T'Pau formed in 1986. The members originated from the towns of Shrewsbury and Wellington in central England and took their name from a Vulcan high priestess in the classic Star Trek episode Amok Time. Their debut single and first hit was the 1987 release Heart and Soul. Initially a flop in the UK, it first became a hit in the U.S. Billboard charts, reaching #4, a feat it repeated in the UK Singles Chart some months later. The same year, the band had their biggest hit with the ballad, China in Your Hand, which spent five weeks at Number One in the UK chart, and also claimed the top slot in several European countries, although oddly the song made little impact on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart.
They had a number of smaller hits which made it to at least the UK Top 40, including the singles Valentine, Sex Talk (a new recording of early flop single Intimate Strangers), I Will Be With You, and Secret Garden. Their 1987 album Bridge Of Spies (the album was called T'Pau in the U.S.) was a best seller and won several British record industry awards.
Nevertheless, the band failed to maintain their success and split in 1991. But Decker reformed the band with a new line-up in 1998, and T'Pau have in recent years attempted a comeback.
In May 2005, Carol Decker reached the final round of the ITV show Hit Me Baby One More Time, singing the T'Pau hit China in Your Hand.
See also: Official site
Soul Destruction
T'Pau Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Na na na na hey yeah
Na na na na hey yeah
A Chinese Whisper's going around town
Everybody knows
That you took my love and rubbed it in the intimacy
Shared by you both, well
Naturally i was kept from the truth
Oh but now I'm sure
Of my hearts disgrace
And the loss of face
You threw it all away
Now I just want to say
What do you want oh
To hurt me for
With your soul destruction
And when you're given a love
And you break it up
That is soul destruction
You make a ghetto for my soul
So there you are with your head in your hands boy
What do you want to say
That it's me you really want
Those other girls don't mean a lot
It just sort of happened that way...well
I got some news are you listening now boy
My life is not a game
Love is not a toy
What do you want oh
To hurt me for
With your soul destruction
And if you're given a love
And you break it up
That is soul destruction
You make a ghetto for my soul
You have no idea
What I'm going through
You see all my belief, it's been blown away
'Cause you see, I thought I knew you
Na na na na hey yeah
Na na na na hey yeah
Na na na na hey yeah
Na na na na hey yeah
Na na na na hey yeah
Na na na na hey yeah
What do you want oh
To hurt me for
With your soul destruction
And when you're given a love
And you break it up
That is soul destruction
Don't make a soul ghetto
What do you want oh
To hurt me for
With your soul destruction
And when you're given a love
Oh you break it up
That is soul destruction
Na na na na hey yeah
What do you want oh
What do you want oh
Hurt me for
Soul destruction
And when you're given a love
You break it up
That is soul destruction
Na na na na hey yeah
The lyrics of T'Pau's song "Soul Destruction" tell the story of a woman who has been betrayed by her lover. She's hurt and angry that he's taken her love and shared it with someone else. She's been kept in the dark about the truth for too long, but now that she knows, she's disgusted. It's clear that he doesn't care about her or the relationship they once had, and all she's left with is a broken heart.
The chorus of the song is particularly poignant, with the singer questioning why her lover would hurt her so badly. She asks why he would engage in "soul destruction," tearing down what they had together and leaving her feeling trapped and alone. She pleads with him not to make a "soul ghetto" out of her heart and soul, showing the pain that his actions have caused.
Overall, the lyrics of "Soul Destruction" are a powerful expression of heartbreak and betrayal. They convey the pain of someone who has been deeply hurt, and the anger that comes with being let down by someone they trusted.
Line by Line Meaning
Na na na na hey yeah
Expression of pain and sorrow through music.
A Chinese Whisper's going around town
Rumors and whispers about the situation have spread around town.
Everybody knows
The whole town is aware of the situation.
That you took my love and rubbed it in the intimacy
You were unfaithful and rubbed it in by being intimate with someone else.
Shared by you both, well
The intimacy was shared by you and the other person.
A cold relevation's raising the rool
The truth has finally come out and it's shocking.
Naturally i was kept from the truth
I was unaware of the truth and it was kept from me.
Oh but now I'm sure
I'm certain about the truth now.
Of my hearts disgrace
I'm devastated and ashamed of my broken heart.
And the loss of face
I'm embarrassed and have lost my dignity as a result of your actions.
You threw it all away
You ruined our love and relationship.
Now I just want to say
I have something to say to you.
What do you want oh
Why are you doing this?
To hurt me for
Why are you intentionally hurting me?
With your soul destruction
Your infidelity has caused irreparable damage to my soul.
And when you're given a love
When someone gives you their love and trust,
And you break it up
But you betray and destroy it,
That is soul destruction
It's deeply damaging to the soul and spirit.
You make a ghetto for my soul
Your actions have left me feeling trapped, alone, and alienated from the world.
So there you are with your head in your hands boy
You're feeling guilty and ashamed of what you've done.
What do you want to say
Do you have anything to say for yourself?
That it's me you really want
Do you truly want to be with me?
Those other girls don't mean a lot
Do you think those other women are more important to you than me?
It just sort of happened that way...well
Are you really trying to blame this on fate or circumstance?
I got some news are you listening now boy
Listen to me carefully.
My life is not a game
This situation is not a game; it's my life and my feelings at stake.
Love is not a toy
Love is serious and shouldn't be treated lightly or casually.
You have no idea
You can't possibly understand
What I'm going through
The pain and hurt I'm feeling.
You see all my belief, it's been blown away
You've destroyed my beliefs and trust in you and others.
Cause you see, I thought I knew you
I believed I knew and trusted you.
Don't make a soul ghetto
Don't trap someone's soul and spirit through your actions.
What do you want oh
What's the reason behind your actions?
What do you want oh
I need to know why you're doing this.
Hurt me for
Why are you purposely causing me pain?
And when you're given a love
When someone gives you their love and trust,
You break it up
But you betray and destroy it,
That is soul destruction
It's deeply damaging to the soul and spirit.
Na na na na hey yeah
Expression of pain and sorrow through music.
Contributed by Mila W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
GabsVonTresckow
Massively underrated track
Porkins_Jr
I can feel the 1991 coming off this one.
rich975
I remember 'The Promise' being released and the first two singles but I don't remember seeing or hearing this track anywhere. Think this would have been better as the 2nd single rather than 'Walk On Air'.
den saunders
Like the remix version of this..... Shame walk on air never got remixed 😂
gogcc
one of the absolute best of the time..... i rate TPau up there with Queen Van Halen Jovi Whitesnake Journey........... those who know......know !!!!
ronnor10
Details of the forthcoming T'pau album ' The Story behind The tracks' are now online on the Gnatfish Records website.
MP3 Rider
Nice audio version.
Harjinder Chaggar
Well she did the moonwalk before Michael Jackson, see you later PAM 💗💕
pimprunelle pimprunelle
I love ♥️
Janis Varnavskis
After this comes the last video "Only a Heartbeat", was released only in the United States and Japan.