The group first gained fame six months after its formation when it won radio station WBCN's battle of the bands competition in 1983. Their original composition "Love In A Vacuum" (credited to all members of the group) received a fair amount of airplay on the station, and the group was eventually signed to Epic Records.
"Love In A Vacuum" was re-recorded for the Epic debut album, 1985's Voices Carry; however the breakthrough song turned out to be the title track. The "Voices Carry" single peaked at US #8, and is said to have been inspired by an argument between Mann and Hausman, who had broken off a relationship before the album's release.
The band became an early MTV staple with the "Voices Carry" video, which depicts an oppressive boyfriend trying to convert Mann to his upper-class lifestyle; she finally lashes out at him during a concert at Carnegie Hall, standing up from her seat in the audience and belting the lyrics, "He said, shut up! He said, shut up! Oh God, can't you keep it down?..." as she removes her cap to reveal her signature spiky, rat-tailed hair. As a result, the group won that year's MTV Video Music Award for Best New Artist.
By the 1986 follow-up Welcome Home, Mann was beginning to write more of the songs herself and the band was moving away from the slick New Wave sound of their debut. But while critical reaction was generally strong, the number 26 placing for the lead single "What About Love" was a commercial disappointment, especially after the top 10 success of "Voices Carry". Even more problematic, the album just barely sneaked into the US top 50, also a letdown after the #19 placing for their first LP.
After the album's release Pesce left the band and was replaced by Michael Montes. Guitarists Jon Brion and Clayton Scoble also joined the group, although not as permanent members.
At about the same time, Mann's two-year relationship with singer-songwriter Jules Shear, whom she had been dating since the release of the Voices Carry album, came to an end. This breakup somewhat informed the band's final album, 1988's Everything's Different Now, particularly in the song "J for Jules," though Mann insisted that not every song on the LP was about the relationship. Shear collaborated with Matthew Sweet on the album's title track; it also featured "The Other End (of the Telescope)," a collaboration between Mann and Elvis Costello on which Costello provides a guest vocal.
Unfortunately, while critical praise continued to flow, Everything's Different Now was a commercial dud. The album peaked at a mere #124, while the lead single "(Believed You Were) Lucky" (co-written with Shear) crawled to #95.
'Til Tuesday essentially broke up after the release of Everything's Different Now in 1988. However, Mann toured under that name as a solo artist while legal problems with the band's label Epic prevented her from beginning work on a solo record for several years. Hausmann, meanwhile, became Mann's manager, a position he holds to this day.
Long Gone
'Til Tuesday Lyrics
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Something that could happen to anyone, I suppose
Never any comfort to get from the truth
From knowing the part of this person that no one knows
So we just cry
With hopelessness
We're making such a mess
It's long gone, buddy, now - run and go after it
It's not that I'm frightened of being alone
It's just that I know what a burden this grief can be
Everything happens for something, I know
Can't understand for the moment what this could mean
That love is gone
That love is blind
That love is so unkind
It's long gone, buddy, now - run and go after it
It's long gone, buddy, now - run and go after it
Nobody wants to be happier more than me
Nobody wants to be happier more than I do
But happiness
I must confess
I don't have
It's long gone, buddy, now - run and go after it
It's long gone, buddy, now - run and go after it
The song 'Long Gone' by 'Til Tuesday is a heartfelt ballad about lost love and the ensuing grief. The lyrics speak of the pain that comes with realizing that a relationship has come to an end and that there is no hope of reconciliation. The singer is struggling to come to terms with the fact that he/she is no longer loved by the person they cherished, and there is nothing they can do to change it. The lines "It's long gone, buddy, now - run and go after it" suggest that the singer is encouraging someone to not give up on love, but it seems like they are trying to convince themselves more than anything.
The song conveys a sense of hopelessness and despair, as the singer can't find any comfort or solace in the truth about the breakup. The lines "That love is gone, that love is blind, that love is so unkind" evoke the idea that love can be fickle and unpredictable, and that it can leave us feeling powerless and helpless. The song's melancholic melody underscores the sense of loss and longing that comes with the realization that love has slipped away.
Line by Line Meaning
So what if it's breaking my heart at the root
I don't mind this heartbreak being painful at its very core
Something that could happen to anyone, I suppose
Heartbreak is a common experience that can happen to anyone
Never any comfort to get from the truth
Knowing the truth about why the love is lost doesn't bring any comfort
From knowing the part of this person that no one knows
There's a part of that person that remains unknown to everyone else
So we just cry
To cope with it, we just cry
With hopelessness
And feel hopeless
We're making such a mess
We're falling apart
It's long gone, buddy, now - run and go after it
The love is gone and won't come back, so move on
It's not that I'm frightened of being alone
It's not that I'm scared of being alone
It's just that I know what a burden this grief can be
It's just that I know how heavy this grief can be
Everything happens for something, I know
I know that everything happens for a reason
Can't understand for the moment what this could mean
But right now, I can't understand why this had to happen
That love is gone
The love is lost
That love is blind
Love can make us blind to the truth
That love is so unkind
Love can also be cruel and hurtful
Nobody wants to be happier more than me
I desire happiness more than anyone
Nobody wants to be happier more than I do
I want to be happy more than anyone else
But happiness
However, right now
I must confess
I have to admit
I don't have
I don't have happiness
Contributed by Bailey F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.