Artists
Peter Murphy – lead vocals, lyrics, samples, mixing
Paul Statham – guitar, keyboards
Peter Bonas – guitar
Simon Rogers – acoustic guitar
Written by Peter Murphy & Paul Statham. Produced by Simon Rogers, with a mix by Nick Rogers (single mix). From Deep (Beggars Banquet, 19 December 1989), released as its second single in March 1990; the album version runs about 5:24 and the radio edit is 4:13.
The song’s signature “violin” line is actually a keyboard sample: producer Simon Rogers brought in a real viola player, but it didn’t sound as good, so the sampled part stayed. It spent seven weeks at No. 1 on the US Modern Rock chart and reached No. 55 on the Hot 100, making it Peter Murphy’s only Hot 100 entry, and sold over 250,000 copies in its first three weeks. Murphy described it as being about two people in love, though not strictly romantically.
Peter Murphy – Cuts You Up Lyrics
I find you in the morning
After dreams of distant signs
You pour yourself over me
Like the sun through the blinds
You lift me up and get me out
Keep me walking but never shout
Hold the secret close I hear you say
You know the way, it throws about
It takes you in and spits you out
It spits you out when you desire
To conquer it, to feel you’re higher
To follow it you must be clean
With mistakes that you do mean
Move the heart, switch the pace
Look for what seems out of place
On and on it goes
Calling like a distant wind
Through the zero hour we’ll walk
We’ll cut the thick and break the thin
No sound to break no moment clear
When all the doubts are crystal clear
Crashing hard into the secret wind
You know the way, it twists and turns
Changing colour, spinning yarns
You know the way, it leaves you dry
It cuts you up and takes you high
You know the way, it’s painted gold
Is it honey? Is it cold?
You know the way, it throws about
It takes you in and spits you out
Oh cuts you up
Oh cuts you up
Oh cuts you up
Oh la la la la…
You know the way, it throws about
It takes you in and spits you out
It spits you out when you desire
To conquer it, to feel you’re higher
To follow it you must be clean
With mistakes that you do mean
Move the heart, switch the pace
Look for what seems out of place
Oh cuts you up
Oh cuts you up
It’s okay, it goes this way
The line it twists, it twists away
Cuts you up and spits you out
Keeps you walking but never shout
To listen to other songs from the the Teleskop 23 program click here.