Shortly after, they recruited their good friend and photographer Glenn Gregory on vocals to complete their lineup for Heaven 17. Contrary to popular belief, they were not 'New Romantics' per se and had different visual characteristics than groups such as Spandau Ballet and the Culture Club. Like The Human League, Heaven 17 heavily used synthesizers and drum machines while taking influence from the minimalist electronica music of the 70s.
They had a few minor hits in their early days, including the song "Play To Win" that featured on the album 'Penthouse and Pavement'. Their debut single '(We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thang' from the same album attracted some attention, became a left-wing anthem for a while, and was banned by the BBC because of its overtly political lyrics, but it still reached number 45 in the UK singles chart.
Major chart success eluded them until the single 'Temptation' (in which they were augmented by the vocalist Carol Kenyon) reached number 2 in the UK charts in summer 1983. Other songs from the same album, The Luxury Gap, also charted though not as high - 'Come Live With Me' reached number 5 in the UK, 'Crushed By The Wheels Of Industry' reached number 17, and 'Let Me Go', reaching 41 in November 1982. The album itself charted at their best ever position, number four.
At the end of 1983, the band helped re-launch Tina Turner's solo career, producing and providing backing vocals on her debut hit 'Let's Stay Together'. 1984 featured the release of the moderately successful How Men Are, which reached number 12.
The band also worked on the Band Aid single at the end of 1984, with Gregory supplying vocals alongside Midge Ure and Sting. However, they did not perform at Live Aid the following year.
Pleasure One (featuring the single 'Trouble') appeared in 1986 and it was followed up in 1988 with Teddy Bear, Duke & Psycho (featuring the single 'Train Of Love In Motion'). The early 90's were a quiet period for the band and they wouldn't work together as Heaven 17 until 1996's Bigger Than America. In the preceding years, Marsh and Ware produced a second B.E.F. album to 1981's original Music of Quality and Distinction and Gregory formed the band Ugly. Ware became an in-demand producer, working for the likes of Terence Trent D'Arby, Alison Moyet and Erasure. 2005 saw the release of the long-awaited Before After; the album having a much more contemporary dance sound compared to previous albums.
This Is Mine
Heaven 17 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Synchronize
Tell them this is mine
Don't
Walk the other way
Tell me you will stay
Give me one more day
If you stop, It won't change
One of us has lost the feeling
Which of us is not believing now?
You can have it all
I don't need it
Tell them this is mine
Wanting is no crime
Happens all the time
When it gets you down
Rise and leave it
Tell them this is mine
Push away the stone
We are not alone
Look into my eyes
And together we will rise
Above all we've seen
We will realize, synchronize
Tell them this is mine
Wanting is no crime
Happens all the time
Hold
Touch this hand of mine
Come away and find
What we left behind
So move up, we're going on
To the top, we'll take it
One by one we've got the feeling
Which of us is not believing now?
Look into my eyes
And together we will rise
Above all we've seen
We will realize, synchronize
The lyrics to Heaven 17's "This Is Mine" explore themes of ownership and self-confidence. The singer is asserting their claim to something, declaring that it belongs to them and that they won't be deterred by anyone who tries to stop them. The repetition of the phrase "tell them this is mine" reinforces this sense of ownership and defiance, suggesting that the singer has been challenged or questioned about their right to whatever it is they're claiming.
The second verse adds a layer of personal interplay to the lyrics, with the singer addressing a specific person and asking them to stay and give them another chance. The lines "so give up, I'm going on / if you stop, it won't change" imply that the singer is determined and committed, and that they won't let anyone else hold them back. There's a sense of mutual encouragement and empowerment in the lines "look into my eyes / and together we will rise," suggesting that the singer and their companion are banding together against the world and will come out on top.
Line by Line Meaning
No more wasting time
Let's stop procrastinating and get things done
Synchronize
Let's work together and get on the same page
Tell them this is mine
Let others know that what's important to us is rightfully ours
Don't
Please do not
Walk the other way
Do not ignore me
Tell me you will stay
Promise me that you will not leave
Give me one more day
Let's not give up yet, and try again
So give up, I'm going on
If you don't believe in me, I will still push through
If you stop, It won't change
Your lack of participation won't affect me doing what I believe is right
One of us has lost the feeling
One of us has lost our confidence or passion for what we're doing
Which of us is not believing now?
Which one of us doesn't have faith in our abilities to succeed?
You can have it all
I don't need everything to be happy
I don't need it
I don't require material possessions to feel fulfilled
Wanting is no crime
It's okay to desire things, as long as it's done ethically
Happens all the time
It's common to crave things or have ambitions
When it gets you down
When things get hard and you feel demotivated
Rise and leave it
Get back up and move past it
Push away the stone
Remove any obstacles in your way
We are not alone
We have support and don't have to face things alone
Look into my eyes
Have faith in what I'm saying
And together we will rise
If we work together, we can succeed
Above all we've seen
Despite everything we've experienced
We will realize, synchronize
We will come to understand and agree with each other
Hold
Don't let go
Touch this hand of mine
Let's connect and work together
Come away and find
Let's escape from our current troubles and discover something better
What we left behind
Let's not forget what we've learned and experienced in the past
So move up, we're going on
Let's continue moving forward and not give up yet
To the top, we'll take it
We will succeed and achieve great things
One by one we've got the feeling
Slowly but surely, we are regaining our confidence
Which of us is not believing now?
Since we both seem confident again, which of us couldn't imagine succeeding before?
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: GLEN GREGORY, IAN MARSH, MARTYN WARE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind