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.
I'll Stand By You
Bonnie Tyler Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I knew right then - I liked what I heard
You made good sense - you thought like me
And that's why - it's gotta be
It's just something - that you can't explain
No rhyme or reason - just a spark and a flame
It's what's inside - that we can't control
And I don't know what it is
And I don't know why
But sometimes when we're talking
I think I can fly
I don't know how it works
If there's a wrong or right
I believe in what I see and feel - here inside
Through thick and thin
I'll stand by you
Through everything
I'll stand by you
Through all the pain and laughter
Now and ever after
Through thick and thin I'll stand by you
Friends are friends - some near or far
It's only once in awhile - someone touches your heart
And when something's right - and you feel so strong
It's like coming home - yeah, you know you belong
And I don't know what it is
And I don't know why
Something feels familiar
Deep down inside
I don't know how it works
Or who makes the rules
I only know the way I feel
When I'm here with you
Through thick and thin
I'll stand by you
Through everything
I'll stand by you
Through all the pain and laughter
Now and ever after
Through thick and thin I'll stand by you
And I don't know what it is
And I don't know why
But sometimes when we're talking
I think I can fly
I don't know how it works
If there's a wrong or right
I believe in what I see and feel - here inside
Through thick or thin, I'll stand by you
Through everything, I'll stand by you
Through thick and thin, I'll stand by you
Through everything, I'll stand by you
Through all the pain and laughter
Now and ever after
Through thick and thin I'll stand by you
Through all the pain and laughter
Now and ever after
Through thick and thin I'll stand by you
In Bonnie Tyler's song I'll Stand By You, she describes the feeling of finding someone who just clicks with you from the moment they speak. It's a connection that can't be explained and leaves you feeling like you belong. The lyrics reflect the idea that sometimes, there's no logical explanation for why we feel the way we do about someone. It's just an undeniable pull that keeps us standing by them, through thick and thin.
The song emphasizes the importance of true friendship and loyalty. Friends may come and go, but some individuals touch our hearts in a way that make us feel like we've found our home. These special people are often hard to come by, and that's why they're worth fighting for. Whether it be through pain, laughter, happiness or sadness, we're willing to stand by them through it all because this kind of bond is rare and precious.
Overall, I'll Stand By You is a song about finding that special someone who understands you in a way that no one else does, appreciating how they make you feel, and promising to remain by their side, no matter what.
Line by Line Meaning
From the very first time - you said a word
I was attracted to you from the first moment you spoke.
I knew right then - I liked what I heard
I had a positive feeling about you after hearing you speak.
You made good sense - you thought like me
We had similar thought patterns and I appreciated that.
And that's why - it's gotta be
Our connection was so strong that it had to be fate.
It's just something - that you can't explain
Our connection is unexplainable.
No rhyme or reason - just a spark and a flame
We are drawn to each other without any specific reason or explanation.
It's what's inside - that we can't control
Our emotions and feelings towards each other are beyond our control.
It's where words fail, but you just know
Our connection is difficult to put into words, but we both feel it strongly.
And I don't know what it is
I can't explain this feeling.
And I don't know why
I don't understand why we feel this way towards each other.
But sometimes when we're talking
When we talk, the connection intensifies.
I think I can fly
I feel so full of joy and happiness when we talk that it's an incredible feeling.
Through thick and thin
I will be there for you through all the ups and downs in life.
I'll stand by you
I will be there to support and love you no matter what.
Through everything
I will be there for you through all of life's challenges.
Through all the pain and laughter
I will always support you through the good and bad times.
Now and ever after
I will continue to stand by you and support you always.
Friends are friends - some near or far
Friendships can be close to us or far away but we still value them.
It's only once in awhile - someone touches your heart
It's rare to find someone who truly touches your heart.
And when something's right - and you feel so strong
When something feels right, you know it in your heart.
It's like coming home - yeah, you know you belong
Being with this person feels natural and like you've found your home.
Something feels familiar
Being with you feels like I have known you for a long time.
Deep down inside
In my heart and soul, I can feel the connection between us.
Or who makes the rules
The rules of attraction are unknown and unpredictable.
I only know the way I feel
I know that my feelings towards you are genuine and true.
Through all the pain and laughter
I will always be there for you no matter the circumstances.
Now and ever after
Our connection will last forever and I will always love and support you.
Contributed by Connor J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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.