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
Letting Love Go
Everything But the Girl Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But that's the way it goes, everyone knows.
Trying to make you love me again,
Crying at your door ust to hold you once more.
Darling I know it's so hard to let a love go,
It's not easy letting love go,
It's so hard to let a love go.
Darling don't I know, it is never easy letting go
Your friends said you looked well,
You promised that you'd write and call them at night.
But if you wake up in another town
And it's loneliness you've found just cause I'm not around,
Then darling you'll know it's so hard to let a love go,
It's not easy letting love go,
It's so hard to let a love go.
Darling don't I know it is never easy letting go
When it's gone on and on and on and on.
But I'm not gonna pretend -
I find it hard to forgive and find a new way to live.
And if I had my time again, I'd still have you back,
It's as simple as that.
Darling I know it's so hard to let a love go,
It's not easy letting love go,
It's so hard to let a love go.
Darling don't I know it is never easy letting go
When it's gone on and on and on and on.
The lyrics of Everything But the Girl's song "Letting Love Go" convey the depth of pain and difficulty in letting go of a love that has ended. The lead singer expresses feelings of betrayal and sadness, admitting that even though it's hard, she still wants the love to come back. The lyrics suggest that the person on the other end has moved on to other things, and that the lead singer is left with her longing and memories. She is trying to convince herself that she can move on, but deep down she knows it's not that simple. The chorus, which repeats twice, speaks to the universal struggle of letting go of someone you once loved deeply, even though the love has ended.
The song touches on themes of heartbreak and loss, but what sets it apart is the raw vulnerability of the lyrics and the haunting quality of the music. The slow, melancholic melody and hushed vocals lend an emotional depth to the lyrics, making the song a favorite among listeners who have experienced similar heartbreak.
Line by Line Meaning
Of course I feel betrayed,
I am feeling hurt and let down by you, there's no denying that.
But that's the way it goes, everyone knows.
It's a common experience to feel betrayed by someone you love and have them leave you.
Trying to make you love me again,
I am making all efforts to regain your love.
Crying at your door just to hold you once more.
I am begging you to let me in and hold you again.
Darling I know it's so hard to let a love go,
It's difficult to accept the end of a relationship that was once beautiful and meaningful.
It's not easy letting love go,
It's hard to move on from someone you truly loved.
It's so hard to let a love go.
It's tough to let go of a love that was so profound.
Darling don't I know, it is never easy letting go
I understand that it's tough to let go of someone you still love.
When it's gone on and on and on and on.
When a love has lasted for a long time, it's even harder to let it go.
Your friends said you looked well,
I heard from your friends that you were doing good.
You promised that you'd write and call them at night.
You said you would stay in touch with them even though we're no longer together.
But if you wake up in another town
In case you find yourself in a different city sometime.
And it's loneliness you've found just cause I'm not around,
If you are feeling alone and missing me, remember it's because I'm not there.
Then darling you'll know it's so hard to let a love go,
You will come to realize how difficult it is to move on from a love that's already ended.
It's not easy letting love go,
It's tough to let go of someone you truly loved.
It's so hard to let a love go.
It's tough to let go of a love that was so profound.
Darling don't I know it is never easy letting go
I understand that it's tough to let go of someone you still love.
When it's gone on and on and on and on.
When a love has lasted for a long time, it's even harder to let it go.
But I'm not gonna pretend -
I cannot fake my feelings or pretend that everything is alright.
I find it hard to forgive and find a new way to live.
It's challenging for me to let go of the past and move on to a new life without you.
And if I had my time again, I'd still have you back,
If I could go back in time, I would choose to be with you all over again.
It's as simple as that.
It's uncomplicated, and my love for you is true.
Darling I know it's so hard to let a love go,
It's difficult to accept the end of a relationship that was once beautiful and meaningful.
It's not easy letting love go,
It's hard to move on from someone you truly loved.
It's so hard to let a love go.
It's tough to let go of a love that was so profound.
Darling don't I know it is never easy letting go
I understand that it's tough to let go of someone you still love.
When it's gone on and on and on and on.
When a love has lasted for a long time, it's even harder to let it go.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: WATT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Rusty Walker
Tracey, sings like no other, that jazzy soft beautiful voice, Ben’s echo, the brass solos, that sax, that distant wailing guitar it all purrrrs, the bass guitar pure, smooth, soul funk, her words always so meaningful! ❤️💔
Dick Trickle
Her voice.....is hypnotic. She could sing the phone book.
aramanth
Sounded like a timeless classic the first time it came out!
Sam London
Great album 💿 10/10
Michael Mike 1965
One of my faves!!!! Thank you Tracy and Ben!!!!
Truong Nguyen
what a voice!
Michael Rainer
The first part of this song sounds like the opening music to any 80's/early 90's sitcom.
dennis paul toledo
letting love go is indeed ain't easy. . . its hard, its painful, its even difficult. At first it made your life miserable, thinking you're been betrayed. Feel hurt, you'll despised the one you used to love! you hate to even think about her. And . . . after all the hurts, still, it never easy letting her go. But there were no way to loose your pain, except to let her GO. . .
Anthony B. Corrales
Copy ko sir ha. Ganda Ng comment mo Sir.
Anthony B. Corrales
Well said. Very well said.