Bucks Fizz performed the timeless classic tune Making Your Mind Up, together with the now famous skirt ripping dance routine. This was one of the most up-tempo songs of the evening, and with only two rounds of voting to go, it was a three-way tie between Germany. the UK and Switzerland. Switzerland were yet to vote and gave eight points to the UK, but Nil Points to Germany. Despite the final jury giving Germany maximum points, Bucks Fizz won the contest.
This victory was to set them up for a career that was to be as successful as any British Eurovision winner before, or since. They went on to be one of the most popular bands of the 80s with a string of hit singles and albums.
Making Your Mind Up was a number one for the group in nine different countries and received gold disc status in four countries.. This was promptly followed by a further two top twenty hits - Piece Of The Action and One Of Those Nights - and a self-titled album which went Gold in the UK and Platinum in Australia.
After winning the contest, the group built on their success with other awards and accolades. In November 1981, they won Best Song Award at the Yamaha Song Contest (oriental Eurovision) in Tokyo with the song Another Night.
Their next single, released in November 1981, The Land Of Make Believe went Gold before Christmas of that year and went on to become one of their most popular songs, reaching Number One in three countries and winning the Amplex Golden Reel Award for one million copies sold.
In 1982, the success for Bucks Fizz continued and in April of that year the group's fourth single, My Camera Never Lies, went straight to Number One in the UK. This was followed in May by the group's second studio album, Are You Ready, which went Gold immediately. This also produced another hit, Now Those Days Are Gone, which reached number 8 in the UK charts.
1984 was to be an eventful year. Bucks Fizz toured the UK on a 7 week sell out tour.
1983 saw the release of If You Cant Stand The Heat which reached number 10 in the UK charts. This was followed by Run For Your Life. Both singles were featured on the group's third studio album, Hand Cut, which charted at number 15 in the UK.
Later that year saw the release of When We Were Young, a slightly different sound with Jay on lead vocal. London Town followed and then a Greatest Hits album which finished the year on a high.
Three more singles were released: Talking In Your Sleep, Golden Days and I Hear Talk which was a surprise club hit in America. Fate was to deal the group a devastating blow that year: whilst on tour in December there was a horrific Coach crash which resulted in the serious injury of Mike Nolan.
As Mike was on the road to recovery Bucks Fizz received yet another blow as Jay Aston decided to depart the group after a scandalous affair with the bands Manager which made front page of all the tabloids.
Auditions were held in London for a Jay Aston replacement. About 800 girls turned up to audition and finally Shelley Preston was recruited to replace Jay.
1986 saw Bucks Fizz back on top of the charts with a new look, a new record deal with Polydor and a new single called New Beginning. The single reached number 8 in the UK charts and was a great success.
A further two singles were also released this year: Love The One Your With" and Keep Each Other Warm, together with what would be their 5th studio album, Writing On The Wall.
The single Heart Of Stone was released in 1988. This would later be covered by Cher a couple of years later.
Shelley Preston decided to leave the group in 1990 to pursue solo projects and the group continued as a trio.
The group's albums are currently available on CD, as well as a recently released Best Of CD/DVD which made the top 40 in May 2007.
Now These Days Are gone
Bucks Fizz Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Long ago when we were young and free
Love happened easily and dreams never died
Life sung a pretty song,
Now those days are gone
Crying,
Finding comfort in the friends we knew
We used to get along (we used to)
Now those days are gone
Playing with words
When there's nothing much to say
Searching to find what we lost along the way
Could it be one day our feelings changed
I hope we see it through
'Cause I just can't stand the thought
Of life without you
Dreaming,
Whispers echo on the summer wind
Back where the love begins,
When nights were so warm
With stars we could wish upon,
Now those days are gone
We had a chance but we lost it all somehow
Broken the spell and our dreams lie heavy now
Could it be some day our feelings changed
I hope we see it though
'Cause I just can't stand the thought
Of life without you
Thinking,
Long ago when we were young and free
Love happened suddenly and we couldn't see
Where we were going wrong,
Now those days are gone.
The song "Now These Days Are Gone" by Bucks Fizz talks about the feeling of lost love and the emptiness that comes with it. It describes a time when love was effortless, and the world was full of hope and dreams. The opening lines, "Thinking, long ago when we were young and free, love happened easily, and dreams never died," set the nostalgic theme of the song. It speaks of a time when everything seemed so perfect and easy, and nothing could challenge the love they shared.
However, as life goes on, people change, and relationships may not be as easy as they once were. The second verse talks about finding comfort in the friends they knew, but now it's just the two of them trying alone. It shows how even though they are together, there is a sense of loneliness and loss that has taken over their relationship.
