Erasure entered the music scene in 1985 with their debut single "Who Needs Love (Like That)". Beginning in late 1986 with the release of their single Sometimes, Erasure established themselves on the British charts; albums such as The Circus, Wild!, Chorus, I Say I Say I Say, Loveboat and Nightbird demonstrated a further diversity of sound.
The album that boosted their career tremendously was The Innocents, which was released in 1988. A Little Respect and Chains of Love both hit the Billboard Top 100. Most people will probably remember Erasure for A Little Respect, which became one of their signature songs.
Clarke formerly was a member of Depeche Mode and later had a successful career with the duo Yazoo (known as Yaz in the US). Later he split with Yazoo partner Alison Moyet and briefly formed The Assembly with producer Eric Radcliffe. After a successful Assembly single ("Never Never"), Clarke released an unsuccessful one-off single with vocalist Paul Quinn ("One Day"). He then placed a blind advertisement in Melody Maker looking for a vocalist for a new musical project. He selected Andy Bell, who was the forty-first to audition (and whose voice would often be compared to Moyet's). From the start, their success was founded upon their songwriting skills. Clarke's talent for writing melodic, catchy pop songs was evident from his years with Depeche Mode and Yazoo. Bell's gifts as a lyricist and melodist added depth and character to Clarke's style (additionally, Bell was openly gay from the beginning, and he reflected this in his lyrics at a time when society as a whole was more ignorant around queer issues than it is today - making Erasure's success all the more phenomenal). As pop craftsmen, the pair's work bears comparison with that of Depeche Mode, Pet Shop Boys, Eurythmics, OMD, Alphaville, a-ha, Roxette and other pop songwriters.
Though their productivity and record sales declined beginning in the second half of the 1990s, Erasure scored at least one Top 30 hit with the release of every new album. Few electronic bands have demonstrated the durability of Erasure.
In 2005 Erasure made a comeback with their number one position on the US Dance Chart, eighteen years after their first chart-topper. This success was mirrored in the UK with the debut single from Nightbird ("Breathe") reaching number four in the charts. Erasure also enabled fans to configure and buy their own remixes of the single 'Don't Say You Love Me' through the band website. Each variant of the song was limited to a single download.
2006 saw the release of the album Union Street, which features a collection of previously released Erasure songs that the band have reinterpreted with an acoustic / country & western style. The album is named after the recording studio in Brooklyn where it was recorded.
A new album, Light at the End of the World, was released in 2007.
Alien
Erasure Lyrics
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Pure emotion, a trip
No word of a lie
Pressed to your lips
We collide, slowly twist
Ardent and lithe
Kisses the earth and I am found
Love's young dream could be alien
Strange ways, how we fly
Tuning low like a radio
Whispering goodbye
Just so it seems
Softly potent, serene
Vacant and shy
You are everywhere
Under my skin and in my hair
Love's young dream could be alien
Strange ways, how we fly
Tuning low like a radio
Whispering goodbye
Seeps into the ground
Kisses the earth and I am found
Love's young dream could be alien
Strange ways, how we fly
Tuning low like a radio
Whispering goodbye
Love's young dream could be alien
Strange ways, how we fly
Tuning low like a radio
Whispering goodbye
Love's young dream could be alien
Strange ways, how we fly
The lyrics to Erasure's song Alien are filled with emotion and evocative imagery. The opening line "Cuts to the quick" indicates a sudden and intense feeling. The singer then describes the collision and slow twist of two bodies, creating a scene that is both ardent and lithe. The love that the singer is experiencing feels otherworldly or "alien", with the strange ways they fly and the whispered goodbye. Despite the intense connection between the two lovers, there is also a sense of vacancy and shyness.
The second stanza picks up on this theme of the love being "everywhere", seeping into the ground, and being under the singer's skin and in their hair. Love's young dream is portrayed as alien and strange, something that is both potent and serene. The final stanza repeats the chorus, emphasizing the idea that this love is something that is outside of the norm, with the whispered goodbye being the ultimate reminder of its otherworldliness.
Line by Line Meaning
Cuts to the quick
This song gets straight to the point and is very powerful from the beginning
Pure emotion, a trip
This song is all about the raw emotions that come with a new romance
No word of a lie
All the words in this song are genuine and true
Pressed to your lips
The passion shared between two people is so strong that they can't help but kiss deeply
We collide, slowly twist
The two lovers come together and move slowly as one entity, fully absorbed in the moment
Ardent and lithe
The passion between the two is intense and passionate, yet also graceful and effortless
Seeps into the ground
The love shared between the couple spreads and touches everything around them
Kisses the earth and I am found
The couple's love has become so strong that it has helped the singer find themselves
Love's young dream could be alien
Falling in love can sometimes feel surreal and otherworldly
Strange ways, how we fly
The journey of falling in love is filled with twists, turns and unexpected surprises
Tuning low like a radio
The singer and their lover are in sync with each other, like two radio stations perfectly tuned to the same frequency
Whispering goodbye
The song ends on a poignant note, with the singer whispering a farewell to their lost love
Just so it seems
The love shared between the two is so beautiful it feels like a dream
Softly potent, serene
Their love is gentle yet powerful, with a sense of peacefulness and calmness
Vacant and shy
The singers feel vulnerable and exposed in the face of their powerful love
You are everywhere
The memory of their lost love continues to permeate every aspect of the singer's life
Under my skin and in my hair
The memory of the lost love is deeply ingrained in the singer's very being
Lyrics © DOMINO PUBLISHING COMPANY
Written by: ADAM ANT, MARCO PIRRONI, MARTIN JAMES BOORER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind