Band lore states that their name came from both a flippant reference to Adolf Hitler's dog Blondie as well as vocalist Harry's bright blond hair. Previously having been a Playboy Bunny, Harry fronted the early version of the band. initially known as "Angel and the Snakes". They built up underground fame in NYC. Blondie released their first album, 'Blondie', in 1976. The album was mildly successful and spawned the Australian hit single "In The Flesh". Gary Valentine left the band later that year, and they continued briefly as a foursome, recording 'Plastic Letters' and gaining more airplay with their track "Denis". Still in touch with their punk roots, having played in clubs such as CBGBs and hung out with rock artists such as the Ramones, the band broke out into other, more diverse influences such as older dance and pop music, particularly interested in Phil Spector's 'wall of sound' technique.
Valentine was replaced by Los Angeles-based musician Frank Infante (guitar, bass guitar) in 1977. Infante had already played guitar on one track on 'Plastic Letters'. The band went out playing live with Infante and Stein swopping between playing guitar and bass guitar throughout each concert. The band also added British born but LA-based Nigel Harrison (bass guitar), making Blondie a six piece group for the first time. Harrison was a former member of the glam rock band Silverhead.
In 1978, they released the album that would make them international stars, titled 'Parallel Lines'. The album spawned several hit singles, including the number one hit "Heart Of Glass", "Sunday Girl", "Hanging On The Telephone" (a cover of the famous power pop track by The Nerves), and "One Way Or Another". The success of the heavily disco influenced "Heart of Glass", a song sometimes censored for its use of strong language for the time and considered by the band as tongue-in-cheek, proved controversial among many fans of the band's punk background, but it managed to break them through at a massive level.
They released three more albums (1979's Eat To The Beat, 1980's Autoamerican (containing the number one singles "The Tide Is High" and "Rapture") and 1982's The Hunter) as well as a number one single "Call Me", from the score of the 1980 film "American Gigolo".
In 1980, Harrison contributed several unused Blondie songs to ex-Silverhead singer Michael Des Barres solo album I'm Only Human. In 1981, Harry released a solo album Koo Koo, Destri released a solo album Heart On A Wall. Burke recorded and played live with the Eurythmics, and Stein started a record label named Animal Records.
In 1982, health problems for Stein, declining sales and inter-band tension caused the band to split. Harry kept a low profile for a few years while she nursed (now former) boyfriend Stein through a serious illness, but then continued a solo career as an actress/singer.
Reformation plans begun in 1997 with a line-up that included Harry, Stein, Destri, Burke, Valentine, and Harrison. Infante was not invited to the reunion. Valentine and Harrison were eventually (and unceremoniously, they claim) replaced by Paul Carbonara (guitar) and Leigh Foxx (bass).
The band released No Exit in 1998, which did quite well in both US and UK charts and contained the number one hit single "Maria".
The album did not include any song contributions from Valentine or Harrison, despite them recording early sessions for the album and Valentine being assured by Stein that they would use his already recorded song "Amor Fati". Harrison and Infante later filed an unsuccessful lawsuit claiming breach of contract for not including them in the reunion.
The Curse Of Blondie was released in 2003 and, while not matching its predecessor in sales, was critically acclaimed and spawned the global dance hit "Good Boys".
Destri retired from touring in 2004. Kevin Patrick (keyboards), Destri's former keyboard tech and assistant, replaced him soon followed by Matt Katz-Bohen in 2008.
The band's 2006 induction ceremony into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame was the scene of an awkward moment between Infante and Harry, during which he asked that the former members be allowed to play along with fellow inductees Harry, Stein and Burke during the band's set, since it was the original band that was being inducted. Harry replied "Can't you see my band is up there?" prompting Infante to counter "I thought it was Blondie that was being inducted."
In 2006, the band toured as the opening act for The New Cars on the "Road Rage Tour." Although Harry was more than 60 years old, the band still managed incendiary versions of their old hits, while playing with enough fire to remind the audience of their punk roots.
In 2007, the band embarked on a tour of Europe, to coincide with the DVD release of the first ever music video album "Eat To The Beat".
Harry has since resumed her solo career, releasing 2007's Necessary Evil.
On June 5, 2008, Blondie commenced a world tour to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Parallel Lines with a concert at Ram's Head Live in Baltimore, Maryland. The tour covered some Eastern and Midwestern US cities throughout the month of June. In July, the tour took the band overseas to Israel, the UK, Russia, Europe and Scandinavia, wrapping up on August 2, 2008 at Rockefeller in Oslo, Norway.
