Smith, now a naturalized U.S. citizen, originally hails from Bath, England, where he and Roland Orzabal met when both were teenagers. They first formed a band at school, for which Smith taught himself to play bass guitar, and later formed the band Graduate, which achieved minor fame in continental Europe, and released one album in 1980. After disbanding Graduate, Smith and Orzabal founded Tears for Fears. TFF’s debut album, 1983’s The Hurting, was a UK number one and produced three international hit singles –"Mad World", "Change", and "Pale Shelter" – each with lead vocals performed by Smith.
Their second album, 1985's Songs from the Big Chair was even more successful, yielding hits including "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" (sung by Smith), "Shout," and "Head Over Heels" (which Smith co-wrote). The duo spent the next several years recording their 1989 album The Seeds of Love, which proved to be another international bestseller, but Smith left the band a year after its release and moved to New York.
Smith released his first solo album, Soul On Board, in 1993, but the album was a commercial failure. Smith later claimed he hated the album and made it purely to fulfill his contract with Phonogram Records (the label to which Tears For Fears had signed to in 1981). He acclimated to life in New York by hosting an MTV show, as well as a new music radio show that was syndicated to over 300 U.S. colleges, and by teaching a music industry course at New York University. In 1995, a mutual friend introduced Smith to songwriter-guitarist Charlton Pettus. They began writing together and formed a band called Mayfield, which released a self-titled album in 1997.
Smith moved to Los Angeles in 1998, and began work on what was to become "Halfway, pleased" a few years later, but the project was put on hold after he had begun speaking to Roland Orzabal again in 2000 after nearly a decade of silence. Their conversations culminated in the duo reforming Tears For Fears for a new album, 2004’s Everybody Loves A Happy Ending, which led to a worldwide tour. Smith resumed work on "Halfway, pleased" in 2006. The semi-autobiographical album explores Smith’s relationships with his children, parents and friends. Halfway, pleased was released in May 2008, via Smith’s own KOOK Media imprint. It is available in CD and download configurations from major online retailers and from select retail locations.
In May 2013, Smith confirmed that he was writing and recording new Tears for Fears material with Orzabal and Charlton Pettus. 3-4 songs were worked on in the UK at Orzabal’s home studio, Neptune’s Kitchen, in April of 2013. Further work on a new Tears For Fears album commenced in L.A. in July of 2013. According to Orzabal, they have been producing of more dark, dramatic pieces of music, which gave the pending album the tongue-in-cheek working title of Tears for Fears: The Musical. “There’s one track that’s a combination of Portishead and Queen. It’s just crazy,” Orzabal stated.
To commemorate the 30th anniversary of TFF’s debut album The Hurting, Universal Music are re-releasing it in two Deluxe Editions (one a 2-disc set and the other a 4-disc set with a DVD of the 1983 In My Mind’s Eye concert) in October 2013.
In August 2013, Tears For Fears released their first newly recorded material in nearly decade, with a cover of Arcade Fire’s “Ready to Start” made available on SoundCloud.
Wonder Child
Curt Smith Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I get by by myself
These feelings I will hold inside
I listen to my heart
This world could fall apart
Could it be that I'm afraid to see the light
It used to be easy
Living like I do, searching for a clue
Looking for the wonder child
One thing I can hide this fear and
Hold on, hold on
I could convince myself
Don't need no one else
No reasons why I act this way
So hard to take sometimes
I've seen the danger signs
Caught up inside a world that no one knows
It used to be easy
Was it all in my mind
Living like I do, searching for a clue
Looking for the wonder child
One thing I can hide this fear and
Hold on, hold on
Hold on, hold on
I'm on my own even if I could get near you
So confused I know hat I would walk right by you
Alone for days, even if I hold on
So out of phase, even if I hold on
Even if I hold on
Living like I do, searching for a clue
Looking for the wonder child
One thing I can hide this fear and
Hold on, hold on
Hold on, hold on
Hold on, hold on
Living like I do, searching for a clue
Looking for the wonder child
One thing I can hide this fear and
Hold on, hold on
To go on, you hold on
The lyrics of Curt Smith's song "Wonder Child" talk about a person's struggle to cope with the challenges of life on their own. The opening lines "I don't need no one else, I get by by myself" show that the person is determined to manage their life independently. However, the lyrics also express a sense of loneliness and difficulty in navigating the world. The phrase "these feelings I will hold inside" suggests that the person is hesitant to express their emotions, while "could it be that I'm afraid to see the light" implies that they may be scared of confronting their problems.
The song's chorus talks about searching for a "wonder child", which may represent a symbol of hope and positivity that the person is chasing. They are searching for a way to overcome their struggles but seem to be having a hard time finding a direction. The line "caught up inside a world that no one knows" portrays a sense of isolation and disorientation.
Overall, the lyrics of "Wonder Child" seem to be about the complex and challenging experience of trying to find one's place in the world. The song suggests that while it may be hard to hold on, it's important to keep searching for meaning and purpose in life.
Line by Line Meaning
I don't need no one else
I am self-sufficient and do not require anyone else in my life
I get by by myself
I manage to thrive independently
These feelings I will hold inside
I keep my emotions to myself
I listen to my heart
I trust my intuition
This world could fall apart
The world around me may crumble and disintegrate
Could it be that I'm afraid to see the light
Perhaps I am afraid of what I may see if I were to embrace something new and different
It used to be easy
Life used to be simple and uncomplicated
Was it all in my mind?
