Born in Skewen, South Wales, Tyler rose to prominence with her first hit single "Lost in France" in 1976. She signed a management deal with British songwriters Ronnie Scott and Steve Wolfe, who wrote and co-produced Tyler's first four studio albums between 1977 and 1981. "It's a Heartache" became Tyler's first US hit, with worldwide sales in excess of 6 million.
In 1982, Tyler signed with CBS/Columbia and began working with producer-songwriter Jim Steinman. He wrote her biggest career hit, "Total Eclipse of the Heart", and produced its parent album, "Faster Than the Speed of Night" (1983), and the follow-up, "Secret Dreams and Forbidden Fire" (1986). Both albums were noted for their bombastic pop-rock production and melodramatic lyrics. Tyler's next album, "Hide Your Heart" (1988), was produced by Desmond Child and included several tracks that later became hits for other artists, including "The Best" for Tina Turner and "Save Up All Your Tears" for Cher.
Tyler leaned further into a commercial pop sound in the 1990s. She signed with Hansa Records and recorded her next album, "Bitterblue" (1991), with an assortment of producers including Giorgio Moroder, Roy Bittan and Dieter Bohlen. Her subsequent albums "Angel Heart" (1992)" and "Silhouette in Red" (1993) were recorded almost exclusively with Bohlen.
Towards the end of the 90s, Tyler moved to East West Records and recorded the albums "Free Spirit" (1995) and "All in One Voice" (1998). She continued to experiment with cross-genre sounds in the 2000s, recording the covers album "Heart Strings" (2003) with the City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra. In 2004, Tyler began recording in Paris with producer Jean Lahcène, beginning with a re-recording of "Total Eclipse of the Heart" which topped the charts in France and Belgium. Tyler promoted her subsequent albums "Simply Believe" (2004) and "Wings" (2005) with a world tour and the release of her first concert film Bonnie on Tour.
Tyler spent the following eight years concentrating on her live work before returning to the studio for "Rocks and Honey" (2013). The album includes her UK Eurovision entry "Believe in Me". In 2018, Tyler reunited with David Mackay, who produced Tyler's first two albums in the 1970s, for her latest releases "Between the Earth and the Stars" (2019) and "The Best Is Yet to Come" (2021).
Tyler has contributed to several film soundtracks. Her most notable recording is "Holding Out for a Hero" which featured in Footloose, and has since become synonymous with action sequences, having later appeared in Shrek 2, Loki, and in numerous movie trailers. In 1984, Tyler sang the track "Here She Comes" for Giorgio Moroder's restoration of Fritz Lange's Metropolis, a recording which led to Tyler's third Grammy nomination.
Total Eclipse of the Heart
Bonnie Tyler Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And you're never coming 'round
(Turn around) Every now and then I get a little bit tired
Of listening to the sound of my tears
(Turn around) Every now and then I get a little bit nervous
That the best of all the years have gone by
(Turn around) Every now and then I get a little bit terrified
And then I see the look in your eyes
(Turn around, bright eyes) Every now and then I fall apart
(Turn around, bright eyes) Every now and then I fall apart
And I need you now tonight
And I need you more than ever
And if you only hold me tight
We'll be holding on forever
And we'll only be making it right
'Cause we'll never be wrong
Together we can take it to the end of the line
Your love is like a shadow on me all of the time (all of the time)
I don't know what to do and I'm always in the dark
We're living in a powder keg and giving off sparks
I really need you tonight
Forever's gonna start tonight
Forever's gonna start tonight
Once upon a time I was falling in love
But now I'm only falling apart
There's nothing I can do
A total eclipse of the heart
Once upon a time there was light in my life
But now there's only love in the dark
Nothing I can say
A total eclipse of the heart
(Turn around, bright eyes) Every now and then I fall apart
(Turn around, bright eyes) Every now and then I fall apart
And I need you now tonight (and I need you now)
And I need you more than ever
And if you only hold me tight (if you only)
We'll be holding on forever
And we'll only be making it right (and we'll never)
'Cause we'll never be wrong
Together we can take it to the end of the line
Your love is like a shadow on me all of the time (all of the time)
I don't know what to do, I'm always in the dark
We're living in a powder keg and giving off sparks
I really need you tonight
Forever's gonna start tonight
Forever's gonna start tonight
Once upon a time I was falling in love
But now I'm only falling apart
Nothing I can say
A total eclipse of the heart
A total eclipse of the heart
A total eclipse of the heart
Turn around, bright eyes
"Total Eclipse of the Heart" is a song about a woman who is feeling lonely, tired and nervous. She's falling apart, but she needs a man in her life to help her through. The line "turn around, bright eyes" is a plea to her lover to look at her and see the love in her eyes. She wants him to help her through this dark time and bring light back into her life. The chorus is a declaration of their love, the need to be together, and the promise of a new beginning.
The song was written by Jim Steinman and sung by Bonnie Tyler, and was released in 1983. It quickly became a hit, topping the charts in many countries, including the UK and US. The song has been covered by many other artists over the years, and has become a staple of 80s music.
Line by Line Meaning
(Turn around) Every now and then I get a little bit lonely
From time to time I feel a bit lonely and wish for your presence
And you're never coming 'round
You are not there with me
(Turn around) Every now and then I get a little bit tired
Occasionally I feel exhausted
Of listening to the sound of my tears
I am tired of hearing my cries
(Turn around) Every now and then I get a little bit nervous
Now and then I feel anxious
That the best of all the years have gone by
The best years have passed me by
(Turn around) Every now and then I get a little bit terrified
Occasionally I get scared
And then I see the look in your eyes
But then I see the expression in your eyes
(Turn around, bright eyes) Every now and then I fall apart
Sometimes I break down, my darling
(Turn around, bright eyes) Every now and then I fall apart
Sometimes I fall apart repeatedly
And I need you now tonight
I need you with me tonight
And I need you more than ever
I need you more than anything at this moment
And if you only hold me tight
If you can only hold me firmly
We'll be holding on forever
We will hold on to each other for eternity
And we'll only be making it right
We will only make things right
'Cause we'll never be wrong
Because we will never be in the wrong
Together we can take it to the end of the line
Together we can go to the ultimate destination
Your love is like a shadow on me all of the time (all of the time)
Your love is always with me, like a shadow
I don't know what to do and I'm always in the dark
I don't know what to do, and I'm always clueless
We're living in a powder keg and giving off sparks
Our relationship is very volatile
I really need you tonight
I genuinely require your presence tonight
Forever's gonna start tonight
Our forever will begin tonight
Once upon a time I was falling in love
I had fallen in love earlier
But now I'm only falling apart
But now I am only breaking down
There's nothing I can do
I am helpless
A total eclipse of the heart
My heart is in complete darkness
Once upon a time there was light in my life
There used to be brightness in my life
But now there's only love in the dark
But now, I only have love in the darkness
Nothing I can say
I am speechless
A total eclipse of the heart
My heart is completely dark
(Turn around, bright eyes) Every now and then I fall apart
Sometimes I break down, my darling
(Turn around, bright eyes) Every now and then I fall apart
Sometimes I fall apart repeatedly
Lyrics © Kanjian Music, BMG Rights Management
Written by: James Richard Steinman
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Philip Kassabian
on Straight From The Heart
Yet another excellent Bonnie Tyler song.
Philip Kassabian
on Holding Out for a Hero
A great and fantastic song by Bonnie Tyler.