The chorus expresses the hope of keeping their love alive and not losing it completely, and the last verse offers a glimpse of nostalgia, reminiscing on the time when they were so deeply in love. The lyrics are emotional and truthful, relating to anyone who has ever experienced heartbreak.
Line by Line Meaning
Thinking,
Recalling our past experiences.
Long ago when we were young and free
Reflecting back to a time when we had less responsibilities and could pursue our desires with ease.
Love happened easily and dreams never died
Falling in love felt effortless and we believed that we could achieve anything we wanted.
Life sung a pretty song,
Our lives were filled with contentment and happiness.
Now those days are gone
Those times have passed and cannot be relived.
Crying,
Feeling emotional and overwhelmed.
Finding comfort in the friends we knew
Seeking solace and support from people who understand us.
Now it's just me and you trying alone
We are struggling to navigate our problems with just each other's help.
We used to get along (we used to)
Our relationship used to be harmonious and respectful.
Playing with words
Trying to communicate when there is not much left to say.
When there's nothing much to say
Having difficulty expressing ourselves due to a lack of meaningful conversation.
Searching to find what we lost along the way
Attempting to find what went wrong in our relationship and how to fix it.
Could it be one day our feelings changed
Wondering if our emotions towards each other have shifted over time.
I hope we see it through
Desiring to overcome our issues and remain together.
'Cause I just can't stand the thought
Feeling immense pain and sadness at the possibility of separating.
Of life without you
Unable to imagine living without your presence.
Dreaming,
Imagining an ideal scenario.
Whispers echo on the summer wind
Hearing murmurs that evoke nostalgia and longing.
Back where the love begins,
Remembering the passionate love we had in the past.
When nights were so warm
Recalling moments of intimacy and connection.
With stars we could wish upon,
Believing in the potential for positive change and the fulfillment of our desires.
We had a chance but we lost it all somehow
Recognizing that our relationship was once promising but something went wrong.
Broken the spell and our dreams lie heavy now
The enchantment of our love has dissipated and our aspirations feel burdened.
Could it be some day our feelings changed
Wondering if our emotions towards each other have evolved over time.
I hope we see it though
Optimistic about repairing our relationship and making it work.
'Cause I just can't stand the thought
Feeling immense pain and sadness at the possibility of separating.
Of life without you
Unable to imagine living without your presence.
Thinking,
Reflecting back on our past experiences.
Long ago when we were young and free
Reminiscing about a time when we had less responsibilities and more freedom.
Love happened suddenly and we couldn't see
Falling in love unexpectedly and unable to predict the future.
Where we were going wrong,
Unaware of the issues within our relationship and how to fix them.
Now those days are gone.
Those times have passed and cannot be relived.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ANDY HILL, NICHOLA MARTIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
RJ McAllister
I was an American DJ in 1981-82 and didn't get a demo copy of this; the
demo only had "Land of Make Believe" on it, one side stereo, one mono.
"Days" was the B-side. It seemed RCA in New York didn't think they'd
hit here, and they released one LP with next to no promotion to keep the
London office happy. Ironically, Polydor did the same thing four years
later with "New Beginning" (the US album title), but even worse, there
were only two new tracks and eight old RCA recordings. It would have
helped if the band could have come over for a few shows; they were
scheduled to in early 1985, but the bus crash stopped that.
Derwentcub
This is a true gem of a song - a masterpiece. I am sure those of us who are now getting older can see the significance of it all. It still makes me watery-eyed, as I am reminded of love ones who are no longer with me, and of happy times past. Thanks for posting this x
mark stevenson
i weep listening to this song ,i was 15 when it came out , its so true in everyway , back then life did sing a prettier song
Peter Phil Stacey
that is such a lovely comment, thank you,
memoir4you
Well said
sct352 T
Totally with you. Such a great song and so many memories from the years since 1982 when it came out, and sadly so many people no longer here to make new ones. Amazing that this only reached no8 in the charts....no1 at that time? Captain Sensible's dreadful version of 'Happy Talk'.
Alban Hindle
Whatever you say about Buck Fizz, this is a brilliant song, perfectly arranged & beautifully sung!
mark stevenson
i love Bucks Fizz ,they will always be remembered by most for Making your mind up for me this is their best song by a distance then its Land of make believe
Dirk Diggler
Mike Nolan's vocals on this are just superb. One of their most under-rated tracks but one of their best.
Sheree Halls
Totally agree Love this song ❤️
Jon C
Has any group looked more 80s?