Behind the 1983 One-Hit Wonder With the Covert NSFW Meaning

Throughout the history of popular music, there’s a long lineage of songwriters who hid messages in their lyrics. Sure, at first a song seems to be about one subject, but when you start to read between the lines, you realize there is another, often more mature meaning afoot. Here below, we wanted to examine that very dynamic. And we wanted to do so by diving into a synth-driven new wave offering from the early 1980s. Indeed, this is a look behind the 1983 one-hit wonder with the covert NSFW meaning.

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“Relax” by Frankie Goes To Hollywood from ‘Welcome To The Pleasuredome’ (1983)

Released in 1983, “Relax” by the British-born band Frankie Goes To Hollywood was a slow burn on the charts at first—it didn’t even make the Top 40 in the UK until January of 1984. But the synth-driven, new wave tune soon proved to have long legs in the world.

Once the song made the charts, it soon raced up them. Indeed, “Relax” eventually hit No. 1 in the UK and No. 10 on the Billboard Hot 100. And one of the reasons for its success was an underlying NSFW meaning hidden in its cheeky lyrics.

BBC Ban

In the UK, “Relax” stayed in the Top 40 for a whopping 37 consecutive weeks. But 35 of those coincided with a radio ban by the BBC due to the track’s sexually explicit lyrics. Sometimes a ban can be good for a band, though.

You might not notice the double entendres at first, but they’re there. In fact, they’re hiding in plain sight. “Relax” succeeds in many ways because of its new wave production and its bombastic vocal delivery. Each is so good, you almost don’t hear the blatant sexual terminology. Almost.

But it’s there. Listen again. Maybe you missed it the first time. But the band’s lead singer Holly Johnson belts, “Relax, don’t do it / When you want to suck it, chew it / Relax, don’t do it / When you want to come.“

Oh my!

Is It or Isn’t It?

At first, Frankie Goes to Hollywood and all its associates denied the sexual link to “Relax”. They didn’t want to be overt about their intentions. But it worked in their favor. The innuendos and specific lyrical language, combined with the simmering controversy, drove sales through the roof.

Eventually, however, the group admitted it was all about knockin’ boots.

“Everything I say is complete lies,” wrote the band’s Mark O’Toole in the album liner notes for Welcome to the Pleasuredome. “Like, when people ask you what ‘Relax’ was about, when it first came out we used to pretend it was about motivation, and really it was about shagging.”

Well, there it is! Now you know. (But still, be careful about playing it at work!)

Photo by Mike Maloney/Mirrorpix/Getty Images