The Damned Don't Cry
Visage Lyrics


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Traveling with no destination
No place to go
Nameless towns with faceless people
No place I know

Time to close my mind and drift off
To other scenes
Lose myself in glossy pages
Dull magazines

Moments pass by, oh so slowly
Makes me lonely too
Twisting street light, in the darkness
Makes me lonely too

Ah The Damned Don't Cry
No The Damned Don't Cry

Climbing smoke climbs upward slowly
Past my trembling face
I see myself in rain soaked windows
In a different place

Single heartbeats in the dim light
Makes me lonely too




Hearing sounds of celebrations
Makes me lonely too

Overall Meaning

The song "The Damned Don't Cry" by Visage tells the story of someone who is traveling aimlessly without a clear destination in mind. They are visiting nameless towns and encountering faceless people along the way. The person feels lost and disconnected from the world around them. They seek solace in escaping reality through reading glossy pages and dull magazines. As they wander, time seems to pass by slowly, which only exacerbates their loneliness. The street lights at night seem twisted, and the smoke seems to climb ever so slowly, creating a sense of unease.


Despite the person's isolation and feelings of despair, they realize that they are not alone in their suffering. The chorus, "Ah the damned don't cry, no the damned don't cry," implies that there are others like them who are silently struggling. The imagery of a rain-soaked window reflects their own emotional turmoil as they envision a different life for themselves. Single heartbeats in the dim light further emphasize the person's solitude as they hear sounds of celebration from afar.


Overall, the song tells a relatable story of feeling lost and disconnected in a vast and indifferent world. The somber melody and poignant lyrics convey a sense of longing and melancholy, yet the final line of the chorus offers a glimmer of hope that despite the challenges, the person is resilient and will persevere.


Line by Line Meaning

Traveling with no destination
Wandering aimlessly without a clear purpose or direction in mind


No place to go
Feeling lost and without a specific destination in mind


Nameless towns with faceless people
Passing through unfamiliar, insignificant towns populated by anonymous, unremarkable individuals


No place I know
Lacking familiarity and connection to any particular place


Time to close my mind and drift off
Deciding to mentally disengage and detach from the present moment


To other scenes
Redirecting thoughts towards different scenarios and settings


Lose myself in glossy pages
Getting lost in magazines with polished images and superficial content


Dull magazines
Publications lacking depth or substance


Moments pass by, oh so slowly
Time seems to move at an agonizingly sluggish pace


Makes me lonely too
Further intensifying feelings of isolated sadness


Twisting street light, in the darkness
An object that should provide illumination and guidance is distorted and ineffective in the shadows


Ah The Damned Don't Cry
An expression of resigned acceptance that in difficult situations, one is left to suffer alone


No The Damned Don't Cry
A repetition of the previous expression, emphasizing the sense of solitude and despair


Climbing smoke climbs upward slowly
Smoke rising gradually, reflecting a sense of slow, tedious progress


Past my trembling face
Drifting past the singer's fearful, shaky countenance


I see myself in rain soaked windows
Glimpsing one's own reflection in water-streaked panes, like a distorted mirror


In a different place
Imagining one's self transported to a distant and contrasting location


Single heartbeats in the dim light
Heartbeats pounding slowly and resoundingly in the dim, quiet atmosphere


Hearing sounds of celebrations
Being aware of distant noise emanating from a joyful gathering


Makes me lonely too
Again feeling heightened loneliness and detachment from positive experiences




Lyrics © DOMINO PUBLISHING COMPANY, Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: WILLIAM CURRIE, MIDGE URE, RUSTY EGAN, DAVE FORMULA, STEVE STRANGE

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comments from YouTube:

@mnmlstellar

#LYRICS 

Travelling with no destination
No place to go
Nameless towns with faceless people
No place I know
Time to close my mind and drift off
To other scenes
Lose myself in glossy pages
Dull magazines
Moments pass by, oh so slowly
Makes me lonely too
Twisting street light, in the darkness
Makes me lonely too



@anttitheinternetguy3213

Ah The Damned Don't Cry
No The Damned Don't Cry

Climbing smoke climbs upward slowly
Past my trembling face
I see myself in rain soaked windows
In a different place

Single heartbeats in the dim light
Makes me lonely too
Hearing sounds of celebrations
Makes me lonely too



All comments from YouTube:

@jean-lucpicard4467

Highly underrated this one. Can't get enough off it.

@TheElvisDiet

I concur ♡♡♡♡

@victorpegala2698

Pareil ..j’avais 13 ans

@genomizer2763

Perhaps the best VISAGE song, this is so timeless. Takes my heart and soul everytime!

@FadGadget1

Isolation with Visage and a couple of bottles of red wine, ain’t so bad. x

@DameDarcy999

In Idaho in the 80s i was an isolated Goth teen. Propaganda magazine had a pen pal section in the back. Through this I met a girl with my same birthday june 19th and a guy who became my highschool bf of 3 years who also shared the same birthday. We were all Gemini twins and I flew to LA to hang with them. My bf was a dj for the college Loyola, he played this song and the girl gave it to me on a mixed tape. I’ve traveled around the world several times over and i think this song still exemplifies how I’ve felt like a stranger everywhere, but the people who know it too are my kind.
Everyone loves Fade to Grey and it’s the more well known song from Visage. But this one is the real deal. Hearts ❤️ and bats 🦇 to you my dearest darklings and it’s truly lovely seeing you here🙏🥰 Dame Darcy

@stevengatewood2725

As a fellow Gemini who was into Punk and New Wave in the early 80s (still am), and still seeing tons of bands, I feel you. I had tickets to see Steve, but his sickness had him cancel the show, and he passed not long after. I am saddened by every passing of a musical hero. Hope your life journey is going well. FYI, saw The Fixx last night, and am seeing Midge Ure and Modern English tonight. Do you see a lot of concerts still?

@bitteralmonds666

Visage and Japan/David Sylvian were my jamz in high school and college in the 90s. Nobody I knew listened to them, so it was still a solitary pleasure: Big hair, big over-the-ear headphones, a Walkman or a Discman - the soundtrack to my every day life.

@gearoidmacruari2292

Great comment 😊

@DameDarcy999

@@gearoidmacruari2292
Hello! Nice to hear from you 😍

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