Ben met Tracey when they were at Hull University and she was singing in pop girl-band Marine Girls. Ben contributed a photograph, for a forthcoming album cover, after which, the pair became partners (later getting married). They formed Everything But the Girl in 1982, the name inspired by a Turner's Furniture advertising slogan (a popular store near the university). For a period, Tracey was active in both bands and the album with Ben's photo materialised, Lazy Ways (Apr 1983), which was to be Marine Girls' last. EBTG soon achieved national success and singles from The Language of Life (1990), got VH-1 airtime - heralding USA notoriety.
Once internationally established, they successfully achieved one of the greatest stylistic changes in modern music; originally a 'folk-pop with jazz influences' band, their fortunes changed with Amplified Heart (Jul 1994) and Todd Terry's successful remix of its track "Missing" (Aug 1994). Since then, EBTG have become more widely known as an electronic act, with Walking Wounded (May 1996), being a well-received example of their metamorphosed sound.
As of 1999, EBTG as a duo are currently on hiatus, as the couple raise their children, out of the public eye. Watt is a very successful club DJ, Buzzin Fly label-manager and remixer, releasing several 'Lazy Dog' mix compilations (named after his London-based deep house night).
Thorn's 2006 collaboration with Tiefschwarz, on the underground hit song "Damage", seems to have re-awoken her artistic spirit and she released a second solo album, Out of the Woods (Mar 2007).
As of March 2023 evidence that the hiatus will end soon emerges in an interview with Alexis Petridis, in which the release date of the new album 'Fuse' is given as 21 April. This new music was first mentioned by Tracy Thorn on twitter in late 2022, and now it emerging, with 2 new singles already released
Bittersweet
Everything But the Girl Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When the keys are in my hand
Don't say that everything is here to stay
And I must try to understand
When I'm trying not to look into your eyes
Trying not to listen to your lies
Trying just to keep hold of myself
You say, I set a path for you to follow
And I've already given in
But I only meant for you to taste, not swallow
Where I end is where you must begin
And try not to look into their eyes
Try not to listen to their lies
Try just to keep hold of yourself
Oh, I know it's hard when they leave you on their shelf
She's such a sweet girl free of the taints of this world
Think that's a compliment, don't be so full of sentiment
Why you worship sweetness? What virtue's there in weakness?
Being pushed about is nothing much to shout about, I know
So try not to look into their eyes
Try not to listen to their lies
Try just to keep hold of yourself
Oh, I know it's hard when they leave you on their shelf
The lyrics of Everything But the Girl's song Bittersweet convey the theme of maintaining self-control despite being trapped in a toxic relationship. The first stanza implies that the singer does not want to hear or believe any promises of permanence from the other person, who seems to have a tendency to deceive. Although the singer is trying to distance herself, she acknowledges that it is difficult when she feels used and overlooked by the other.
In the second stanza, the other person speaks, stating that he/she only intended to offer a temporary experience and that the singer should not feel obligated to conform to a predetermined path. The other person admits to being indulgent and manipulative but also implies that the singer willingly submitted to the situation.
The third stanza introduces a third-person perspective on the situation. The singer of this stanza questions the value of maintaining a sweet and naive demeanor, implying that they are susceptible to being taken advantage of. The third stanza serves to reinforce the message of maintaining self-control and resisting the temptation to be submissive.
Overall, the lyrics paint a poignant picture of the struggle to maintain one's sense of self-worth and dignity in a relationship where one person dominates the other.
Line by Line Meaning
Don't talk to me in that familiar way
Please don't speak to me as if we have a close relationship
When the keys are in my hand
Especially when I'm in control of the situation
Don't say that everything is here to stay
Don't lead me to believe that things will always be the same
And I must try to understand
I will try my best to comprehend
When I'm trying not to look into your eyes
I'm attempting to avoid eye contact with you
Trying not to listen to your lies
Making an effort to ignore your untruthfulness
Trying just to keep hold of myself
I'm struggling to maintain my composure
Oh, but it's hard when you leave me on the shelf
It's difficult when you ignore me and treat me like an object
You say, I set a path for you to follow
You claim that I influenced your decisions
And I've already given in
I've already acquiesced to your demands
But I only meant for you to taste, not swallow
I only intended for you to try it out, not make a long-term commitment
Where I end is where you must begin
I have completed my part, now it's your turn to take over
She's such a sweet girl free of the taints of this world
She comes across as a kind and innocent person, uncorrupted by the world's evils
Think that's a compliment, don't be so full of sentiment
You might see that as praise, but don't be overly emotional about it
Why you worship sweetness? What virtue's there in weakness?
What's so great about being sweet? Why do we see weakness as a virtue?
Being pushed about is nothing much to shout about, I know
Being manipulated or controlled is hardly something to celebrate
Oh, I know it's hard when they leave you on their shelf
It's tough to be ignored and treated like an object by others
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: STEVIN MCNAMARA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Joseph Thwaites
This record remains the greatest I have ever heard. A collection of superb songs sung and played beautifully. such a sweet girl Tracey x
dermot51
1984 Jazz chords all over the place the melodic structure shines through on nearly every song and this is the standout track
jehouse
Wow. I lived this album for about a year...how could I have forgotten it? Love this song!
Mat Mclean
fantastic debut. reminds me of rainy days as a teenager!
zaodizao
Thank you so much for posting !!!!! My favorite song of this AMAZING album ..
Brianne Johnson
What a timeless sound.
Francesco de Francesco - Consulenza Ristorazione
Ero giovanissimo quando sentii a casa di un mio collego questo disco, in vinile. A distanza di 40 anni è ancora una delle mie canzoni preferite.
Angelo
Ho anche il secondo Vinile dove c'è Anytown
father Christmas
A sad gorgeous song from the lovely CD. Eden. A song which could bring a tear to your eyes
Karen Knight
A song which still does bring tears to my eyes.. Wouldn't have it any other way, mind..