# The song "True" by Spandau Ballet **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 29, 2014, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-song-true-by-spandau-ballet/689539 "2014-05-29T04:36:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2014, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-song-true-by-spandau-ballet/689539/41 "2014-05-30T05:30:33Z")
> [@protoboard](#): > > I will never understand what “The Reflex” is about. Let’s just say it’s about the bodily function catalyzed by Viagra. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2014, 8:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-song-true-by-spandau-ballet/689539/42 "2014-05-30T08:40:32Z")
> [@Isamu](#): > > [QUOTE=Gary Kemp] > "True is about how difficult it is to be honest when you’re trying to write a love song to someone. Hence: “Why do I find it hard to write the next line?” [/QUOTE] That sounds like desperate justification for him not being able to come up with a lyric. ---
**Author:** ![Les\_Espaces\_Du\_Sommeil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/les_espaces_du_sommeil/32/308_2.png) [@Les\_Espaces\_Du\_Sommeil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Les_Espaces_Du_Sommeil)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2014, 10:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-song-true-by-spandau-ballet/689539/43 "2014-05-30T10:20:48Z")
Spare a thought for me who grew up listening to American and English pop songs in the 80s and _was not a native speaker._ These guys spoke English as their mother tongue so their lyrics _must_ make sense and if I didn’t understand them, it was my fault. How naive I was… Sometimes though, it was indeed my fault. For instance, when I tried to understand what _Like a virgin_ meant, I made the mistake of stopping at the first entry in the dictionary, which happened to be the verb “to like”. Then, “virgin” was translated, rather weirdly, as “Virginie” i.e. the given name (it was an old and not very good dictionary). So, I came to the conclusion that the song was Madonna’s declaration of love to a girl named Virginie. That was confusing. ---
**Author:** ![Oly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/oly/32/8255_2.png) [@Oly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oly)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2014, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-song-true-by-spandau-ballet/689539/44 "2014-05-31T04:35:26Z")
The only '80s song that made sense to me was “More Then This” by Roxy Music. And that was for approximately about 12 minutes in 1982. Then it was gone. It was great. ---
**Author:** ![actualliberalnotoneofthose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e79b87/32.png) [@actualliberalnotoneofthose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/actualliberalnotoneofthose)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2014, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-song-true-by-spandau-ballet/689539/45 "2014-05-31T04:49:34Z")
I don’t understand wanting (let alone needing, apparently) songs to have literal, obvious lyrics. personally, I think songs should make sense to the writer, if that. Not saying all simple straightforward songs are terrible or anything, but I like when there’s more to it than just stringing together simple words with meanings that obvious to toddlers. ---
**Author:** ![ralfy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ralfy/32/600_2.png) [@ralfy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralfy)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2014, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-song-true-by-spandau-ballet/689539/46 "2014-05-31T04:57:53Z")
“Background and writing” > **[True (Spandau Ballet song) | Background and writing](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/True_%28Spandau_Ballet_song%29#Background_and_writing)** > > In 1981, Spandau Ballet guitarist/songwriter Gary Kemp met Altered Images lead singer Clare Grogan and felt an "instant connection" in part due to their conversations about writers. For his birthday that year, she gave him a copy of the novel Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov, whom they had discussed. He intended the relationship to be platonic since he already had a girlfriend, but he was also competing for her attention with two other men: actor John Gordon Sinclair, who starred with her in Gregory Sp... ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2014, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-song-true-by-spandau-ballet/689539/47 "2014-05-31T05:03:53Z")
> [@Dale\_Sams](#): > > It’s right there in the song. > > “My nose itches, my butt itches, it’s true.” Infinitely better than the reverse. ---
**Author:** ![Oly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/oly/32/8255_2.png) [@Oly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oly)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2014, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-song-true-by-spandau-ballet/689539/48 "2014-05-31T16:34:05Z")
> [@actualliberalnotoneofthose](#): > > I don’t understand wanting (let alone needing, apparently) songs to have literal, obvious lyrics. personally, I think songs should make sense to the writer, if that. Not saying all simple straightforward songs are terrible or anything, but I like when there’s more to it than just stringing together simple words with meanings that obvious to toddlers. Yes, I agree. Funny how it seems the conversation turns to the ghost in you dressed for every situation. While the skies turn red, whoa oh, there’s a dream that strings the road, but we have all your life and mine. Da, da, da, same as it ever was… ---
**Author:** ![fuchsiagroan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/9de0a6/32.png) [@fuchsiagroan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fuchsiagroan)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2014, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-song-true-by-spandau-ballet/689539/49 "2014-05-31T17:52:25Z")
It’s in my head now. Thanks! (mutters about revenge… Ill sneak Gold into your head… One day… Crazy laughter.) ---
**Author:** ![Hippy\_Hollow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hippy_hollow/32/4841_2.png) [@Hippy\_Hollow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hippy_Hollow)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2014, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-song-true-by-spandau-ballet/689539/50 "2014-06-01T02:13:05Z")
Ah, the Spandaus… I remember as a kid you had Durannies and Spandau fans, and both thought the other were pretentious wankers. I actually like early Spandau, “To Cut a Long Story Short,” “I Don’t Need This Pressure On…” And Duran Duran were too pretty and Smash Hits-ready for a preteen boy to like too much (though there was this kid, Spencer, in my school, who worshipped Duran Duran. He was so popular everyone kind of thought it was alright that he liked Duran Duran, but none of us had that kind of capital to spare). I wasn’t a huge fan of the slick suit, sax-solo variant of Spandau Ballet, even though it gained them the most success. There was a moment that if you were British, had a synth or two in your music, and had an enigmatic name, you would be huge in America… see Simple Minds, Orchestral Maneuvers in the Dark, Psychedelic Furs, New Order, Depeche Mode. (And also be featured on a John Hughes film soundtrack.) I’ve always had a soft spot for Human League/Heaven 17. I liked that they were from Sheffield (like Def Leppard), a real blue collar town. I always rooted for bands from the provinces (Duran being from Birmingham elevated them over the London-spawned Spandau Ballet). I also thought they did the crossover to blue-eyed soul better than anyone when they teamed up with Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis and came up with “Human.” ---
**Author:** ![Dale\_Sams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/779978/32.png) [@Dale\_Sams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dale_Sams)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2014, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-song-true-by-spandau-ballet/689539/51 "2014-06-01T05:49:56Z")
By the way if you’ve ever wondered who the guy was who likes Duran Duran’s cover album “Thank You”? Me. I’m that guy. Right here. ---
**Author:** ![Hippy\_Hollow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hippy_hollow/32/4841_2.png) [@Hippy\_Hollow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hippy_Hollow)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2014, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-song-true-by-spandau-ballet/689539/52 "2014-06-01T16:22:17Z")
> [@Dale\_Sams](#): > > By the way if you’ve ever wondered who the guy was who likes Duran Duran’s cover album “Thank You”? Me. I’m that guy. Right here. Their version of “Perfect Day” if I’m remembering correctly, had Lou Reed stating it was better than the original. Or at least, the best cover version he’d heard. I agree. ---
**Author:** ![fuchsiagroan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/9de0a6/32.png) [@fuchsiagroan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fuchsiagroan)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2014, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-song-true-by-spandau-ballet/689539/53 "2014-06-01T17:35:18Z")
I had thank you on cassette in middle school. I liked watching the detectives cover [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-song-true-by-spandau-ballet/689539.md?page=2)