Everything But the Girl (EBTG), is a Hull, Yorkshire, UK, sophisti-pop / Do… Read Full Bio ↴Everything But the Girl (EBTG), is a Hull, Yorkshire, UK, sophisti-pop / Downtempo duo of Ben Watt and Tracey Thorn. They débuted with a single for a Cole Porter cover, Night And Day (Mar 1982, Cherry Red).

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

Careless
Everything But the Girl Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

It takes to make a home
But only one to break it down
Restless as the ocean roar
You've finally left town
Open up the bedroom door
There's a prince without a crown

You could not care less

And that was the first sign
But now you guess
That you've been too careless this time

You left him sleeping like a child
In the arms of someone else
Found it hard to criticize
Because you've done the same yourself
Pleasure is a pretty thing
Oh but love they say is wealth

You could not care less
And that was the first sign

But now you guess
That you've been too careless this time

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to "Careless" by Everything But the Girl tell a story of a relationship falling apart due to the careless actions of one of the partners. The first two lines of the song suggest that building a home requires effort and dedication from both partners, but it takes only one to break it down. The singer describes their partner as restless as the ocean roar, indicating that they may not have been fully committed to the relationship. The partner has finally left town and walked out on the relationship.

The singer then opens the bedroom door to find a "prince without a crown." This suggests that the partner they lost had the potential to be a great companion but was never appreciated. The chorus of the song reveals that the singer could not have cared less about the relationship, and they now regret handling it so carelessly. They left their partner sleeping like a child in someone else's arms and found it hard to criticize them for doing the same thing because they had done it themselves.

Towards the end of the song, the lyrics suggest that pleasure is fleeting and ultimately unfulfilling while love is the real wealth in life. The lyrics of "Careless" are a regretful reflection on a relationship that failed due to one partner's lack of care and attention.

Line by Line Meaning

It takes to make a home
A home can be built only with the contribution of multiple people.

But only one to break it down
A single person can ruin the peace and stability of a home by leaving it behind.

Restless as the ocean roar
Feeling agitated and unsettled, similar to the sound of the roaring ocean waves.

You've finally left town
You have left the place, possibly to escape your troubles or start anew.

Open up the bedroom door
Investigating the empty bedroom, searching for signs of the person who left.

There's a prince without a crown
There is a special person who has been taken for granted, unnoticed or underappreciated.

You could not care less
You showed complete disregard towards the situation, even though it was a warning sign.

And that was the first sign
This was the beginning of the end, the clear indication that something was wrong.

But now you guess
After the fact, you realize your mistake.

That you've been too careless this time
Your careless actions and disregard have led to the downfall of an important part of your life, and this time it was too far gone to repair it.

You left him sleeping like a child
You abandoned someone, leaving them in a vulnerable and dependent position, much like a sleeping child.

In the arms of someone else
The person you left had found solace and support in the arms of another, as they could no longer rely on you to be there for them.

Found it hard to criticize
You could not judge or blame the person you abandoned because you realized you had done the same or similar actions before.

Because you've done the same yourself
You recognize the hypocrisy in criticizing someone for their actions when you yourself have done something similar previously.

Pleasure is a pretty thing
Temporary gratification for the senses may seem attractive and seductive, but it is not a replacement for real love.

Oh but love they say is wealth
The tangible and intangible riches of love, including trust, respect, and emotional investment, are worth more than any superficial pleasure.

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: WATT

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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