After an education in the arts, music and drama, by the age of 15, Tzuke spent most of her time writing poems which she turned into songs and playing folk clubs, accompanying herself on acoustic guitar. She went to Island Records to try and get a record deal and after she'd played two songs was asked if she had any more. She replied that she had twenty, which she didn't, and they asked her to come back and record them the following week. She didn't return, but their interest made her realise that she could have a career in music.
In 1977 Tzuke went to see managing director David Croker at Elton John's label 'Rocket Records' as their motto was "a label for artists". She played them a few songs, one of which was "Stay with Me Till Dawn" and was immediately signed to the new label. Judie and collaborator Mike Paxman spent the next six months or so recording her first album Welcome to the Cruise at Air Studios in London, with producer John Punter.
The first single was released in the summer of 1978, entitled "For You" and was greeted with great critical acclaim and substantial air-play but only reached the top 40.
This was to all change with the release of the Welcome to the Cruise album and the single "Stay with Me Till Dawn". The song stayed in the UK charts for 16 weeks, and she made three live appearances on Top of the Pops. The song became a firm favourite and is still played regularly on radio in the U.K. It has appeared on dozens of compilation albums and regularly appears in lists of all time most popular songs.
With the success of her debut album, Judie and Mike put together the first Judie Tzuke band. Paul Muggleton on guitar and backing vocals and Bob Noble on keyboards, along with bass player John Edwards and drummer Jeff Rich.
Tzuke and her band then toured for the next 18 months and made her second album Sportscar at Virgin's Manor studios, in Oxfordshire.
In 1980, Tzuke and her band toured America for three months as support to Elton John. The tour was well received, but during the tour Elton John decided to change the US distribution for his Rocket label from MCA to the new Geffin label. MCA consequently decided to stop all tour support and promotion for the acts on the Rocket label, which meant that Judie was playing to huge audiences, including 450,000 people in New York's Central Park, but no-one knew who she was and her records were not available in the shops.
She recorded her third album I Am the Phoenix, followed by another lengthy UK tour which culminated in appearances headlining the Glastonbury CND Festival and some summer festivals in Europe. She then made the decision to leave Rocket and to sign with Chrysalis Records.
Judie was by this time selling out halls all over the UK and in parts of Europe. Her next album Shoot the Moon was recorded mainly at Rockfield studios in Wales and was released in 1982.
During the spring tour two sell out shows at the Hammersmith Odeon (now The Carling Apollo) were recorded and later that year the acclaimed live album Roadnoise was released.
Judie, Mike and Paul wrote new songs and went to Mayfair studios in London to record her fifth album, augmenting her stage band with a number of other musicians.
Throughout the late 80s and 90s, Judie has continued to record and tour, and has set up her own record label. In addition, she is now successfully writing songs for other artists.
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Breathless
Judie Tzuke Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And you're not standing there
It seems that the road that runs beneath my feet
Is going nowhere
I read the A to Z again
But I'm not getting far with them
It all gets so confusing when
Lost and loveless
Darlin' you're my compass
Without you I'm homeless
Can't sleep if you're not lying next to me
I'm dreamless until dawn
The dark closes in like ice beneath my skin
If you won't keep me warm
I read the A to Z again
But I'm not getting far with them
It all gets so confusing when
You leave me breathless
Lost and loveless
Darlin' you're my compass
Without you I'm homeless
Without you I can't remember how my life was
Without you I don't know how I filled my whole day
Without you there was no one to reach out for
And nothing to hold on to
No reason there to want to
Without you
You leave me breathless
Lost and loveless
Darlin' you're my compass
Without you I'm homeless
The lyrics to Judie Tzuke's song "Breathless" depict a sense of uncertainty and insecurity in the absence of a loved one. The singer of the song feels lost and directionless without the person they are singing to. The opening lines describe the frustration of searching for someone who is not there and feeling as though they are not moving forward in their own life. The repetition of reading the A to Z, a common navigational tool, highlights the idea that without their partner, the singer has lost their own sense of direction.
The chorus of the song emphasizes the feeling of being lost and loveless without the other person. The lyrics paint a picture of how important the person is to the singer's life, acting as a compass and a home. The final verse takes this idea one step further and reveals that without the person, the singer is unable to remember what life was like before they met. The lyrics are emotional and heartfelt, expressing a deep love and dependence on the other person.
Overall, "Breathless" is a moving song that touches on the theme of love and loss. The lyrics paint a vivid picture of the emotions that come with being in love and the struggle that comes with feeling lost when that love is gone.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm lost when I turn the corner of your street
I feel disoriented and unsure of where to go when I arrive at your street.
And you're not standing there
When I arrive, I am disappointed that you are not there waiting for me.
It seems that the road that runs beneath my feet
The path I am on feels aimless and pointless.
Is going nowhere
I feel like I am making no progress and have no direction in my life.
I read the A to Z again
I try to use a map or a guidebook to help me find my way.
But I'm not getting far with them
Despite using these tools, I am still unable to find my way or make sense of my life.
It all gets so confusing when
I become overwhelmed and disoriented when
You leave me breathless
You have such a powerful effect on me that I am left speechless.
Lost and loveless
I feel adrift and alone without you.
Darlin' you're my compass
You are my guide and my source of direction in life.
Without you I'm homeless
I feel like I don't belong anywhere without you in my life.
Can't sleep if you're not lying next to me
I struggle to fall asleep without you by my side.
I'm dreamless until dawn
Without you, my nights are empty and my dreams are meaningless.
The dark closes in like ice beneath my skin
My loneliness and despair feel suffocating and freezing, like a layer of ice surrounding me.
If you won't keep me warm
If I can't be with you to feel your love and support, I will be left to feel cold and alone.
Without you I can't remember how my life was
My life before you feels like a distant memory that I can't recall without your presence.
Without you I don't know how I filled my whole day
You have become such an integral part of my life that I can't remember how I used to spend my time before I met you.
Without you there was no one to reach out for
I had no one to comfort or support me before you came into my life.
And nothing to hold on to
I had no hope or reason to look forward to the future without you by my side.
No reason there to want to
My life felt pointless and empty before I met you.
Contributed by Grayson O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.