Clem Burke and Paul Carbonara both recently told interviewers that the band is working on another record, which would be their first new album since the release of The Curse of Blondie in 2003. Carbonara described it as "a real Blondie record.
Blondie undertook a North American tour of mid-sized venues with Pat Benatar and The Donnas in the summer of 2009. Following the tour, in October, the band began recording sessions for their ninth studio album with producer Jeff Saltzman in Woodstock, New York. In December 2009, the band released the song "We Three Kings" to coincide with the Christmas holiday.
The new album, to be titled Panic of Girls, which was being mixed at the time, was said to follow in 2010. Chris Stein stated that Dutch artist Chris Berens will provide the cover art. In April 2010, it was announced that guitarist Paul Carbonara had amicably left Blondie to pursue other projects and was replaced by Tommy Kessler. Panic of Girls is tentatively set to be released in 2010/2011.
In June 2010, Blondie began the first leg of a world tour named "Endangered Species Tour", which covered the United Kingdom and Ireland, supported by UK band Little Fish. The set lists featured both classics and new material from the forthcoming Panic of Girls. After a break in July the tour will resume in August and cover the United States and Canada over a course of six weeks. Blondie is then set to take the "Endangered Species Tour" to Australia and New Zealand in November and December. It was revealed that the bands album will be released on the Australian Sony label in November 2010, and elsewhere in January 2011.
Songfacts reports that Mother, the first single from Panic of Girls received its global premiere on BBC Radio on March 17th, 2011 and was made available for purchase on May 23, 2011.
In May 2017 a new album was released named Pollinator with the single "Long Time" which saw the daylight in March.
In 2021, the band released a short film along with a soundtrack EP titled Vivir en la Habana. They also released an alternate version of their song Rapture titled “Yuletide Throwdown” which featured Fab 5 Freddy.
In 2022, Blondie released a Sunday Girl EP consisting of an unreleased demo and live version
of the song as well as the previously released french version of the track in honor of Record Store Day. The band went on a UK tour with support from Johnny Marr followed by a US tour with support from The Damned titled “Against The Odds Tour”, which Chris Stein did not attend due to health problems. They also announced the release of their first archival project and box set, titled Against The Odds: 1974 - 1982, which took six years to compile, began recording their twelfth studio album and remastered their music videos in HD.
Island Of Lost Souls
Blondie Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
On the boulevard of broken dreams
My will power at the lowest ebb
Oh what can I do?
Oh buccaneer
Can ya help me put my truck in gear?
Can ya take me far away from here?
Save my soul from sin?
You want to get away you've had it man
Nothing's going right
So come sit on the sands of the island
Island of Lost Souls
No luxuries, no no amenities
Too dull, your senses
Oh oh only primitive
"Hey hey really get away," is what he said
Where did he go?
I'm tired of waiting here for him
Where can he be?
He's not with me
Where did he go?
What will I do alone?
Why did he run, run away from me?
The sky is blue the sea is warm and clear
And golden sands are calling out to you inviting
Make a new man out of you
You can come for a while come with a friend
Forget about work start all over again
Let the real you through, here's what we do
Where did he go?
I'm tired of waiting here for him
Where can he be?
He's not with me
Where did he go?
What will I do alone?
Why did he run, run away from me?
Oh buccaneer
Can ya help me put my truck in gear?
Can ya take me far away from here?
Save my soul from sin?
No luxuries, no no amenities
Too dull, your senses
Oh oh only primitive
Hey hey really get away
Island of Lost Souls
Hey ya hey ya hey ya Island of Lost Souls
The lyrics of "Island of Lost Souls" by Blondie point to a person who is completely lost and looking for a way out. The singer is in Babylon, which represents the city or the world of material pleasures, but experiences a low point in life. The boulevard of broken dreams is the place where people lose their ambition and goals. The singer turns to the buccaneer to help them get their life together and escape from their current situation. The lyrics "Can ya take me far away from here/ Save my soul from sin?" show that the singer is looking for salvation and guidance to bring them out of their present state of despair.
The chorus urges the singer to come to the Island of Lost Souls, which is savaged and full of primitive amenities. The singer is asked to let go of their inhibitions and problems, and embrace the environment on the island. Blondie was known for mixing punk rock and disco music, but the song "Island of Lost Souls" had a distinct tribal sound that resonated with the message of the song.
