Tainted Love
Escaping Tainted Love: A Journey Through Heartache and Liberation
Lyrics
Sometimes I feel I've got to
Sometimes the speaker feels compelled to
Run away I've got to
Escape or run away
Get away from the pain that you drive into the heart of me
From the emotional pain inflicted by someone
The love we share
The love they once shared
Seems to go nowhere
Now seems to be going nowhere
And I've lost my light
The speaker has lost their sense of happiness or hope
For I toss and turn I can't sleep at night
The emotional turmoil keeps them awake at night
Once I ran to you (I ran)
In the past, the speaker used to run to the person
Now I'll run from you
Now they choose to run away from that person
This tainted love you've given
The love received is tainted or corrupted
I give you all a boy could give you
The speaker gave their all in the relationship
Take my tears and that's not nearly all
Even giving tears, indicating deep emotional pain
Oh tainted love
Repetition of the idea of corrupted love
Tainted love
Further emphasis on the corrupted nature of love
Now I know I've got to
Feeling the need to run away again
Run away I've got to
Reiterating the desire to escape
Get away
The person no longer desires anything from the speaker
You don't really want it any more from me
To make things right, the speaker needs someone else
To make things right
Expressing the need for emotional support
You need someone to hold you tight
Highlighting the speaker's inability to fulfill that need
And you'll think love is to pray
The person expects love to be like a prayer
But I'm sorry I don't pray that way
The speaker disagrees with that perspective
Once I ran to you (I ran)
Similar to line 8, emphasizing the shift from running to the person
Now I'll run from you
Reiteration of the decision to run away
This tainted love you've given
Repeating the idea of tainted or corrupted love
I give you all a boy could give you
Re-emphasizing the speaker's past efforts in the relationship
Take my tears and that's not nearly all
Continuation of the emotional toll expressed in line 12
Oh tainted love
Repetition of the corrupted nature of love
Tainted love
Further emphasizing the tainted love
Don't touch me please
A plea to avoid physical contact
I cannot stand the way you tease
The speaker cannot tolerate teasing
I love you though you hurt me so
Despite the hurt, the speaker still loves the person
Now I'm going to pack my things and go
Deciding to leave the relationship due to the tainted love
Tainted love, tainted love
Repetition of the corrupted nature of love
Tainted love, tainted love
Continuation of emphasizing tainted love
Touch me baby, tainted love
An invitation for physical contact despite the tainted love
Touch me baby, tainted love
Repetition of the invitation for physical contact
Tainted love
Final emphasis on the corrupted nature of love
Tainted love
Reiteration of the tainted nature of the love
Tainted love
Final emphasis on the corrupted nature of love
Comment