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.
James Dean
Bonnie Tyler Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She never noticed that he looked so good
He told her all I do is dream of you oh yeah
No, she had never seen
In her wildest dreams
Blue eyes that gleam just like James Dean
Big plans their make in a small hometown
A crazy rebel with a cause, he was for sure oh yeah
No, she had never seen
In her wildest dreams
Blue eyes that gleam just like James Dean
He writes her letters from around the world
Says he loves her and she's still his girl
Maybe he'll come back, don't know when
Oh she'll never see her baby again
He's got the whole world in his hands
And she was Alice in his wonderland
Oh they had dreams, but now he has it all yeah
No, she had never seen
In her wildest dreams
Blue eyes that gleam just like James Dean
She was the diamond of his eyes
And she would always be right by his side
But good guys only win in the movies yeah
No, she had never seen
In her wildest dreams
Blue eyes that gleam just like James Dean
He writes her letters from around the world
Says he loves her and she's still his girl
Maybe he'll come back, he don't know when
Oh she'll never see her baby again
The lyrics of Bonnie Tyler's "James Dean" tell the story of a small-town couple who grew up together and had big plans. The singer, who is never named, had never noticed how good-looking her boyfriend was until it was too late. He had joined the army and was sent off to fight in a war, during which he writes her letters declaring his love for her. However, the last letter she receives informs her that he has died, leaving her to mourn his loss.
The song is a tribute to James Dean, the iconic actor who rose to fame in the 1950s before his premature death in 1955. The lyrics suggest that the singer's boyfriend idolized Dean and saw himself as a rebel with a cause, just like the actor portrayed in his movies. The line "blue eyes that gleam just like James Dean" is a direct reference to the actor's piercing blue eyes.
Overall, the song is a bittersweet tale of lost love and unfulfilled dreams. It highlights the courage and sacrifice of soldiers who fight for their country and the pain of those left behind. At the same time, it celebrates the enduring legacy of James Dean, who continues to inspire new generations of rebels and dreamers.
Line by Line Meaning
Grew up together in the neighborhood
Bonnie Tyler is singing about two people who grew up in the same neighborhood and knew each other for a long time.
She never noticed that he looked so good
One of the people in the song never realized that the other person looked attractive.
He told her all I do is dream of you oh yeah
One of the people in the song confesses to dreaming of the other person.
No, she had never seen
The person in the song never saw something before.
In her wildest dreams
The person in the song never imagined something before.
Blue eyes that gleam just like James Dean
The person in the song is comparing another person's blue eyes to James Dean's eyes.
Big plans their make in a small hometown
The two people in the song made big plans for their future even though they lived in a small town.
No chance to leave would really bring him down
One of the people in the song didn't want to leave their hometown even if they had the chance to.
A crazy rebel with a cause, he was for sure oh yeah
One of the people in the song is describing the other person as a rebel with a cause who was sure of himself.
He writes her letters from around the world
One of the people in the song writes letters to the other person from different parts of the world.
Says he loves her and she's still his girl
One of the people in the song tells the other person that they still love them and that they are still together.
Maybe he'll come back, don't know when
The person in the song doesn't know when the other person will return.
Oh she'll never see her baby again
The person in the song is sad because they know they will never see the other person again.
He's got the whole world in his hands
One of the people in the song has control over his own life and future.
And she was Alice in his wonderland
The person in the song compares the other person to Alice in Wonderland, which means they were a big part of his life.
Oh they had dreams, but now he has it all yeah
The two people in the song had big dreams, but now only one of them has achieved them.
She was the diamond of his eyes
One of the people in the song valued the other person very highly.
And she would always be right by his side
One of the people in the song knew that the other person would always be there for them.
But good guys only win in the movies yeah
The person in the song realizes that good people don't always win in real life.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DIETER BOHLEN
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.