Album: Seven And The Ragged Tiger (1983)

Charted: 1 1

License This Song 

• You've gone too far this time
  And I'm dancing on the valentine
  I tell you somebody's fooling around
  With my chances on the danger line
  I'll cross that bridge when I find it
  Another day
  To make my stand, oh oh
  High time is no time for deciding
  If I should find a helping hand, oh oh
  
  Why don't you use it?
  Try not to bruise it?
  Buy time don't lose it
  
  Why don't you use it?
  Try not to bruise it?
  Buy time don't lose it
  
  The reflex is a lonely child
  Who's waiting by the park
  The reflex is a door to finding
  Treasure in the dark
  And watching over lucky clover
  Isn't that bizarre
  Every little thing the reflex does
  Leaves you answered with a question mark
  
  I'm on a ride and I want to get off
  But they won't slow down the round-about
  I sold the Renoir and TV set
  Don't want to be around when this gets out
  
  So why don't you use it?
  Try not to bruise it?
  Buy time don't lose it
  
  Why don't you use it?
  Try not to bruise it?
  Buy time don't lose it
  
  The reflex is a lonely child
  Who's waiting in the park
  The reflex is a door to finding
  Treasure in the dark
  And watching over lucky clover
  Isn't that bizarre
  Every little thing the reflex does
  Leaves you answered with a question mark
  
  So why don't you use it?
  Try not to bruise it?
  Buy time don't loose it
  
  Why don't you use it?
  Try not to bruise it?
  Buy time don't lose it
  
  The reflex is a lonely child
  Who's waiting by the park
  The reflex is a door to finding
  Treasure in the dark
  And watching over lucky clover
  Isn't that bizarre
  Every little thing the reflex does
  Leaves you answered with a question mark
  
  Oh the reflex what a game
  He's hiding all the cards
  The reflex is in charge of finding
  Treasure in the dark
  And watching over lucky clover
  Isn't that bizarre
  Every little thing the reflex does Writer/s: Andy Taylor, John Taylor, Nick Rhodes, Roger Andrew Taylor, Simon Le Bon
  Publisher: Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
  Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Comments: 23

• Rob Adams from North GeorgiaThat's it? "The early '80s was really great for profoundly weird, paranoid pop lyrics." I don't think John Taylor has a clue.
• Papeandomusica from Cascavel, Pr - BrasilObviously it's about betrayal and revenge and the risk of falling in love during it.
  
  You've gone too far this time
  And I'm Dancing Up on Valentine's Day Card
  I tell you that someone has been joking
  With my chances on the danger line
  I'll cross that bridge when I find it
  Another day
  
  crossing the bridge is about breaking someone's trust
  
  So why don't you use it?
  try not to hurt him
  Buy time, don't waste it would be the questions inside the head about whether it would be right or wrong
  
  Isn't that bizarre?
  Every little thing the reflection does
  Leaves you a question mark as an answer
  
  I'm on a ride and I wanna get out
  But they won't slow down the merry-go-round
  I sold the radio and TV set
  I don't want to be around when it blows up
  
  So why don't you use it?
  try not to hurt him
  Buy time, don't waste it
  
  So why don't you use it?
  try not to hurt him
  Buy time, don't waste it
  
  The reflection is an only child
  What's waiting in the parking lot
  The reflection is the door to find yourself
  the hidden treasure
  And to take care of the lucky clovers
  Isn't that bizarre?
  Every little thing the reflection does
  Leaves you a question mark as an answer
  
  So why don't you use it?
  try not to hurt him
  Buy time, don't waste it
  
  So why don't you use it?
  try not to hurt him
  Buy time, don't waste it
  
  The reflection is an only child
  What's waiting in the parking lot
  The reflection is the door to find yourself
  the hidden treasure
  And to take care of the lucky clovers
  Isn't that bizarre?
  Every little thing the reflection does
  Leaves you a question mark as an answer
  
  The reflection - what a game!
  And he's hiding all the cards
  The reflection is in charge of finding
  the hidden treasure
  And to take care of the lucky clovers
  Isn't that bizarre?
  Every little thing the reflection does
  Leaves you a question mark as an answer
  
