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.
Stubborn
Bonnie Tyler Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
So many times the pieces just don't fit
I say I'm on my way out, the truth is I still stick around
Is it love or just a sick obsession
Like a pit-bull under attack
I won't back down no I'll never make a U-turn
'Cos when it comes to you I'm stubborn!
I'll get back up and stand my ground, cos I'm not done
'Cos when it comes to you I'm stubborn!
Loving you's not easy, I tell you this sincerely
I guess it says more about me...
But sometimes you notice that your my only focus
No matter what you put me through
Like a pit-bull under attack
I won't back down no I'll never make a U-turn
'Cos when it comes to you I'm stubborn!
Like a fighter down for the count
I'll get back up and stand my ground, cos I'm not done
'Cos when it comes to you I'm stubborn!
You know it's so wrong, I guess it's more I'll ever learn
I should be longer, longer!
Like a pit-bull under attack
I dig my heels along the way, you and everyone says to one
Cos when it comes to you I'm stubborn!
Like a pit-bull under attack
I won't back down no I'll never make a U-turn
'Cos when it comes to you I'm stubborn!
Like a fighter down for the count
I'll get back up and stand my ground, cos I'm not done
'Cos when it comes to you I'm stubborn!
Bonnie Tyler's song Stubborn portrays a love-hate relationship, where she describes her conflicting emotions towards her lover. The first verse speaks of the difficulty in loving this person, who constantly causes her to break into pieces. However, even after announcing her departure, Tyler remains loyal to her lover, not knowing if it's love or obsessions. The chorus further emphasizes her stubborn loyalty by likening it to a pit-bull under attack - she won't back down, won't make U-turns, and will stand her ground until the end. Despite sometimes noticing that the entire focus of her world is on this one person, Tyler knows it's wrong, yet can't seem to learn from her experiences. The second verse in the song talks about Tyler's realization that there's more to the situation than just the person she's with. The song ends with a final chorus of Tyler's refusal to back down, her dedication to fighting for this person till the end.
The lyrics of Stubborn describe and illustrate the idea of resilience, the strength to push through all obstacles and adversity to reach a certain goal or person. Even after acknowledging that the relationship may not be healthy or right, Tyler's determination to stick it out till the end is a common human trait. The song speaks to its audience, calling out all those who have experienced an obsession in any shape or form, a situation where logic and reason fail to triumph over undue emotion. The song captures a human experience that is difficult to describe, and Tyler's powerful voice and passionate delivery of these lyrics add to the intensity of the song.
Line by Line Meaning
Loving you's not easy, you make me fall to pieces
Being with you is hard, you often cause me emotional distress
So many times the pieces just don't fit
We often have problems that are difficult or impossible to resolve
I say I'm on my way out, the truth is I still stick around
I tell myself I'm leaving, but I can't seem to actually do it
Is it love or just a sick obsession
I'm not sure if my feelings for you are healthy or unhealthy
Like a pit-bull under attack
I am fiercely protective and defensive of you
I won't back down no I'll never make a U-turn
I am stubborn and will not change my mind or actions
'Cos when it comes to you I'm stubborn!
My stubbornness is primarily motivated by my feelings for you
Like a fighter down for the count
Even when I am beaten down, I won't give up
I'll get back up and stand my ground, cos I'm not done
I will persevere and continue fighting for what I believe in
You know it's so wrong, I guess it's more I'll ever learn
I am aware that my behavior is not healthy, but I can't seem to change it
I should be longer, longer!
Unclear meaning, possible typo or error in lyric transcription
I dig my heels along the way, you and everyone says to one
I am determined to stay the course, even when others advise against it
Contributed by Alexander W. 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.