Was it just my imagination or were things easier in the past?
Living like I do, searching for a clue
The way I live my life involves constantly seeking answers and solutions
Looking for the wonder child
I am on a quest to find something extraordinary
One thing I can hide this fear and Hold on, hold on
I have the ability to conceal my fear and persevere
I could convince myself Don't need no one else
I have the ability to convince myself that I don't require anyone else in my life
No reasons why I act this way
There are no clear reasons why I behave the way I do
So hard to take sometimes
Life can be tough to handle at times
I've seen the danger signs
I have noticed signs that may indicate danger or risk
Caught up inside a world that no one knows
I feel like I am trapped in a world that no one else understands
I'm on my own even if I could get near you
Even if I were to get close to someone, I would still feel isolated and alone
So confused I know hat I would walk right by you
I am so confused that I may even pass by someone without even realizing it
Alone for days, even if I hold on
I may feel lonely for extended periods of time, but I will persevere despite this feeling
So out of phase, even if I hold on
Even when I feel out of sync with the world, I will still endure
To go on, you hold on
To keep moving forward in life, you must persevere
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: BILLY LIVSEY, CURT SMITH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Tatiane Nepomuceno
Letras
Eu não preciso de mais ninguém
I don't need no one else
eu fico sozinho
I get by by myself
Esses sentimentos eu vou guardar dentro de mim
These feelings I will hold inside me
eu escuto meu coração
I listen to my heart
Este mundo pode desmoronar
This world could fall apart
Será que tenho medo de ver a luz?
Could it be that I'm afraid to see the light?
Costumava ser fácil
It used to be easy
Estava tudo na minha mente?
Was it all in my mind?
Vivendo como eu.
Living like I do.
Procurando por uma pista
Searching for a clue
Procurando a criança maravilha
Looking for the wonder child
Uma coisa que posso fazer é esconder esse medo e
One thing I can do is hide this fear and
Aguenta aguenta
Hold on, hold on
eu poderia me convencer
I could convince myself
Não precisa de mais ninguém
Don't need no one else
Não há razões pelas quais eu ajo dessa maneira
No reasons why I act this way
Tão difícil de tomar às vezes
So hard to take sometimes
Eu vi os sinais de perigo
I've seen the danger signs
Preso dentro de um mundo que ninguém conhece
Caught up inside a world that no one knows
Costumava ser fácil
It used to be easy
Estava tudo na minha mente?
Was it all in my mind?
Vivendo como eu.
Living like I do.
Procurando a verdade
Searching for the truth
Procurando a criança maravilha
Looking for the wonder child
Uma coisa que posso fazer é esconder esse medo e
One thing I can do is hide this fear and
Aguenta aguenta
Hold on, hold on
Aguenta aguenta
Hold on, hold on
Eu estou sozinho mesmo se eu pudesse chegar perto de você
I'm on my own even if I could get near you
Tão confuso eu sei que eu andaria por você
So confused I know that I would walk right by you
Sozinho por dias, mesmo se eu segurar
Alone for days, even if I hold on
Tão fora de fase, mesmo se eu segurar
So out of phase, even if I hold on
Mesmo se eu segurar
Even if I hold on
Vivendo como eu.
Living like I do.
Procurando por uma pista
Searching for a clue
Procurando a criança maravilha
Looking for the wonder child
Uma coisa que posso fazer é esconder esse medo e
One thing I can do is hide this fear and
Aguenta aguenta
Hold on, hold on
Aguenta aguenta
Hold on, hold on
Vivendo como eu.
Living like I do.
Procurando por uma pista
Searching for a clue
Procurando a criança maravilha
Looking for the wonder child
Uma coisa que posso fazer é esconder esse medo e
One thing I can do is hide this fear and
Aguenta aguenta
Hold on, hold on
Aguenta aguenta
Hold on, hold on
Vivendo como eu em busca da verdade
Living like I do searching for the truth
Procurando a criança maravilha
Looking for the wonder child
Você tem que aguentar, aguentar
You've got to hold on, hold on
Procurando a criança maravilha
Looking for the wonder child
Uma coisa que posso fazer é esconder esse medo e
One thing I can do is hide this fear and
Aguenta aguenta
Hold on, hold on
Aguenta aguenta
Hold on, hold on
Para continuar, espere
To go on, hold on
Tina Garten
I love this song!
Love Curt Smith 🌻
**
@AJ Vindiesel it could be Tina . . . . .if you want it to be.
AJ Vindiesel
My name's not Tina but I agree
Tina Jane Oxnam.
Tina Garten . Yeah its cool .
Newfogo
Excelente trabalho de Curt Smith.
Xaositec
I was 16 when I bought this tape... I was a T4F fan, so I didn't know what to expect from it... totally worth, I still have it im my box of memories.
heartlandqueen82
Finally, someone puts this song up! I'm glad it's here on YouTube. I love this song so much and it's also my favourite song on this album. And I'm glad there's someone here who loves this song besides me. Thank you so much for the upload! :)
Riccardo Benzoni
I bought this album in 1993.
heartlandqueen82
Tina Jane Oxnam. Thanks for liking it. :)
Tina Jane Oxnam.
heartlandqueen82 . Its the first time ive heard it. Its brilliant. Cheers curt.