  would be doubt and the sense of being torn between pleasure and guilt
  
  including feelings of revolt and revenge, desire and euphoria, guilt and doubt are very present
• Grimtraveller {lower Case 'g' !} from North West LondonWhy do people bother to try to tell us what the song is about when its lyric writer is on record as saying he never tells people what it's about ?
  It's a great song, leave it at that.
• Susan from Illinois This is one of the best songs from the 80’s. I never tried to analyze Duran Duran lyrics. They take stream-of-consciousness to a completely different level!
• Pooh From Mn from MnSam from KY nailed it! Great job!!!
• AnonymousI remember listening and watching a documentary on Duran Duran and it’s about erections
• Seventhmist from 7th HeavenLike its creators, I also had no idea what this song meant.
• Thea from CaliforniaThe Reflex is about card gambling addiction. The Reflex itself is the excited rush a gambler feels. The rest of the lyrics, that some seem to think are nonsense, are the consequences of a gambling addiction; abandoned child, stealing at night, selling your possessions, superstition for luck, dumbfounded when they don't win "answered with a question mark". "Four leaf clover" - Clubs, "Valentine" - Hearts. ....and lots more.
• Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn this day in 1984 {June 16th} a video of Duran Duran's "The Reflex" was aired on the Dick Clark ABC-TV Saturday-afternoon program, 'American Bandstand'...
  At the time "The Reflex" was at position #2 on Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart, the following week it would peak at #1 {for 2 weeks} and it spent twenty one weeks on the Top 100...
  As noted above, it also reached #1 in the United Kingdom, and in Belgium, Ireland, and the Netherlands...
  Between 1982 and 2004 the British band had twenty one records on the Hot Top 100 chart, eleven made the Top 10 with two* reaching #1, besides the above "The Reflex", their other #1 record was "A View To A Kill", for two weeks on July 7th, 1985...
  * They just missed having two more #1 records when both "The Wild Boys" {1984} and "Notorious" {1987} peaked at #2 on the Hot Top 100 chart...
• Esskayess from Dallas, Txdick, are you saying that sometimes songwriters don't know what they're writing about? I'd hate to hear some examples.
• Mandy from London, United Kingdomthis song is about Nick Rhodes, just as My Own Way is about John Taylor. As a lyricist you just can't help writing about the people close to you.
• Dick from Washington, DcAt some point, even if the songwriter tells you what a song is about (if he knows), it's not interesting.
• Don from Benton, ArThe song has to be a drug rant. The description above says the song was written over a couple bottles of wine but wine doesn't put someone on a trip like that. The only other option is that Simon had a break from reality. Hope he's feeling better now!
• Layla from Vancouver, BcI can't remember where I read this but the article quoted Simon calling 'The Reflex' a song about forgetting your lyrics while performing/
• Blil from Kansas City, KsWhen I saw them in Atlanta in 1984 (just before this song was released as a single), Simon introduced this song by holding up a little stuffed animal tiger and saying "This song is about a little friend of ours...."
• Dale from Henderson, KyThe song seems to be about oral sex.."The reflex"
  or the "Gag Reflex" of a woman perhaps?
• Sam from Wilmore, KyThe lyrics seem to have something to do with drugs--"why dontcha use it?" if a syringe is used, "try not to bruise it," and if you have wasted time using it, you need to "buy time (and) don't lose it." Particularly the third verse, he's on a ride ("high" ride), want to get off but he can't slow down (want to stop but can't?) so he needs to sell his Renoir and TV--to do what? to buy drugs? Hopelessly(?) maybe, he doesn't want to "be around when this gets out" (or when it loses it's effect?). Other hints--there is waiting in the park to find treasure in the dark, and what the reflex does leaves a question.
• Mike from Santa Barbara, CaThe video to this song caused a minor uproar, and those who have seen it know why.
• Kevin from Tampa, Fli guess if it is about erections, it would give a definate meaning to "high tide is no time for deciding if i should find a helping hand"
• Patrick from Portland, Or"The Reflex" has at least two levels of meaning. (1) It's about unwanted adolescent erections. (2) It's about a challenging process of psychic, spiritual, magickal, occult awakening that every soul eventually undergoes -- one frequently misunderstood and mistaken for psychopathology.
• Dean from Potomac Falls, VaIf you read the chorus carefully, you might conclude that The Reflex is Simon LeBon's ode to the penis/male libido. It's clever. I grin every time I here it.
• Emily from Abingdon, VaSong lyrics are pointless but one must admit there is a significant amount of musicality there.
• Kendall from Thomasville, Gayeah the lyrics don't really make sense to me either

More Songfacts:

Just Give Me A ReasonPink

Pink wrote "Just Give Me A Reason" about how one partner can feel jilted over something trivial, like how her boyfriend passes her the butter.

You Get What You GiveThe New Radicals

"You Get What You Give" by The New Radicals was the first hit song to use the word "frenemies" in the lyrics.

Rhythm Of My HeartRod Stewart

"Rhythm Of My Heart" by Rod Stewart is about a soldier at war - his heart is beating like a drum because he's in battle.

The Way We WereBarbra Streisand

"The Way We Were" was the first of five Hot 100 #1 singles recorded by Barbra Streisand. She is the only artist ever to receive an Oscar, Tony, Emmy and Grammy as well as record a #1 single and album.

Scooby SnacksFun Lovin' Criminals

The Scooby Snacks in the Fun Lovin' Criminals song aren't dog treats, they're Valium pills.

Back In The U.S.S.R.The Beatles

There was a rumor in the Soviet Union that The Beatles had secretly visited the U.S.S.R. and given a private concert for the children of top Communist party members. They believed the song "Back In The U.S.S.R." was written because of the concert. Actually, some fans still believe so.

Editor's Picks

Linda PerrySongwriter Interviews

Songwriting Hall of Famer Linda Perry talks about her songs "What's Up" and "Beautiful," her songwriting process, and her move into film music.

Have Mercy! It's Wolfman JackSong Writing

The story of the legendary lupine DJ through the songs he inspired.

Jesus Christ Superstar: Ted Neeley Tells the Inside StorySong Writing

The in-depth discussion about the making of Jesus Christ Superstar with Ted Neeley, who played Jesus in the 1973 film.

Which Restaurants Are Most Mentioned In Song Lyrics?Song Writing

Katy Perry mentions McDonald's, Beyoncé calls out Red Lobster, and Supertramp shouts out Taco Bell - we found the 10 restaurants most often mentioned in songs.

Philip CodySongwriter Interviews

A talented lyricist, Philip helped revive Neil Sedaka's career with the words to "Laughter In The Rain" and "Bad Blood."

Graduation SongsFact or Fiction

Have you got the smarts to know which of these graduation song stories are real?