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
Old Friends
Everything But the Girl Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
On all those years
Not for the last time names will ring
In my ear
When there was just a gang of us
Storming the town by train and bus
A moment of thought this heart sends
To old friends
Not for the first time I look back
On my first love
Unable to speak or think or move
Hand in glove
But what of it now and where is he
He who once meant so much to me
Because we are not, I can't pretend
Now old friends
I was told love should hold old friends
I was told love should hold od friends
But when you leave you will close the door
Behind you
Don't we always
And time won't make amends
To old friends
Standing here with my arm around you
Life's moved on
And all its borderlines
Are being redrawn
The winter has come the roads are white
Everyone's home late tonight
May we stay or will it depend
As old friends
In the end still old friends
The song Old Friends by Everything But the Girl is a reflection on the past and the people who have played a significant role in the singer's life. The song begins with the singer looking back on the years that have passed and the memories that still resonate with them. They acknowledge that they will never forget the names of those who they shared their youth with. The singer then recalls a time when they were part of a group of friends that went on adventures around town using public transportation, reminiscing on the blissful moments they had together. As they think back to those memories, they send a moment of thought to their old friends.
The song continues as the singer reflects on their first love and the intense emotions they once felt for them. However, time has passed and the singer has moved on from the past, realizing that the love they once had is now gone. They wonder where their first love is now and acknowledge that they can no longer pretend that they will be together again. The singer then states that they were told that love should hold old friends, but they now realize that when one leaves, they close the door behind them, and time does not make amends to old friends. The song ends with the singer standing next to someone they care about, reflecting on how life has moved on, and all its borderlines are being redrawn. They wonder if they will stay friends with this person or if their friendship will depend on circumstances, ultimately acknowledging that in the end, they will still be old friends.
Overall, the song Old Friends is a beautiful and insightful reflection on the passage of time and the people who have come and gone in our lives. The lyrics evoke a sense of familiarity, nostalgia and a longing for the connections we once had. The song's melody and delivery, combined with the lyrics, create a reflective and emotional piece that is both evocative and timeless.
Line by Line Meaning
Not for the first time I look back
I often reflect on the past
On all those years
The years that have gone by
Not for the last time names will ring
I will keep remembering old friends' names
In my ear
In my memory
When there was just a gang of us
We used to be part of a group of friends
Storming the town by train and bus
We used to go out and explore the town by any means possible
A moment of thought this heart sends
I have a moment of reflection
To old friends
Thinking about old friends
On my first love
Remembering my first romantic partner
Unable to speak or think or move
I was so taken with them that I lost my capability to think or move
Hand in glove
We were very close
But what of it now and where is he
I now wonder what happened to that person and where they are now
He who once meant so much to me
They were once very significant to me
Because we are not, I can't pretend
I have to accept our relationship is over
Now old friends
We are now just old friends
I was told love should hold old friends
People say that true love should keep old friends together
But when you leave you will close the door
When you leave, you leave for good
Behind you
Leaving everything behind
Don't we always
Isn't that what always happens?
And time won't make amends
No matter how much time goes by, things won't be the same
To old friends
For old friends
Standing here with my arm around you
Current encounter with one of my old friends
Life's moved on
Our lives have progressed
And all its borderlines
All the limits have moved or disappeared
Are being redrawn
Everything seems to have changed
The winter has come the roads are white
It's currently winter and the roads are covered in snow
Everyone's home late tonight
People come back home late nowadays
May we stay or will it depend
Not sure if we'll see each other again or not
As old friends
Just two old friends reconnecting, for now
In the end still old friends
Even if we stop talking or seeing each other, we'll still be old friends
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BEN WATT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@henriqueramos3197
"Old Friends"
Release Date: 1991
[Verse 1]
Not for the first time I look back
On all those years
Not for the last time names will ring
In my ears
When there was just a gang of us
Storming the town by train and bus
A moment of thought this heart sends
To old friends
[Verse 2]
Not for the first time I look back
On my first love
Unable to speak or think or move
Hand in glove
What of it now and where is he
He who once meant so much to me?
Because we are not, I can't pretend
Now old friends
[Bridge]
I was told love should hold old friends
I was told love should hold old friends
When you leave you will close the door behind you
Don't we always
And time won't make amends
To old friends
[Verse 3]
Standing here with my arm around you
Life's moved on
And all its borderlines
Are being redrawn
The winter has come, the roads are white
Everyone's home late tonight
May we stay or will it depend
As old friends
In the end still old friends?
[Outro]
Oh, old friends
Old friends
Oh yeah
Oh yeah
Oh, old friends
Produced By Everything But The Girl
Written By Ben Watt
From the album WORLDWIDE (1991)
Included on the greatest hits compilation THE BEST OF EBTG (1996)
@henriqueramos3197
"Old Friends"
Release Date: 1991
[Verse 1]
Not for the first time I look back
On all those years
Not for the last time names will ring
In my ears
When there was just a gang of us
Storming the town by train and bus
A moment of thought this heart sends
To old friends
[Verse 2]
Not for the first time I look back
On my first love
Unable to speak or think or move
Hand in glove
What of it now and where is he
He who once meant so much to me?
Because we are not, I can't pretend
Now old friends
[Bridge]
I was told love should hold old friends
I was told love should hold old friends
When you leave you will close the door behind you
Don't we always
And time won't make amends
To old friends
[Verse 3]
Standing here with my arm around you
Life's moved on
And all its borderlines
Are being redrawn
The winter has come, the roads are white
Everyone's home late tonight
May we stay or will it depend
As old friends
In the end still old friends?
[Outro]
Oh, old friends
Old friends
Oh yeah
Oh yeah
Oh, old friends
Produced By Everything But The Girl
Written By Ben Watt
From the album WORLDWIDE (1991)
Included on the greatest hits compilation THE BEST OF EBTG (1996)
@derrickwilliams7123
Embrace brilliance!..Tracy's voice is just perfection..Ben is awesome!..saw them in Dallas years ago..got a post card from them too!..I'm an older brutha who got lucky with these two brilliant folks!..
@SintaMaroe
I guess so!
@carlog5791
sigh... such a different time.. memories good bad, just better times.. definitely better music.
@tomhamilton5261
Brilliant duo. Tracey Thorn’s voice-sublime and Ben Watt’s musicianship brilliant .
@Videos80sRemastered
💯
@RampartPh
1991 was a great year
@user-jg5iy5bg8e
中学生の頃、憧れてた先輩にいい声だから聞いてみてって言われて初めて聞いた洋楽。もの悲しげなメロディが心に響きます。
@scottyunitedboy2925
What a perfectly beautiful song in every sense
@Videos80sRemastered
Agreed 💯
@henriqueramos3197
EVERYTHING BUT THE GIRL - THE BEST OF EBTG
Everything but the Girl are an English musical duo formed in Kingston upon Hull in 1982, consisting of lead singer, songwriter, composer and occasional guitarist Tracey Thorn and guitarist, keyboardist, producer and singer Ben Watt. The group's early works have been categorized as sophisti-pop with jazz influences before undergoing an electronic turn following the worldwide success of the 1994 hit single "Missing". The duo have achieved four top 10 and 12 top 40 singles in the UK and have received eight gold and two platinum album BPI certifications in the UK as well as one gold album RIAA certification in the US. Their cover of "I Don't Want to Talk About It" reached No. 3 on the UK Singles Chart in 1988, a feat later matched by "Missing", which charted high in several countries and reached No. 2 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 in 1995 and spent over seven months on the UK Singles Chart thanks to a popular remix by Todd Terry which led to a Brit Award nomination for Best British Single. Their ninth album Walking Wounded (1996) set a new career best by entering the UK albums chart at No. four, and spawned the top 10 singles "Walking Wounded" and "Wrong". The band went inactive in 2000, with Thorn declaring that she would no longer perform live. Thorn and Watt, who did not publicise their romantic relationship while active, married in 2009, both released solo albums and said it was unlikely Everything but the Girl would be active again. However, in November 2022, Thorn announced an album had been recorded for release in the second quarter of 2023. Fuse, the band's first new material in 24 years, was released on 21 April 2023. The discography of Everything but the Girl consists of eleven studio albums, eight compilation albums, five extended plays, thirty-one singles, and one video album. The band formed in Hull during 1982, consisting of lead singer and occasional guitarist Tracey Thorn and guitarist, keyboardist, and singer Ben Watt. ♥️💯‼️And I have the great honor of having in my discography eight CD-albums by Everything But The Girl (or EBTG). Because I have three duplicate CD-albums and the other two CD-albums are just one copy of each. So, I have in my discography AMPLIFIED HEART (1994) two copies of this CD-Album. I also have two copies of the CD-Album WALKING WOUNDED (1996). I still have a single copy of the CD-Album, which is a greatest hits, THE BEST OF EBTG (1996). Also a single unit, also on CD-Album, from TEMPERAMENTAL (1999). And, finally, the most recent record work, released on April 21st of this year, the CD-Album, FUSE. Also two copies. Altogether there are eight CD-albums by Everything But The Girl as I mentioned at the beginning of this comment. Honestly, I've loved this duo since I heard the radio version of "I Don't Want To Talk About It". And, in the mid-nineties, when Todd Terry remixed "Missing", it was a huge commercial success worldwide. On their latest studio album, FUSE (2023), the British duo is to be congratulated for the excellent work. It took them a long time to come back, but the new CD-Album was worth the wait. It's very well done. I love the ten songs! It's worth having an album, in my case, in CD format! I know all the previous works of the EBTG. But after "Missing" and AMPLIFIED HEART, Ben Watt and Tracey Thorn became huge international stars! I simply adore them! ♥️💯‼️The Best of Everything but the Girl is a compilation album by English musical duo Everything but the Girl, released in 1996. Track listing: 1. "Missing" (Todd Terry Remix) from Amplified Heart, 2. "Driving" (Todd Terry Remix) Previously unreleased mix, 3. "Old Friends" from Worldwide, 4. "One Place" from Worldwide. 5. "I Don't Want to Talk About It" from Idlewild, 6. "Love Is Strange" from Acoustic, 7. "The Only Living Boy in New York" from Home Movies, 8. "Apron Strings" from Idlewild, 9. "When All's Well" from Love Not Money, 10. "Another Bridge" from Eden, 11. "Each and Every One" from Eden, 12. "Rollercoaster" from Amplified Heart, 13. "Driving" (The Underdog Remix) Previously unreleased mix, 14. "Better Things" (Massive Attack with Tracey Thorn) from Protection, 15. "Protection" (Massive Attack with Tracey Thorn) from Protection. Charts: Chart (1996) Peak position: New Zealand Albums (RMNZ) 30, Scottish Albums (OCC) 46, UK Albums (OCC) 23, Certifications: Region Certification Certified units/sales: Australia (ARIA) Gold 35,000^, United Kingdom (BPI) Platinum 300,000^ ^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. ♥️💯‼️