The Debrays began their music career as child street performers in South Africa, singing while selling soap, from where they acquired their band name. Signed to Universal Records, they scored a South African number one hit album Xperience and four South African Top 5 singles before relocating to the UK in 2015 and reconstituting themselves as a punk band, adding drummer Goggin. That year, they released 'Calls To Rebellion', their debut album as a punk band.
The band received attention after an incident at a 2016 gig in Hastings in which venue staff attacked the band with a bucketful of stage blood. Noting their reputation, Camille observed in 2019 "As women we are labelled and if we don't fit the stereotypical role, we are seen as beeches (sic) who need to be tamed."
Charlie Brown
The Soap Girls Lyrics
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The second time oh you might as well
By third oh you might have learnt
The more you give the longer you burn
When you’re down lower than low
You lose your heart but your mind grows
As you think you start to forget
Blank mind no regrets
Charlie I love you but I hate you cos you do this thing to me
Now I’m confused thought that I loved you
I love the chemistry
Keep me high leave down
But you keep me coming back around
Keep me high leave me down
I love you
Charlie Brown
Bite your tongue let it bleed
You see what no one else sees
Close your eyes sew them shut
Never enough now don’t have too much
Close the light bring the dark
Don’t think too much you’ll go too far
As you clasp your shaking hands
You hear the whisper and you grab your chance
Charlie I love you but I hate you cos you do this thing to me
Now I’m confused thought that I loved you
I love the chemistry
Keep me high leave down
But you keep me coming back around
Keep me high leave me down
I love you
Charlie Brown
Everything under your touch, turns to dust, turns to dust
When the fever is burning up and you’ve had enough, had enough
Bitter sun turns it all to rust, all to rust, all to rust
Charlie I love you but I hate you cos you do this thing to me
Now I’m confused thought that I loved you
I love the chemistry
Keep me high leave down
But you keep me coming back around
Keep me high leave me down
I love you (Yeah)
Charlie I love you but I hate you cos you do this thing to me
Now I’m confused thought that I loved you
I love the chemistry
Keep me high leave down
But you keep me coming back around
Keep me high leave me down
I love you (Yeah)
Charlie Brown
The Soap Girls' "Charlie Brown" is a song about addiction and the complicated relationship that develops with the source of the addiction, represented by the titular character. The lyrics explore the progression of addiction, with the first hit leaving the user "high as hell," and subsequent hits becoming more intense until they become "lower than low," losing their heart but growing their mind. The addiction becomes all-consuming, with the user thinking they loved Charlie Brown, but also hating him for what he does to them, as they try to balance the fleeting high with the inevitable crash.
The song's chorus captures this duality of the relationship, as the addict loves Charlie Brown for keeping them high, but hates him for the same reason. The bridge presents the addict's tug-of-war between indulgence and self-control, with the suggestion of self-harm to distract oneself from the addiction. But despite the user knowing the addiction is destroying them ("Everything under your touch, turns to dust"), they can't quit, and Charlie Brown keeps them coming back for more.
Overall, "Charlie Brown" powerfully captures the complexities of addiction, conveying the highs and lows with haunting imagery and a catchy melody.
Line by Line Meaning
The first hit leaves you high as hell
The initial drug experience gives an intense euphoric feeling.
The second time oh you might as well
Continued drug usage is almost certain after experiencing the first high.
By third oh you might have learnt
After trying drugs multiple times, one may become accustomed to their effects.
The more you give the longer you burn
Repeated drug use can lead to prolonged negative consequences.
When you’re down lower than low
Addiction can make one feel emotionally and physically drained.
You lose your heart but your mind grows
Addiction can lead to detachment from emotions while simultaneously increasing mental fixation.
As you think you start to forget
Mental distortion can cause one to forget about the consequences of addictive behavior.
Blank mind no regrets
The mind can go numb due to addiction, causing one to stop caring about the consequences of their actions.
Charlie I love you but I hate you cos you do this thing to me
The person is in a love-hate relationship with the drugs that are causing their addiction.
Now I’m confused thought that I loved you
The person is unsure whether they truly love the drugs or are struggling with addiction.
I love the chemistry
The person is drawn to the chemical reactions that occur within their brain while under the influence of drugs.
Keep me high leave down
The person wants to remain in the euphoric high but doesn't want to deal with the negative consequences.
But you keep me coming back around
The addictive nature of drugs is powerful and can keep a person trapped in addiction.
Bite your tongue let it bleed
Sometimes we need to go through pain in order to break free from addiction.
You see what no one else sees
Addiction can cause one to become consumed by their own world, leaving them isolated from others.
Close your eyes sew them shut
A person may try to shut out the consequences of their actions in order to continue using drugs.
Never enough now don’t have too much
Addiction escalates the need for more, but too much can lead to extremely negative consequences.
Close the light bring the dark
Addiction can lead to self-destructive behavior in order to maintain the euphoric high.
Don’t think too much you’ll go too far
Overthinking about drug use can lead to irrational behavior and destructive addiction.
As you clasp your shaking hands
Addiction can cause physical withdrawal symptoms and emotional distress.
You hear the whisper and you grab your chance
Addiction can be all-consuming, taking away rational thinking and leading to dangerous behavior.
Everything under your touch, turns to dust, turns to dust
Addiction can lead to the ruin of everything in one's life.
When the fever is burning up and you’ve had enough, had enough
Reaching a breaking point due to addiction.
Bitter sun turns it all to rust, all to rust, all to rust
The destructive nature of addiction can ruin everything in one's life.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind