals, gemstones, or other minerals
Colonic irrigation
I underwent a procedure aimed at flushing out my colon and removing toxins and waste products from my body in the hope of improving my physical and mental health
Didn't agree with me
None of these methods or treatments had the desired effect on me, and some of them even made me feel worse
Road rage and new age
Both the aggressive and violent behavior displayed by some drivers on the road and the trendy and fashionable ideas and practices promoted by the new age movement are superficial, misleading, and ultimately ineffective in addressing deeper problems that we face as human beings
Just tricks of the mind
Illusory or deceptive methods that fail to address the root causes of our distress or promote genuine healing and growth
The onset of middle age
The beginning of a new phase in my life, characterized by physical, psychological, and social changes that challenge my sense of identity and purpose
Is all that I find
All I have come to realize so far is that I am getting older, and that the challenges I face are only going to become more complex and daunting
Pour me a drink
Give me a alcoholic beverage to numb or alleviate my anxiety and stress
Chop me a line
Prepare a line of cocaine for me to snort, which can give me a quick surge of energy and confidence, but also cause side effects and addiction
Roll me a joint
Make a marijuana cigarette for me to smoke, which can help me to relax and reduce pain, but also affect my judgement and memory
Sir, you're credit card's declined
The conventional and easy solutions that I have relied on for so long are no longer available to me, as I face the consequences of my overindulgence and debt
Whatever whatever whatever...
The repetition of these phrases reflects my growing desperation and hopelessness in the face of an uncertain future and the challenges of growing older
When only you will do
When I feel an intense longing, desire, or affection for someone who has been absent from my life for a while or who I can no longer be with due to circumstances beyond my control
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Mute Song Limited
Written by: MARC ALMOND PETER, DAVID A. BALL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind