Astrid invented the name Animotion to convey energy and emotion. They recruited former L.A. Red Zone band members Frenchy O’Brien (drums), Paul Antonelli (keyboards) and Charles Ottavio (bass). Larry Ross (manager) quit CBS records to become their full time manager and he brought in Bill Wadhams (lead vocals + guitar) to front the band with Astrid. Another keyboard player was brought on board that same year when Greg Smith joined the band, together with lead guitarist Don Kirkpatrick. In March 1984 they did a showcase for Russ Regan of Polygram Records and inked the deal soon after. KROQ in Los Angeles, put Obsession on heavy rotation in December 1984.
Frenchy O’Brien left the band before the recording of Strange Behavior and was replaced by Jim Blair. In the midst of recording their third album Animotion went through personnel changes as all three of the remaining founding members (Bill Wadhams, Astrid Plane and Charles Ottavio) departed. Following their departure, Ottavio and Plane married. Actress/dancer/singer Cynthia Rhodes, known for her performance as the character "Penny Johnson" in the 1987 film Dirty Dancing, replaced Plane as female lead singer. Former solo artist/Device member Paul Engemann replaced Wadhams as the male lead for Animotion's second self-titled album. When their third record did not live up to the chart expectations, the band split in 1990.
In 2001 by special request from Alex Hart of KNRK in Portland, Oregon and with mega-effort from Bill, Animotion - once again with Astrid on lead vocals - reunited. In a display combining energy, emotion and intensity they played to a sold-out crowd. The band all agreed that it felt like magic to be onstage together again and Animotion Version 2001 was launched with Astrid Plane (lead vocals), Bill Wadhams (lead vocals + guitar), Charles Ottavio (drums), Don Kirkpatrick (lead guitar), Greg Smith (keyboards) and Kevin Rankin (drums).
For more info please visit the official website: www.AnimotionLive.com OR http://www.facebook.com/pages/Animotion/159155150791076
Stealing Time
Animotion Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Secret plans written in our eyes,
We gotta hide what we've been thinking.
Hidden cameras are everywhere,
Seeing thorugh private love affairs;
Preventing a sin before it goes too far
And you can't turn back
Caught you in the act
Stealing time to be together
Crystal? about to shatter
When you're mine, it's a crime
Stealing time, we're cloak and dagger
Risking all, 'cos nothing matters
But tonight, you and I,
Stealing time to close the doors on the night
You know what my feelings are
Too late for a change of heart
No need to say what's been unspoken
We've already made our choice
Heard the will of an inner voice
No-one must know the laws-
We've broken into a forbidden place
Whatever we find is ours to take
Stealing time to be together
Crystal? about to shatter
When you're mine, it's a crime
Stealing time, we're cloak and dagger
Risking all, 'cos nothing matters
But tonight, you and I,
Stealing time to close the doors on the night
It's getting harder to put in more;
It ain't right
Stealing time to be together
Crystal? about to shatter
When you're mine, it's a crime
Stealing time, we're cloak and dagger
Risking all, 'cos nothing matters
But tonight, you and I,
Stealing time to close the doors on the night
The song "Stealing Time" by Animotion depicts a pair of individuals who are haplessly in love and must resort to sneaking around and stealing moments to be together, surreptitiously avoiding detection at all costs. The song's opening lines describe the two lovers as "thieves in a thin disguise," with "secret plans written in our eyes." The chorus notes the imminent danger of their actions, as they risk everything they have for their love - "Stealing time to be together / Crystal about to shatter / When you're mine, it's a crime / Stealing time, we're cloak and dagger / Risking all, 'cos nothing matters / But tonight, you and I / Stealing time to close the doors on the night."
The song's lyrics offer a somewhat dark and controversial perspective on love, particularly in the context of the time during which it was written - the late 1980s. With lines such as "hidden cameras are everywhere," "see through private love affairs," and "preventing a sin before it goes too far," the song seems to reflect a particularly cynical perspective on the value of privacy and the nature of love itself. The chorus, with its refrain of "Stealing time," emphasizes the furtive and almost illicit nature of the lovers' tryst, indicating not only their need to hide their actions but also the illicit, almost criminal nature of their affection.
Line by Line Meaning
Two thieves in a thin disguise,
We are two people in disguise trying to hide our intentions from everyone else as if we were thieving something.
Secret plans written in our eyes,
We have come to this situation with a plan to be carried out secretly through our eyes.
We gotta hide what we've been thinking.
We must keep our thoughts hidden and secret from the external world.
Hidden cameras are everywhere,
Cameras are all around us, secretly watching every move we make.
Seeing thorugh private love affairs;
The cameras can see through our private affairs, especially in matters of love.
Preventing a sin before it goes too far
The cameras intervene before any wrongdoing goes too far out of control.
And you can't turn back
There is no going back once our actions are caught on camera.
Taking what you want,
We will have to take what we want without permission.
Caught you in the act
We have been caught in the process of doing something that is not allowed.
Stealing time to be together
We have no time to be together, so we steal it from somewhere else.
Crystal? about to shatter
We are on the brink of being caught and exposed as who we truly are.
When you're mine, it's a crime
Being together is a crime and an act of rebellion against the system.
Stealing time, we're cloak and dagger
Our meeting is secretive and done under the cover of darkness.
Risking all, 'cos nothing matters
We are putting everything on the line as if nothing really matters.
But tonight, you and I,
Tonight will be different as we will be together and will make the most of it.
Stealing time to close the doors on the night
We want to make the most of our meeting, so we will do everything in our power to extend this moment beyond its usual limit.
You know what my feelings are
You are aware of my feelings, and there is no need for me to express them again.
Too late for a change of heart
We have come too far and cannot afford to change our minds now.
No need to say what's been unspoken
There is no need to voice what we already know and feel about each other.
We've already made our choice
We have decided on what we want and are ready to pursue it.
Heard the will of an inner voice
We are acting upon our deepest desires and wishes.
No-one must know the laws-
No one should know about what we are doing as it goes against social norms and regulations.
We've broken into a forbidden place
We have transgressed boundaries and are breaking social norms.
Whatever we find is ours to take
We are entitled to take whatever we can get since we are breaking social norms and transgressing boundaries.
It's getting harder to put in more;
It has become more and more difficult for us to prolong this moment.
It ain't right
What we are doing is wrong, and we know it.
Contributed by Liam G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Ivan Macario
El grupo animotion tuvo 3 discos en los 80s pero fueron unos discos fundamentales y todos los temas de sus discos fueron éxitos en la historia musical hay el dato
Kolin Timothy
I love Bill's vocals on this one
Kolin Timothy
Amazing song
Sasha Rybakov
Nice collaboration Animation!!!
Matias Armityle
good colaboration song 💿
Cicilo1983
Cowritten with Sue Shifrin, who copenned Tina Turner's "Show Some Respect".