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.
Let It Flow
Erasure Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
"They were few and far between."?
That`s the understatement of the year.
Some would call it passion,
But it means a lot to me.
Life`s little joke is coming clear.
Stronger than strong, wider than wide,
Deeper than deep, higher than high.
Old is love, any love is fine.
Let it shine, let it flow.
Let it flow through me.
Old is love, any love is fine.
Let it shine, let it flow.
Let it flow through me.
You got twenty-twenty vision,
When walking down the street.
There`s a fool on every corner,
Standing by.
Nearly midnight and nothing here for me.
Guess I have to wait `til the morning light.
And that is:
Stronger than strong, wider than wide,
Deeper than deep, higher than high.
Old is love, any love is fine.
Let it shine, let it flow.
Let it flow through me.
Old is love, any love is fine.
Let it shine, let it flow.
Let it flow through me.
Old is love, any love is fine.
Let it shine, let it flow.
Let it flow through me.
Old is love, any love is fine.
Let it shine, let it flow.
Let it flow through me.
The lyrics to Erasure's song Let It Flow shed light on the complexities of love, how it can be all-encompassing and encompassing of life's little jokes. The opening lines probe the singer's past, questioning the legitimacy of claims that there were good times, since they appear few and far between. This is a sarcastic remark, questioning whether these moments of happiness actually occurred. Some may call the struggle that the singer is expressing passion, which in turn represents what life is about. By highlighting shortcomings, whether it be in relationships or anything else, this is how we come to better understand ourselves and our place in the world.
As the song continues, the singer describes the power of love, which transcends all boundaries. Love is a force that is stronger than the strongest, wider than the widest, deeper than the deepest, and higher than the highest. As such, love is complex, able to present in any form and still be significant. The song emphasizes the importance of letting this love shine and flow through oneself.
The song concludes with the line “Old is Love”, highlighting that love, no matter where it comes from, is never outdated, any love is fine. It is clear that Erasure's Let It Flow is a song about the power of love, its complexity, and its ability to give meaning and purpose to our lives.
Line by Line Meaning
What about the good times:
"They were few and far between."?
The good times were rare and infrequent.
That`s the understatement of the year.
It's an immense understatement.
Some would call it passion,
But it means a lot to me.
Others may label it passion, but it holds great significance to me personally.
Life`s little joke is coming clear.
The irony and humor of life is making itself apparent.
Old is love, any love is fine.
Let it shine, let it flow.
Let it flow through me.
Love is timeless and holds value in any form. I allow it to radiate and freely move through me.
You got twenty-twenty vision,
When walking down the street.
There`s a fool on every corner,
Standing by.
Being perceptive is useful in navigating life, especially when there are foolish people around every corner.
Nearly midnight and nothing here for me.
Guess I have to wait `til the morning light.
It's late and I don't have anything to do, so I'll wait until morning for something to happen.
Old is love, any love is fine.
Let it shine, let it flow.
Let it flow through me.
Love is timeless and holds value in any form. I allow it to radiate and freely move through me.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: ANDY BELL, VINCE CLARKE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Kim Galle
Sadly most of Erasure's spectacular B-sides like this one are not on iTunes. Erasure needs to do what Depeche did in 2006: remaster all their albums and release them with all the B-sides from that era. A song like this needs not to be lost among the songs that actually made it to the record.
Luciano Valenzuela
a complete remix album of their more than 40 hits.
Jeff Johnson
they can. They're both produced by Mute Records. Vincent Clarke also did Depeche Mode's 1st album Speak And Spell. ☮️🎶🖖
DaddyD
Erasure b-side's are better than most of other artist's single releases!!!
jeff wilkinson
YES!!
Hirnlego999
Used to be. Yesterday's b-sides are better than today's a-sides.
Mason James
So funny but true
BillAnt
Absolutely! This song gives me such a nice warm fuzzy feeling every time I listen to it... it's amazing how all the decades haven't detracted from its enjoyment... in fact made it even stronger. :)
Frank Montoya
Dead of Night, i think was a B-side, and it think it's more clever and more driving than "I Love to Hate You."
Luciano Gelio Siviero
Clássicos do ERASURE, ERASURE é a melhor banda de música eletrônica do planeta, todos os extraterrestres, todos os espíritos, todos os anjos estão aguardando a chegada da comemoração dos 35 anos de história e sucesso do ERASURE, onde será. ...