Line by Line Meaning
In Babylon
In a place of great turmoil and chaos
On the boulevard of broken dreams
In a place where people's aspirations have failed
My will power at the lowest ebb
I am at my lowest point of energy and determination
Oh what can I do?
I am helpless and don't know what to do
Oh buccaneer
Oh pirate, symbolizing someone who can help with adventure and risk-taking
Can ya help me put my truck in gear?
Can you help me start my life again?
Can ya take me far away from here?
Can you take me away from this difficult place?
Save my soul from sin?
Help me get out of my troubles
You want to get away you've had it man
You want to escape from your worries
Nothing's going right
Everything seems to be going wrong
So come sit on the sands of the island
Come to a place of peace and tranquility
Island of Lost Souls
A place where people go to get away from their problems
No luxuries, no no amenities
No fancy things that people rely on for comfort
Too dull, your senses
Too ordinary, not stimulating enough
Oh oh only primitive
Very basic and simple
"Hey hey really get away," is what he said
Encouragement to escape and start anew
Where did he go?
Referring to someone who offered help and then disappeared
I'm tired of waiting here for him
I have been waiting for help for a long time
Where can he be?
Wondering where the helper went
He's not with me
The helper has left and is no longer around
What will I do alone?
Feeling scared and unsure how to cope on my own
Why did he run, run away from me?
Why did the helper abandon me?
The sky is blue the sea is warm and clear
Describing the island as a beautiful place
And golden sands are calling out to you inviting
Invitation to come and enjoy the beautiful island
Make a new man out of you
Challenging someone to become a better version of themselves
You can come for a while come with a friend
Encouragement to come to the island with others
Forget about work start all over again
Motivation to leave behind work and begin anew
Let the real you through, here's what we do
The island is a place where people can truly be themselves
Hey ya hey ya hey ya Island of Lost Souls
Repeating the name of the island as a catchy refrain
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: CHRISTOPHER STEIN, DEBORAH HARRY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Luke-cz9tm
In Babylon
On the boulevard of broken dreams
My will power at the lowest ebb
Oh what can I do?
Oh buccaneer
Can ya help me put my truck in gear?
Can ya take me far away from here?
Save my soul from sin?
You want to get away you've had it man
Nothing's going right
So come sit on the sands of the island
Island of Lost Souls
No luxuries, no no amenities
Too dull, your senses
Oh oh only primitive
"Hey hey really get away, " is what he said
Where did he go?
I'm tired of waiting here for him
Where can he be?
He's not with me
Where did he go?
What will I do alone?
Why did he run, run away from me?
The sky is blue the sea is warm and clear
And golden sands are calling out to you inviting
Make a new man out of you
You can come for a while come with a friend
Forget about work start all over again
Let the real you through, here's what we do
Where did he go?
I'm tired of waiting here for him
Where can he be?
He's not with me
Where did he go?
What will I do alone?
Why did he run, run away from me?
Oh buccaneer
Can ya help me put my truck in gear?
Can ya take me far away from here?
Save my soul from sin?
No luxuries, no no amenities
Too dull, your senses
Oh oh only primitive
Hey hey really get away
Island of Lost Souls
Hey ya hey ya hey ya Island of Lost Souls
@Bigweight66
Blondie wasn't afraid to perform any genre of music such as punk, new wave, rock, rap and even calypso!
@guyinsf
Exactly! When asked what kind of genre they wanted to do, their reply was "yes".
@stefanijakrivaja6068
and disco
@pagliacci2942
In this case I kind of wish they had have been.
@markpatient2766
They did a lot of Calypso ❤️
@MsDragon1968
Personally, I think this is one of Blondie's underrated tracks. I've always loved this song. And, for the people who wish to joke/criticize Deborah with the comments of 'Souls and Sins'. Are any of you aware, that Deborah placed her career on hold, while she cared for her husband Chris, when he was sick?
@mehranhooshmand8407
Her boyfriend; they never been married!
@sternrulez
Right with you Deborah! I haven't heard this song in over 5 years, and I still remember the words to it, so it must've stuck...lol!
@kevinkruse7992
It's very funny you said that because I also think it's a very good
@soph3420
I won this song as a 45 record, it was the B side to The Tide is High. I was in the third when I first heard this song and played it on repeat.