Two of the band's singles reached the U.S. top 20 on the Billboard Hot 100: "You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)" and "Brand New Lover".
"You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)" peaked at number one for two weeks in 1985 in the UK, then charted again in 2006 following Burns' appearance on the television reality show Celebrity Big Brother and on season 4 of Stranger Things. It also became the first of two singles to top the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart. In December 2016, Billboard ranked them as the 96th most successful "dance artist" of all time. The band was discontinued following Pete Burns' death in 2016.
Wish You Were Here
Dead or Alive Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You have what somebody else has to stay with
I simply cannot ignore you
Come over here, I'll do something for you
Girls won't, boy's don't
You've got me, you get a lot of meat
I call you up and
*all I can say is oh I wish you were here, here
**I should grow up
and learn that people are not toys now
forget it boy, forget it boy
I won't
I have got my fingers in my ears
I block out what people are saying
Block out the noise
Block out the noise
You won't
(*repeat)
No one would know
(**repeat)
(*repeat)
No one would know
Oh won't you please come
No one would know
You know I wish, I wish that you were here
I wish, I wish that you were here
The lyrics to Dead or Alive's song "Wish You Were Here" tell the story of someone desperately seeking the attention of a person they have feelings for. The opening lines "Oh, I need somebody to play with baby, You have what somebody else has to stay with" show someone wanting an intimate connection with another person who may be with someone else. They acknowledge their attraction to the individual but also their desire to be playful and have fun together. The repetition of "I wish you were here" throughout the song highlights their longing for physical and emotional closeness with that person, having them present in their life.
The following lines "Girls won't, boy's don't, You've got me, you get a lot of meat" express a sense of competition in society, where males are supposed to be more assertive and pursue women, and women are supposed to be passive and wait for someone to approach them. But the person singing the song is not playing along with these societal norms and is instead openly expressing their attraction for the other person. They are willing to offer something in return, something the other person might be interested in, but they understand that the other person has no obligations towards them. The last lines of the song "You know I wish, I wish that you were here, I wish, I wish that you were here" show that even though the other person may be with someone else or unconcerned with them, this person still wishes and hopes that they could be with them.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh, I need somebody to play with baby
I want to have someone to spend time with and have fun.
You have what somebody else has to stay with
You possess unique qualities that make people want to stay in your company.
I simply cannot ignore you
I find it impossible to overlook or disregard you.
Come over here, I'll do something for you
If you come closer to me, I'll offer something to make you feel good.
Girls won't, boy's don't
Girls won't take the same risks as boys so they may miss out on opportunities.
You've got me, you get a lot of meat
If you have me, don't settle because you can have much more.
I call you up and
When I try to reach you on the phone,
*all I can say is oh I wish you were here, here
I can only express how much I wish you were here with me.
where I can see ya, see ya
So I can see you with my own eyes and not just through a phone or computer screen.
**I should grow up
I need to become mature and accept that people are more than just playthings.
and learn that people are not toys now
I need to understand that human beings are not meant to be used and discarded like toys.
forget it boy, forget it boy
But for now, I don't want to think about it so let's just move on.
I won't
I refuse to change my ways.
I have got my fingers in my ears
I am ignoring what others are saying.
I block out what people are saying
I am choosing not to hear what others are trying to tell me.
Block out the noise
I am trying to silence the voices of reason around me.
Block out the noise
I am trying to silence the voices of reason around me.
You won't
You won't be able to ignore what others are saying forever.
(*repeat)
I still wish you were here with me.
No one would know
We could have our own secret and no one else needs to know.
**repeat)
I need to remind myself to grow up and accept reality.
(*repeat)
I still wish you were here with me.
No one would know
We could have our own secret and no one else needs to know.
Oh won't you please come
Please come and be with me.
No one would know
We could have our own secret and no one else needs to know.
You know I wish, I wish that you were here
I really wish you were here with me.
I wish, I wish that you were here
I truly desire your presence and wish you were here with me.
Lyrics Β© Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: WAYNE HUSSEY, PETER JOZZEPI BURNS, MIKE PERCY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Greg Skaalrud
I Love this song. One of their most underrated songs
aldo alda
+Greg Skaalrud Exactly!!!! Awesome song. Pete's vocals incredible.
tanukiss52
PETE IS A GREAT FREAKIN INSANE Β SINGER, LOVE HIM!!!!
Darren Mitchell
I love this song, the energy, vocal arrangement & production.
Virgil Harris
Love this song!!! I love Pete Burns!!!
James Griffiths
One of the best songs pete has done π
mychesturseat
adore this song, reminds me of putting on my make up on a Friday night to go sit in my nans living room, them freaking out,they loved it really. haha
Doodles 2016
I wish you were still here Pete rest in peace our legendary icon x
Henry Yap
Sophisticated Boom Boom best 80s
aldo alda
+Henry Yap Totalmente de acuerdo!!!!!! Yo pensaba que era el unico que pensaba igual. Es reconfortante saber que no estamos solos que Dead or Alive sigue vivo y en el 2016 seguimos amando la musica de estos maestros adelantados a su tiempo.