Hill is the son of social scientist and public servant, Daniel G. Hill, and brother of the author, Lawrence Hill.
One of his songs was "It's a Long Road" (Written by Jerry Goldsmith) which he recorded for the 1982 action movie First Blood. In 1985, he was one of the many Canadian performers to appear on the benefit single "Tears Are Not Enough" by Northern Lights. Although he had many hits in his native Canada, further singles did not fare as well in America.
In 1987, Hill returned to the Billboard Hot 100 chart with the Top 40 hit "Can't We Try", a duet with the then-unknown Vonda Shepard, as well as the near Top 40 hit "Never Thought (That I Could Love)".
A road trip to a Dan Hill concert was the subject of the 1994 Canadian comedy film South of Wawa.
In 2007 he is touring with the CBC Radio program The Vinyl Cafe.
Perfect Love
Dan Hill Lyrics
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Will the truth throw you away
Sometimes I look into your eyes and start to cry
'Cause we come so close, then we back away
Are we so afraid to surrender all
We come so close to perfect love
What in the world are we so frightened of
Let the spark of love finally catch fire
So close to perfect love
You and I always walk a slender line
Of what is false and what is real
We're not as fragile
As we sometimes like to feel
We can spend our lives running all the time
Or we can make a stand together
We come so close to perfect love
What in the world are we so frightened of
Why can't we gamble on desire?
Let the spark of love finally catch fire
So close to perfect love
You can take off those white gloves
I know what you're dreaming of
You and I are running out of alibi's
Let the spark of love finally catch fire
We come so close to perfect love
What in the world are we so frightened of
Why can't we gamble on desire?
Let the spark of love finally catch fire
So close to perfect love
So close, baby
So close to perfect love
So close, we come so close
We come so close, baby
We come so close to perfect love
Oh, what are we frightened of
So close, we come so close
We come so close to perfect love
The lyrics of Dan Hill's "Perfect Love" speak about the struggles of a relationship that is so close to perfection but is hesitant to take the risk of fully surrendering to love. The singer is caught up in his emotions, unable to express to his partner how he truly feels inside. The fear of rejection and abandonment possibly is making him hold back his true feelings. The line "Sometimes I look into your eyes and start to cry" shows that the singer is overwhelmed with emotions when he is near the one he loves. The thought of giving it all and still losing the person is so scary that they avoid fully committing.
The song talks about the paradoxical nature of a relationship, as the couple always walks on a line between what is false and what is real, and that they are not as fragile as they think. They can make a stand together and surrender themselves to the purity of love. They can choose to spend their lives always running away, or they can take a leap of faith and take a chance on desire. The line "You can take off those white gloves, I know what you're dreaming of" shows the singer urging their partner to be vulnerable and take a step towards intimacy. The song ends on a hopeful note, with the singer saying that they are so close to perfect love and that the spark of love should catch fire.
Line by Line Meaning
How can I tell you how I feel inside
The singer is struggling to express their innermost feelings to their partner.
Will the truth throw you away
The singer is afraid that being honest with their partner may push them away.
Sometimes I look into your eyes and start to cry
The singer is moved emotionally when they look into their partner's eyes.
'Cause we come so close, then we back away
The singer and their partner get close to each other but then withdraw from the relationship.
Are we so afraid to surrender all
The singer questions whether they are both too scared to fully commit to the relationship.
We come so close to perfect love
The singer and their partner often get close to having a perfect relationship.
What in the world are we so frightened of
The singer wonders what they and their partner are scared of that is preventing them from having a perfect relationship.
Why can't we gamble on desire?
The singer wishes that they and their partner could take a risk and pursue their desires.
Let the spark of love finally catch fire
The singer hopes that their relationship can finally ignite and blossom into something more significant.
You and I always walk a slender line
The singer and their partner walk a fine line between what is real and what is false in their relationship.
Of what is false and what is real
The singer is referring to the fact that their relationship may not be as genuine and sincere as they think.
We're not as fragile
The singer believes that they and their partner are stronger than they appear.
As we sometimes like to feel
The singer acknowledges that they and their partner sometimes exaggerate their fragility.
We can spend our lives running all the time
The singer and their partner can continue to run from their problems forever if they choose to.
Or we can make a stand together
The singer believes that they and their partner can confront their relationship issues head-on and find a resolution.
You can take off those white gloves
The singer is telling their partner to let go of any pretenses and be themselves.
I know what you're dreaming of
The singer is confident that they understand their partner's deepest desires.
You and I are running out of alibi's
The singer and their partner are reaching the end of excuses for avoiding their relationship issues.
So close, baby
The singer is emphasizing how close they and their partner are to having a perfect relationship.
We come so close to perfect love
Reiteration of how close the singer and their partner are to achieving a perfect relationship.
Oh, what are we frightened of
The singer continues to question what is causing fear in their relationship.
So close, we come so close
Repetition of how close the singer and their partner are to having a perfect relationship.
We come so close, baby
Reiteration of how close the singer and their partner are to having a perfect relationship.
So close to perfect love
Final reiteration that the singer and their partner are close to having a perfect relationship.
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing, OLE MEDIA MANAGEMENT LP
Written by: Barry Mann, Daniel Grafton Hill, Scott Cutler
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind