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
Flipside
Everything But the Girl Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I think I've changed a lot since then, Do you?
Ideas that I'd held for years, emotional baggage, hopes and fears,
Seen somehow in a different light, not as wrong , but not as right as they seemed before.
Was I different then?
Have I changed?
And will I change again?
I'm thinking of a mental free-fall, a partial total memory recall like what of the future, what of the past, what of the present will last?
Am I better off or in reverse, untaught by experience and therefore worse?
I mean a lot, I mean a little.
I mean a lot, I mean a little.
I'm like a coastline, a beach and spit.
Spurn Point and the rest of it.
The sea, the tide, the salt and foam.
I'm the blasted land, the sand shifting, drifting out and back, then breached, drowned, defenses down, rebuilt from this day on.
Or maybe not, maybe my moment's gone.
I mean a lot, I mean a little.
I mean a lot, I mean a little.
Am I the same person I seemed to be?
Does all of this depress me?
I won't listen, I won't talk.
A weightless life, I moonwalk.
I mean a lot, I mean a little.
I'm supple, brittle, pig in the middle.
There's resilience inside my face, but sometimes nothing.
Deep space.
What I feel and what I fear is always here my atmosphere.
Pig in the middle
I mean a lot, I mean a little.
I mean a lot, I mean a little.
The song "Flipside" by Everything But the Girl is a reflective and introspective look into one's own growth and change over time. The lyrics evoke a sense of nostalgia and contemplation, as the singer questions whether they have evolved or regressed since the summer of '92. The opening lines set the scene in London, and the singer reflects on the ideas and emotional baggage they carried with them during that time. The preconceptions they once held are no longer as clear-cut, and they now see things in a different light. The singer then goes on to ponder the concept of change itself, questioning whether they will continue to evolve in the future.
The second verse uses powerful imagery of a coastline and sea to depict the singer's own resilience and adaptability. The metaphor of the coastline being battered by the sea, only to be rebuilt again and again, represents the singer's ability to persevere through tough times. However, there is a hint of uncertainty towards the end of the verse, as the singer questions whether their "moment" has passed, and whether they can continue to adapt and change.
In the chorus, the singer portrays the dichotomy of emotions that they feel, going from feeling strong and resilient to feeling vulnerable and uncertain. The final lines express the constant presence of both fear and hope in their life, making it a constant balancing act.
Line by Line Meaning
London, summer '92
Reflecting on a specific time and place.
I think I've changed a lot since then, Do you?
Questioning personal growth and how others perceive it.
Ideas that I'd held for years, emotional baggage, hopes and fears,
Contemplating old beliefs, feelings, and worries.
Seen somehow in a different light, not as wrong , but not as right as they seemed before.
Realizing that past perceptions were not necessarily accurate.
Was I different then?
Questioning identity in the past.
Have I changed?
Questioning personal growth in general.
And will I change again?
Wondering about future personal growth.
I'm thinking of a mental free-fall, a partial total memory recall like what of the future, what of the past, what of the present will last?
Musing about the fleeting nature of time and memory.
And say I did forget and revert to the old days, forget this hurt.
Considering the possibility of reverting to old patterns and forgetting current struggles.
Am I better off or in reverse, untaught by experience and therefore worse?
Questioning the value of past experiences and how they shape us.
I mean a lot, I mean a little.
Acknowledging the complexity of personal feelings and thoughts.
I'm like a coastline, a beach and spit.
Using a metaphor to describe personal identity.
Spurn Point and the rest of it.
Referencing a specific landmark in the metaphor.
The sea, the tide, the salt and foam.
Elaborating on the metaphor of personal identity as a coastline.
I'm the blasted land, the sand shifting, drifting out and back, then breached, drowned, defenses down, rebuilt from this day on.
Describing the constant changes and evolution of personal identity.
Or maybe not, maybe my moment's gone.
Contemplating the possibility of missed opportunities.
Am I the same person I seemed to be?
Reflecting on the consistency of personal identity.
Does all of this depress me?
Questioning the emotional impact of this self-reflection.
I won't listen, I won't talk.
Expressing a resistance to opening up about personal struggles.
A weightless life, I moonwalk.
Describing a feeling of detachment or avoidance.
I'm supple, brittle, pig in the middle.
Using a metaphor to describe personal resilience and vulnerability.
There's resilience inside my face, but sometimes nothing.
Acknowledging both strength and weakness in personal character.
Deep space.
Using a metaphor to describe personal emotional distance.
What I feel and what I fear is always here my atmosphere.
Reflecting on the constant presence of personal emotions and anxieties.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BEN WATT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind