Do You Really Want to Hurt Me

"Do You Really Want to Hurt Me" was the third single released in Europe by Culture Club and their debut release in the United States and Canada. The song was picked up by BBC Radio 2 and became a UK No. 1 single for three weeks in October 1982. It entered the American Pop chart the week ending 4 December 1982, hit No. 1 in Cash Box magazine, and held at No. 2 for three weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in March and April 1983 (kept from the No. 1 spot by the massive success of Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean"). The single achieved sales of 900,000 US copies and also hit No. 1 in Canada.[1] It was also number one in Australia.

This was Culture Club's first success, after their first two releases, "White Boy" and "I'm Afraid of Me" charted in the UK at No. 114 and No. 100 respectively. According to Boy George, it was their last chance to get an album deal.

The song rose rapidly in the UK charts after the group's first appearance on Top of the Pops, which resulted in George's androgynous style of dress and sexual ambiguity making newspaper headlines. The group were only asked to appear on Top of the Pops the night before the show, after Shakin' Stevens pulled out.[2]

In a retrospective review, Allmusic journalist Jose F. Promis described "Do You Really Want to Hurt Me" as "a simple masterpiece, resonating with an ache that harked back to the classic torch songs of yesteryear."[3]

In 2007, Boy George said that the song was "not just about Culture Club's drummer Jon Moss, my boyfriend at the time. It was about all the guys I dated at that time in my life."[2]

The B-side was a dub version featuring Pappa Weasel in many countries and "You Know I'm Not Crazy" on the US release. On the 12" version of the record, the track "Love Is Cold (You Were Never No Good)" was also included.

The video for the song, directed by Julien Temple, featured lead singer Boy George on trial in a courtroom, with flashbacks to the Gargoyle Club, Soho in 1936 and the Dolphin Square Health Club, Pimlico in 1957. The jury was in blackface making jazz hands gestures. One band member, Mikey Craig, was not in the video, and was replaced by his brother Greg.

Boy George wears a shirt with the Hebrew writing "Tarbut Agudda" (תַּרְבּוּת אֲגֻדָּה), a literal translation of the individual words "culture" and "association" in a grammatically incorrect order.

In 1991, the Violent Femmes covered this song on their fifth studio album Why Do Birds Sing?. The new version consisted of almost all new lyrics, retaining only the first verse and chorus; the music itself was slightly modified as well. Unlike the original, this version is very rock-heavy and therefore stands out clearly from the original.

"Do You Really Want to Hurt Me"
Single by Blue Lagoon
from the album Club Lagoon
B-side	"Extended version"
Released	13 February 2005
Format	CD single CD maxi
Length	3:29
Label	Kon$um, SME
Songwriter(s)	Michael Craig Roy Hay Jon Moss George O'Dowd
Producer(s)	Felix J. Gauder
Blue Lagoon singles chronology
"Break My Stride" (2004) "Do You Really Want to Hurt Me" (2005) "Heartbreaker" (2005)

The song was covered in 2005 by German band Blue Lagoon on its album Club Lagoon and became a hit in Europe.

• In 1987, the reggae group the Heptones - on their album Changing Times.[47]
• In 1997, singer-songwriter Diana King - for Think Like a Girl, her second album.
• In 2003, singer-songwriter Melanie Safka - on her album Moments from My Life.
• In 2006, singer-songwriter Thomas Anders - for the Songs Forever album.
• In 2007 Kate Ceberano - on the album Nine Lime Avenue.
• In 2008, Karen Souza - for the album Jazz and the 80s.
• In 2010, Amanda Lear - a dance version for her 2010 album Brief Encounters Reloaded.
• In 2014, singer-songwriter Rachael Yamagata - on the multi-artist compilation album Here Comes The Reign Again: The Second British Invasion.[48]

• Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics