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
The Night I Heard Caruso Sing
Everything But the Girl Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Are the roots my father knows
The holidays at Oban
And the towns around Montrose
But even as he sleeps
They're loading bombs into the hills
And the waters in the lochs
Can run deep but never still
I've thought of having children
But I've gone and changed my mind
It's hard enough to watch the news
Let alone explain it to a child
To cast your eye 'cross nature
Over fields of rape and corn
And tell him without flinching
Not to fear where he's been born
Then someone sat me down last night
And I heard Caruso sing
He's almost as good as Presley
And if I only do one thing
I'll sing songs to my father
I'll sing songs to my child
It's time to hold your loved ones
While the chains are loosed and the world
Runs wild
And even as we speak
They're loading bombs onto a white train
How can we afford to ever sleep
So sound again
The Night I Heard Caruso Sing by Everything But the Girl is a beautiful song that touches on the themes of family, war, and love. The song begins with a mention of the different places the singer’s father knows and has visited. Despite the beauty of these places, the singer acknowledges the harsh reality that war is taking place, and bombs are being loaded into the hills. The line “waters in the lochs can run deep but never still” is particularly poignant, suggesting that even though the surface of the water may appear calm, there is always unrest beneath.
The second verse delves into the internal struggle the singer is facing about having children. While it is a desire they’ve had, they realize it would be difficult to raise a child in a world where bad news is always present. The singer reflects on the responsibility of raising a child, and the importance of teaching them to appreciate nature and not fear the world they’ve been born into.
In the final verse, the song takes a turn as the singer talks about how they heard Caruso sing and realized that singing songs to their father and child is one thing they need to do. In a world where bombs are still being loaded onto white trains, it’s essential to hold onto family and the ones we love. The final line of the song “How can we afford to ever sleep so sound again” serves as a stark reminder that there are still battles being fought and we cannot afford to be complacent.
Line by Line Meaning
The highlands and the lowlands
My father is familiar with the geography of Scotland - the highlands and lowlands.
Are the roots my father knows
The Scottish roots of my father are in the highlands and lowlands.
The holidays at Oban
My family used to spend our holidays in Oban, a town in Scotland.
And the towns around Montrose
We would also visit the towns near Montrose, another Scottish town.
But even as he sleeps
Even when my father sleeps at night,
They're loading bombs into the hills
bombs are being loaded into the hills of Scotland.
And the waters in the lochs
The Scottish lakes, or lochs,
Can run deep but never still
are deep and constantly moving.
I've thought of having children
I considered having children.
But I've gone and changed my mind
But I changed my mind about having children.
It's hard enough to watch the news
It's difficult to even watch the news about the world.
Let alone explain it to a child
It's even more difficult to try to explain the world's issues to a child.
To cast your eye 'cross nature
To look at nature all around us
Over fields of rape and corn
overseeing fields of crops like rape and corn.
And tell him without flinching
And explain to the child without showing fear
Not to fear where he's been born
That there is no need to be afraid simply because of where they were born.
Then someone sat me down last night
But last night, someone made me sit down and listen to something.
And I heard Caruso sing
That something was Caruso singing.
He's almost as good as Presley
Caruso singing was almost as good as Presley's singing.
And if I only do one thing
If I can only do one thing in my life,
I'll sing songs to my father
I will sing songs to my father.
I'll sing songs to my child
I will also sing songs to my child.
It's time to hold your loved ones
Now is the time to hold your loved ones,
While the chains are loosed and the world
While the world is in a state of uncertainty
Runs wild
and is in chaos.
And even as we speak
And at this very moment,
They're loading bombs onto a white train
bombs are being loaded onto a white train somewhere in Scotland.
How can we afford to ever sleep
With all of these dangers present, how can we sleep peacefully?
So sound again
and feel at ease in this world?
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: WATT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Steven DuVall
One of the most beautiful and touching songs I have ever heard. I cannot get through this song without at least a tear...
Emily Church
Steven DuVall Me neither ♥️
Paul J Ohm
Same
Mary Dornan
The lyrics, harmony, tune and voices of Tracey & Ben are so crisp and beautiful❤️thank you
Mark 111
"It's time to hold your loved ones while the chains are loose ... and the world runs wild". Brilliant, poignant & hauntingly prophetic.
EDubNYC
An overlooked bit of genius. Gorgeous.
Stephanie Burns
This song is one of my favorites.
Therese Earls
Sublime, stunning lyrics and vocals , it is of a piece , entirely perfect , and always pertinent
KodalyCat
All true, Therese...relevant every day, regardless of the original concern alluded to in the song.
Dickie Larue
Was blessed to see them live acoustic...Absolutely Stellar!