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.
Heart of Stone
Erasure Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I´m gonna wait until you come home
Oh why am I all alone?
I´m as good as dead yeh
Ooh I lost my sense of passion and direction
To protect myself from hurting and despair
Listen to my heart my soul is aching
'Cause you went and left me
And you so upset me
I can´t believe that you would ever find it easy
To walk away as if you´d never really cared
Did you expect that I´d give in and beg for mercy
Out in the gutter
Out in the gutter
I cry for your heart of stone
I´m gonna wait until you come home
Oh why am I all alone?
I´m as good as dead yeh
Ooh I look back on the first night with affection
And if you had a heart that you´d remember too
The way we used to run around like little children
Fool or a saint?
My mother told me
You´d be no good for me
I cry for your heart of stone
I´m gonna wait until you come home
Oh why am I all alone?
I´m as good as dead yeh
Out in the gutter
I've got to break that heart of stone
I cry for your heart of stone
(I been worried about you baby)
Oh when am I all alone
(I been worried about you baby)
I´m as good as dead yeh
(I want you back)
The lyrics of Erasure's song "Heart of Stone" is all about heartbreak, longing and holding on to love even if it hurts. The song is a ballad of love lost and regret. The singer is crying for someone with a heart of stone, someone who seems cold, distant and unfeeling towards him or her. The singer's sadness is palpable in the first few lines of the song, "I cry for your heart of stone, I'm gonna wait until you come home, oh why am I all alone? I'm as good as dead."
The singer then talks about losing his sense of passion and direction after the heartbreak. He is protecting himself from more hurt and despair. Meanwhile, his heart and soul are aching, wondering whether he is a fool or a saint to still hold on to love. He cannot believe that the person he loved would just walk away and act like he never cared. The singer is left alone in the gutter, feeling hopeless and alone. Yet, he still holds on to affectionate memories of the first night they spent together, running around like little children. The singer's mother had told him that the person he loved would be no good for him, but he still cries for that heart of stone and hopes that the person would come home to him.
The song is a poignant reminder of the pain one experiences when love is lost. It is a powerful exploration of the emotions that emerge after a heartbreak. Despite the heartache, the singer still hopes and longs for his lost love. The chorus, "I cry for your heart of stone, I'm gonna wait until you come home, oh why am I all alone? I'm as good as dead," expresses the depths of the singer's despair and heartache.
Line by Line Meaning
I cry for your heart of stone
I am pained by your lack of emotion and empathy
I´m gonna wait until you come home
I am determined to wait for you to return despite the pain you have caused me
Oh why am I all alone?
I question why I am left by myself
I´m as good as dead yeh
I feel disconnected and lifeless
Ooh I lost my sense of passion and direction
I have lost my drive and purpose
To protect myself from hurting and despair
I am shielding myself from emotional pain and hopelessness
Listen to my heart my soul is aching
My heart and soul are in agony and distress
Fool or saint?
I question whether my actions are foolish or noble
'Cause you went and left me
You abandoned me and caused me pain
And you so upset me
Your actions have caused me significant distress
I can´t believe that you would ever find it easy
I am shocked that walking away from me is effortless for you
To walk away as if you´d never really cared
You left me as if our connection never mattered
Did you expect that I´d give in and beg for mercy
Did you anticipate me pleading for forgiveness?
Out in the gutter
I feel like I've hit rock bottom
Ooh I look back on the first night with affection
I remember our first night together fondly
And if you had a heart that you´d remember too
If you had emotions, you would remember it too
The way we used to run around like little children
We used to have carefree times like children playing
Fool or a saint?
I question whether my actions are foolish or noble
My mother told me
My mother warned me
You´d be no good for me
You would not be beneficial for me
Out in the gutter
I feel like I've hit rock bottom
I've got to break that heart of stone
I need to break down your emotional walls
I cry for your heart of stone
I am pained by your lack of emotion and empathy
Oh when am I all alone
I question why I am left by myself
I´m as good as dead yeh
I feel disconnected and lifeless
(I want you back)
I still long for your return
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: LUCY CLARKE, DAN KELLY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind