Formed circa 1968/69, the original core members included percussionist Patrick Olive, guitarist Franklyn De Allie and drummer Ian King, along with bass player Tony Wilson, pianist Larry Ferguson and with Jamaican-born songwriter/vocalist Errol Brown. For Apple, they released a reggae version of "Give Peace A Chance", and backed Mary Hopkins on "Think About Your Children" before the Apple label dissolved. In 1970, they signed to Rak Records, a label owned by UK producer Mickie Most who had the group compose the final chart hit for Herman's Hermits. On their own they were to become one of the U.K's best loved charts groups, with 25 UK top 40 hit singles in their career. Hot Chocolate enjoyed their first UK hit in 1970 with "Love Is Life" followed by many more U.K. Top 10 hits including "I Believe (In Love)," "Brother Louie" (a stateside #-1 for U.S Stories), "A Child's Prayer," "Put Your Love In Me," "No Doubt About It," "Girl Crazy," "It Started With A Kiss" and "What Kinda Boy You Looking For (Girl)."
While popular in the U.K, it wasn't until 1974 that they secured a U.S record deal with Big Tree records, releasing the single "Emma", and becoming associated with burgeoning disco scene with "Disco Queen." Their second US album featured "You Sexy Thing" which hit #3 on the US top 40 charts. By 1978 they were affiliated with Infinity Records in the U.S and hit #6 on the charts with "Every 1's A Winner." 1979 sees the band release the LP "Going Through The Motions" obviously burning out on disco, but still commercially aiming for the dancefloor market with the irionic track "Mindless Boogie". They continued for some years afterwards but never regained the chart action or a U.S label, with lead singer Errol Brown finally leaving in 1987, basically putting an end to the group.
In 1992, with a new line-up, manager and agent, Ric Martin, took control over the band's bookings and live appearances. Hot Chocolate continue to make live appearances in the UK and Europe. A minor resurgence in interest in Hot Chocolate's music occurred after the 1998 film "The Full Monty" used "You Sexy Thing" prominently in the soundtrack. Errol brown was also known under the nickname, "the singing malteser" due to his bald head.
Tears On The Telephone
Hot Chocolate Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
What do they do
Or does nobody care?
Do they make it through to Mondays
Or with a heart filled with pain do they just disappear?
I tried so hard to play it real cool
Girl
I tried so hard to keep my true feelings inside, but you made me cry.
Tears on the telephone, it's tears.
Tears on the telephone, you made me cry, tears on the telephone.
How could you just out of the blue say
You and I are through, you found someone new.
How could you
When you know that this heart of mine canr live without you
What do the lonely do on Mondays?
What do they do? Now I know that it's true
'Cause I tried all night on Sunday to get back to you.
But you're not taking no calls.
I told you that I didng care
When you said
We were through
You've found someone new.
I heard myself saying
Girl
I can live without you
But you made me cry.
Tears on the telephone, it's tears.
Tears on the telephone, you made me cry.
Tears on the telephone, tears, you made me cry, tears
What do the lonely do on Sundays?
What do they do for the rest of the week?
'Cause the pain is never ending
And there just ain't no way I can take anymore.
I tried so hard to play it real cool
Girl
When you said I was out of your heart.
I tried so hard to keep my cool feelings inside
But you made me cry
Tears on the telephone, it's tears
The lyrics to Hot Chocolate's song Tears On The Telephone expresses the sentiment of loneliness and heartbreak being magnified on Sundays, perhaps because it's a day when people tend to reflect more, and the feeling of being alone is particularly palpable. The singer is trying hard to keep his emotions in check but fails when the person on the other end of the line informs him that their relationship is over, and they have found someone new. The person seems indifferent and is not taking any calls from the singer, who is left alone with his tears on the telephone.
The lyrics also reflect the helplessness and hopelessness one feels when they realize that nothing they do can bring back the person they love. The line, "What do they do? Now I know that it's true/ 'Cause I tried all night on Sunday to get back to you" portrays the futility of their efforts. The singer knows that the pain of heartbreak will not diminish throughout the week, and the only escape is to disappear as mentioned in the line, "Or with a heart filled with pain do they just disappear?"
Line by Line Meaning
What do the lonely do on Sundays?
What activities do individuals who are experiencing loneliness engage in on Sundays?
What do they do
What are the coping mechanisms employed by lonely people?
Or does nobody care?
Is there anyone who takes into consideration and address the needs of those who feel lonely?
Do they make it through to Mondays
Do the lonely individuals survive or persist till the next day, which is Monday?
Or with a heart filled with pain do they just disappear?
Do they succumb to depression and suicide as a result of emotional pain?
I tried so hard to play it real cool
Girl
When you said I was out of your heart.
I made an attempt to mask my true feelings when you revealed to me that I had been replaced.
I tried so hard to keep my true feelings inside, but you made me cry.
Although I tried concealing my emotions, you made me burst into tears.
Tears on the telephone, it's tears.
Out of anguish and heartbreak, I wept uncontrollably while speaking with you on the phone.
Tears on the telephone, you made me cry, tears on the telephone.
You are the reason why I cried intensely during our phone conversation.
How could you just out of the blue say
You and I are through, you found someone new.
How can you abruptly end our relationship by revealing that you have found someone else?
When you know that this heart of mine canr live without you
Despite being aware that I am in love with you, you decided to break up with me.
What do the lonely do on Mondays?
What coping mechanisms will lonely people employ on Mondays after experiencing loneliness on Sundays or during weekend periods?
What do they do? Now I know that it's true
'Cause I tried all night on Sunday to get back to you.
Now I acknowledge the fact that the loneliness experienced on Sundays is genuine since I attempted to reconnect with you throughout the entirety of the night.
But you're not taking no calls.
Notably, you're not answering my phone calls.
I told you that I didng care
When you said
We were through
You've found someone new.
Initially, I lied to you that I was not emotionally attached to you when you informed me that we were through since you found a new lover.
I heard myself saying
Girl
I can live without you
But you made me cry.
Although I told you that I could live without you, you made me break down and cry.
What do the lonely do on Sundays?
What are the coping mechanisms employed by those experiencing loneliness during weekends?
What do they do for the rest of the week?
'Cause the pain is never ending
And there just ain't no way I can take anymore.
What is the usual plan of action for lonely individuals for the entire week, bearing in mind that the feeling of loneliness is constantly present?
I tried so hard to play it real cool
Girl
When you said I was out of your heart.
I did my best to conceal my feelings when you informed me that you had fallen out of love with me.
I tried so hard to keep my cool feelings inside
But you made me cry.
Despite trying to suppress my emotions, you made me cry due to your insensitive actions.
Tears on the telephone, it's tears.
The tears that flowed from my eyes during our conversation are a sign of emotional pain and sadness.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ERROL AINSWORTH GLENSTOR BROWN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind