True by Spandau Ballet is in my top ten 80's song list, but as good as it is, I've never been able to make sense of the lyrics.

Is anybody brave enough to give their interpretation?

Spandau Ballet - True

So true funny how it seems
Always in time, but never in line for dreams
Head over heels when toe to toe
This is the sound of my soul,
This is the sound
I bought a ticket to the world,
But now I've come back again
Why do I find it hard to write the next line
Oh I want the truth to be said


Huh huh huh hu-uh huh
I know this much is true
Huh huh huh hu-uh huh
I know this much is true


With a thrill in my head and a pill on my tongue
Dissolve the nerves that have just begun
Listening to Marvin (all night long)
This is the sound of my soul,
This is the sound


Always slipping from my hands,
Sand's a time of its own
Take your seaside arms and write the next line
Oh I want the truth to be known


Huh huh huh hu-uh huh
I know this much is true
Huh huh huh hu-uh huh
I know this much is true


I bought a ticket to the world,
But now I've come back again
Why do I find it hard to write the next line
Oh I want the truth to be said


Huh huh huh hu-uh huh
I know this much is true
Huh huh huh hu-uh huh
I know this much is true
This much is true
I know, I know, I know this much is true

My interpretation: A load of nonsensical Mumbo-Jumbo! :D

I am not good at these. :rolleyes:

It almost seems he is talking about drugs. :D

'Oh I want the truth to be said' <--this must have been the next line he found so hard to write. :p

Originally posted by TopCat


It almost seems he is talking about drugs. :D



Top Cat, your answers seem to be developing a drugs theme lol

I always thought it was about a guy, who is a musician, and cannot write a song to save his life. And, yes, to placate TOPCAT he even pops a pill to try and see if that would help, but no dice. He listens to Marvin Gaye for inspiration, but even that doesnt help him any.

Maybe he's writing a "Dear Jane" letter??? :rolleyes:
I actually like Jaspers interpretation the best. Strange lyrics!

I think it's about love. Of course, I'm a hopeless romantic, so I think everything is about love. Anyway, here's my interpretation.

He's in love. A ticket to the world, meaning he's in love and has gone to a whole new world here, but his heart has been broken and now he's back again. He wants to make the next step in his life, but doesn't know what to do. He's afraid to go forward, can't (write the next line). Wants the truth to be said. Wants the truth about love. Is tired of all the lies & nonsense, and just wants nothing but honestly (with feelings with words), more of general honestly in life.

enough of my 2 cents.

funny...i was listening to this song just last night.

I must admit this song I've never been able to figure out either. And it is my top 10 favourite songs of all times.

So far it looks like Xis might be onto it.

Boy, I wish I could get into Gary Kemp's mind to figure out what this song is about. :)

I think it's a love song, but I could be wrong.

I know this much is true: This song is confusing. :lol: How can it be one of your favorites if you don't even understand it? Anyway, I can't imagine what it's about, but I think that pill is what he took when he wrote it. :D

Since I started it, I thought I'd better give my interpretation too.

The reason I like the song is because it brings back many happy memories of my first girllfriend. This used to be one of the smoochy songs that got played at the end of parties.

But before I went out with her and at the time when young teenagers start to find girls attractive, I didn't find it easy to ask girls out for fear of rejection and humiliation and in some ways I could relate to this song in that I wanted the truth to be said, but couldn't tell it.

Like Xistenza, I've always thought it was about love or unrequented love.

"Always in time, but never in line for dreams"

Always arriving at places on time, but never having the courage to go for the person that he wants and being beaten by somebody else. A relationship with a girl is his dreams.

"Head Over Heels when toe to toe"

Head over heels in love, especialy when slow dancing with somebody toe to toe

"This is the sound of my soul"

All his emotional feelings are contained deep with in his soul and he's wishing he can reveal them.

"I bought a ticket to the world"

I didn't know what this meant, but I think Xistenza is right.

"Why do I find it hard to write the next line?"

I don't think he means that in a literal sense, but a physical sense. He imagines how he wants a relationship to be with somebody, but up until now he's never achieved this, write the next line is about taking the next step and letting the consequences write the story themselves.

"Oh I want the truth to be said"

He wants to be able to reveal his inner most feelings.


"With A thrill in my head and a pill on my tongue,
Dissolve the nerves that have just begun,
Listening to Marvin (all night long)"

In order to overcome his fears and anxieties, he takes something to calm the nerves.
He listens to Marvin Gaye as his songs relate to the feelings that he has and what he really wants.

"Always slipping from my hands,
Sand's a time of it's own."

Because he fails to act, the person he wants always ends up with someone else.

"Take your seaside arms and write the next line"

He wants to take someone away for a break, another stage in a relationship and again a physical step to writing the love story he desires for himself.

Charming man - I agree with everything you wrote and I know that feeling of when you're with someone you like a lot and the song just says everything for you. I think that may be one of reasons why I love music so much and why I'm particularily drawn towards new wave, new romantice, synthpop.....whatever you want to call it music. The lyrics are so important and always heard over the swirly guitar riffs, or simply synth lines.

Now I feel all sappy and girly... :( .....another song that reminds me of how I feel with someone new is Flock of Seagulls "Wishing I had a Photograph of You".

It SOUNDS like a love song, and I LOVE this song. So what does that tell ya? ... absolutely nothing :)

Originally posted by ValJ
I know this much is true: This song is confusing. :lol: How can it be one of your favorites if you don't even understand it?

Why do people like songs that are sung in a foreign language?

I love it, just because it sounds great... the tune, the music, the vocals.