Like many of the other Europe members, he grew up in Stockholm suburb Upplands Väsby. His biggest idols were Thin Lizzy and Led Zeppelin. During his teens, he played in a number of bands such as Made in Hong Kong and Roxanne. At that time he alternated between playing rhythm guitar and bass, in addition to lead vocals. In 1979 he formed the band Force, together with guitarist John Norum, drummer Tony Reno and bassist Peter Olsson. Three years later, Force changed its name to Europe and won the national talent contest Rock-SM. The reward was a record deal with Hot Records.
Tempest played the keyboards on the first two Europe albums before the band decided to recruit keyboardist Mic Michaeli in April 1984. A couple of years earlier, Tempest had borrowed a keyboard from Michaeli and used it to compose the main keyboard riff in the song "The Final Countdown". After a jam session in 1985, Michaeli and Tempest co-wrote the ballad "Carrie". Later that year, Tempest wrote the soundtrack for the Swedish film On the Loose, as well as the song "Give A Helping Hand" for the benefit project Swedish Metal Aid. The song was produced by future Europe bandmate Kee Marcello. In 1986 Tempest wrote and produced the album One of a Kind for Tone Norum, John Norum's younger sister. Tempest also collaborated with John Norum on the single "We Will Be Strong" from Norum's album Face the Truth in 1992. This was Tempest and Norum's first collaboration since Norum left Europe in November 1986.
After Europe went on hiatus in 1992, Tempest released three solo albums. The first album, A Place to Call Home featured a guest appearance from John Norum on the song "Right to Respect". Several songs on the third album, Joey Tempest, were co-written by Mic Michaeli. 2004 saw the release of Europe's comeback album, Start from the Dark, featuring the band's classic Final Countdown line-up with John Norum on guitar. The follow-up, Secret Society, was released in 2006, and Last Look at Eden in 2009.
Tempest is currently living in London with his wife Lisa Worthington-Larsson and their son James Joakim.
Falling Apart
Joey Tempest Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Somewhere else I got to be
Tired talking to myself
I guess I've got a lot of nerve
Walking back into your world
Knowing it will cause a scene
There's no way I can let it be
Things have been falling apart
I did what I could to keep it together
But things have been falling apart
Since I broke her heart
Call it an emergency
Someone I forgot to be
Things are getting critical
I guess I've got a lot of faith
Come around and show my face
Reminding you of what I am
It could never be the same again
Things have been falling apart
Things have been falling apart
I did what I could to keep it together
But things have been falling apart
Ever since I broke her heart
Things have been falling apart
I did what I could to keep it together
But things have been falling apart
Since I broke her heart
Reminding you of what I am
Reminding you
of what we had
These lyrics describe a person who is facing an emergency in his life and has to be somewhere else, but he cannot help talking to himself. The person is aware that by walking back into his lover's life, he will create a scene and cause chaos. However, he cannot let it be and is willing to confront the situation.
The chorus of the song highlights the fact that the person's life has been falling apart since he broke his lover's heart. He tried his best to keep things together, but they have been falling apart ever since. The person is willing to come forward and show his face, but he knows that things can never be the same again.
This song talks about the regret and consequences of breaking someone's heart. It explores the feeling of helplessness and failure that follows after the damage is done. It is a melancholic reflection on the cost of losing someone you loved and the realization that nothing can change the past.
Line by Line Meaning
Call it an emergency
Describes the urgency and importance of the situation at hand
Somewhere else I got to be
Feeling the need to escape the current situation and move on
Tired talking to myself
Exhausted from the inner dialogue of regret and guilt
I guess I've got a lot of nerve
Acknowledging the boldness and audacity to come back into someone's life who has been hurt
Walking back into your world
Returning to the person's life who has been hurt and betrayed
Knowing it will cause a scene
Expecting and accepting the drama that will ensue from re-entering this person's life
There's no way I can let it be
Unable to leave things unresolved and not make amends
Things have been falling apart
Acknowledging that the situation has been deteriorating
I did what I could to keep it together
Tried to maintain the relationship despite the difficulties
Since I broke her heart
Referring to the moment when the relationship started to unravel, which is when the heartbreak occurred
Someone I forgot to be
Showing regret for not being the person they should have been in the relationship
Things are getting critical
The situation is worsening and becoming more severe
I guess I've got a lot of faith
Having hope and belief that things can be fixed
Come around and show my face
Returning to the person's life, exposing oneself and being vulnerable
Reminding you of what I am
Trying to evoke memories of the relationship and what they shared
It could never be the same again
Recognizing that the relationship is permanently damaged and can never be restored to what it once was
I wish that we could start again
Expressing the desire to go back and fix things
But the damage is done and it's too late
Realizing it is impossible to repair the relationship
I'll have to face the consequences
Taking responsibility for their actions and accepting the results of their choices
Of the choices that I have made
Referring to the decisions that led to the heartbreak
I'll keep moving forward, learning from my mistakes
Promising to take the lessons learned and grow from them
Hoping someday I can find a way to heal
Wishing for a time in the future when the pain and hurt can be overcome and the healing process can begin
Contributed by Kennedy F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
erick7777
Thanks!