Go West quickly had a publishing deal and possessed a portastudio, but lacked a band or recording company. Peter and Richard decided, with support from John Glover, their manager, to find a musical producer, and record just two of their songs. The tracks We Close Our Eyes and Call Me found Go West developing a record deal with Chrysalis Records. The songwriting duo specialised in radio friendly, white soul sounds.
The band's debut single, We Close Our Eyes, was released in 1985 and managed to achieve the number 5 position on the UK Singles charts, #5 on the US Dance Club Play chart and also managed to reach #41 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart. The video for the song became an early favorite on MTV. This helped them to be voted the "Best Newcomers" at the 1986, BRIT Awards.
The duo's self-titled album also featured 2 more Hot 100 entries; "Call Me" (1984 - #54) and "Eye To Eye" (1985 - #73). The album also featured "Don't Look Down", which would serve as the prequel to what would be the band's first Top 40 hit in the US. The album hit #8 in the UK Album charts and #60 on Billboard 200 Album chart.
In 1987, they released their follow-up, "Dancing On The Couch", which peaked at #19 on UK Album chart but only got as high as #172 in the US. Ironically, that album yielded Go West with their first US Top 40 hit, "Don't Look Down - The Sequel", squeaking into the Top 40 peaking at #39. That song was a continuation to "Don't Look Down" from their debut album. However, "Don't Look Down - The Sequel" was excluded from the UK versions of the CD, which instead included the track, "Let's Build A Boat", which coincidentally became the B-Side of the US release of "Don't Look Down - The Sequel".
Later in 1990, Go West scored a top 10 US hit with the song King of Wishful Thinking from the movie Pretty Woman. An instrumental version of the song's chorus is also alleged to be heard in the production logo for Gracie Films (seen at the end of The Simpsons).
Go West website: www.gowest.org.uk
Masque of Love
Go West Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I used to share with you
From this unhappy distance
I wonder what to do
Denying my suspicions
I see what i want to see
But i can't go on pretending
If you won't talk to me
Masque of love
Shadowboxing
If you don't want me
Say the word
Masque of love
Pulling punches
If our dance is over
Say the word
Your temporary silence
Is forcing us apart
The gold that leads to winter
Is heavy on my heart
We've been out of step too long
Do you feel you don't belong
Tell me what would make the difference
Anything but independence
I dream of confidences
The way we used to be
But all i have is dreaming
If you won't talk to me
The song, "Masque of Love" by Go West, is a powerful ballad about the struggle to maintain a romantic relationship that seems to be falling apart. The lyrics suggest that the two individuals in the song were once together and had a deep connection. However, something has caused a distance to grow between them. The singer is struggling with their suspicions and can no longer pretend that everything is okay if their partner won't talk to them. The chorus "Masque of love, Shadowboxing" suggests that they are both trying to hide behind their love and avoid confronting the issues in their relationship.
The second verse of the song implies that the temporary silence of the partner is causing the two of them to drift apart. The singer is obviously struggling with the weight of the situation and the possibility that they may lose this person who they love so much. They ask the partner whether they feel like they don't belong in the relationship any longer and what they can do to make a difference between them, pleading for anything other than independence. The last line of the song "But all I have is dreaming if you won't talk to me" is a testament to the importance of communication in a relationship. Without open and honest communication, even the most passionate love can wither away.
Line by Line Meaning
We are no brief encounter
We have a long-term connection and relationship, not just a short one.
I used to share with you
We used to be open and talk to each other.
From this unhappy distance
We are currently not close and it makes us unhappy.
I wonder what to do
I'm unsure on how to reconnect with you.
Denying my suspicions
I'm ignoring the potential issues in our relationship.
I see what i want to see
I'm only seeing what I want to believe and not what's actually happening.
But i can't go on pretending
I can no longer ignore the issues in our relationship.
If you won't talk to me
I need you to be open and communicate with me.
Masque of love
Our relationship is like a mask or cover-up.
Shadowboxing
We are fighting with each other but not in a direct way.
If you don't want me
If you're no longer interested in me,
Say the word
Please be honest and tell me directly.
Pulling punches
We are holding back on sharing our true feelings.
If our dance is over
If our relationship is coming to an end,
Say the word
Please be honest and tell me directly.
Your temporary silence
Your lack of communication with me is only temporary.
Is forcing us apart
It's pushing us away from each other.
The gold that leads to winter
The hope and love we used to share has turned into sadness and despair.
Is heavy on my heart
It's causing me a lot of emotional pain and difficulty.
We've been out of step too long
We've lost the connection we used to share due to being distant for too long.
Do you feel you don't belong
Are you feeling like you don't fit in with our relationship anymore?
Tell me what would make the difference
Let me know what we can do to fix our relationship.
Anything but independence
We should work on our relationship together, not separately.
I dream of confidences
I yearn for the openness and trust we used to share.
The way we used to be
We were once happy and close with each other.
But all i have is dreaming
Now, all I can do is wish and hope for that to happen again.
Contributed by Madelyn W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Gerard McCartney
on The King Is Dead
When you finally realise that all your life, you've been driven by ego, and the humiliating freedom that realisation affords