Those who believe in the adage “the third time’s the charm” can point to Culture Club as proof. After the band’s first two singles failed to do anything, their third, “Do You Really Want To Hurt Me,” gave them a worldwide hit and turned lead singer Boy George into a superstar.
Videos by American Songwriter
Culture Club soon turned into one of the most consistent hitmaking bands in the world, but it’s hard to imagine that would have happened if this song hadn’t broken down the dam. Here’s the story behind this soulful classic.
Joining the Club
It was only about a year from when Culture Club formed to the point when “Do You Really Want to Hurt Me” was released. The band formed at the dawn of the so-called New Romantic movement, boasting some talented instrumentalists, and a singer in Boy George who possessed a uniquely expressive voice and striking look that would soon be the talk of pop music.
But the band needed a breakthrough track before that could happen. And for a while in 1982, it looked like they might not ever get there. Their first two singles sunk without a trace, putting a lot of pressure on the band to come up with something big on their third try.
Luckily, “Do You Really Want to Hurt Me” received a bit of a break when it came to the exposure department. Culture Club was tapped as a last-minute replacement to appear on the famed British music show Top of the Pops when the scheduled artist couldn’t make it. They performed the song on the show, and it quickly took off from there.
Bringing the “Hurt”
Oddly enough, “Do You Really Want to Hurt Me” was not a favorite of Boy George to be chosen as a single. Virgin Records went against his wishes in releasing it, to the point where George was so upset he threatened to quit.
Perhaps he was nervous because the song was a personal one for him. Although all four band members of Culture Club were credited with writing it, George steered the lyrics. He based them on his tumultuous relationship with Jon Moss, the band’s drummer.
For a band that prized themselves on representing the club scene, releasing a ballad as a single seemed like a contradiction of everything they were about. But the song was perfectly poised to grab a different segment of the audience, and did it ever: “Do You Really Want to Hurt Me” topped the British charts, and just missed doing so in the U.S., stalling at No. 2.
What is the Meaning of “Do You Really Want to Hurt Me”
The song’s refrain (Do you really want to hurt me / Do you really want to make me cry) simply and directly addresses the point in a relationship where the principals can’t believe it’s come to this, where vindictive, petty behavior replaces love and harmony. George’s lyrics communicate that Rubicon moment in an affair where there’s no going back: If it’s love you want from me / Then take it away / Everything’s not what you see / It’s over again.
Like torch songs of the past, “Do You Really Want to Hurt Me” sets the tone with an intro separate from the rest of the song: Give me time to realize my crime, George pleads. Elsewhere, he realizes the futility of his entreaties: Wrapped in sorrow, words are token. He understands his mistakes, but he’s not prepared to compound them: This boy loves without a reason / I’m prepared to let you go.
Although “Do You Really Want to Hurt Me” introduced George as a first-rate balladeer, it also opened the floodgates for the band to find an audience for their more uptempo, danceable material. That said, it’s rare that an act’s first hit turns out to be their signature song, but this lush, moving slow one certainly feels like it fits that bill for Culture Club.
Photo by Chris Walter/WireImage
Leave a Reply
Only members can comment. Become a member. Already a member? Log in.