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.
www.tzuke.com
Heaven Can Wait
Judie Tzuke Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The night is cold and I am alone out here
While you're driving along on a one lane road
My signal is fading, as far as your wheels can go
Here a little bit, just a little bit
You know heaven can wait for me
If you look in the moonlight
You'll see that I'm out there
My eyes are burning
I breathe in the air that is turning around you
Here a little bit, just a little bit
You know heaven can wait for me
Here's a message from Radio City
I'm not ready for you to forget me
I'm racing the miles inbetween us
But how can I reach you when you don't recieve me
Here a little bit, just a little bit
You know heaven can wait for me
The song "Heaven Can Wait" by Judie Tzuke is a story of longing and trying to connect with someone. The opening lines denote a message from Radio City, where the singer is alone and reaching out to the person they long for. The distance between them is highlighted by the fact that the singer's signal is fading, and they can only go as far as the person's wheels can go. However, despite this, there is an undertone of hope as the singer reassures themselves, "You know heaven can wait for me."
As the song progresses, it becomes clear that the singer is not physically present but rather a ghost. They exist in the moonlight, appearing only in the person's headlights. They long to be noticed and acknowledged, and there is desperation in their voice, "You'll see that I'm out there. My eyes are burning, I breathe in the air that is turning around you." Despite this yearning and the miles that separate them, the singer still holds on to the hope that they will be noticed and not forgotten. "You know heaven can wait for me," signifies that the singer is willing to wait until the connection is made no matter how long it takes.
In the final verse, the singer continues to send messages through Radio City. They long for the person's attention, and the miles between them don't seem to deter them. The closing line of "You know heaven can wait for me" becomes almost a mantra, emphasizing the singer's resolve to wait for the connection they long for.
Overall, "Heaven Can Wait" is a poignant song about reaching out to a person, albeit in a ghostly form, and hoping to make a connection despite the distance between them. It is a beautiful reminder that love and connection transcend the physical world and that hope and patience can make all the difference.
Line by Line Meaning
Here's a message from Radio City
This is a message from me to you, trying to reach out and connect.
The night is cold and I am alone out here
I am far away from you, feeling isolated and lost.
While you're driving along on a one lane road
You are moving forward and continuing on with life, while I am left behind.
My signal is fading, as far as your wheels can go
The signal of our connection is weakening, and it can only go so far as you travel away from me.
Here a little bit, just a little bit
I am pleading with you to try and stay connected with me, even if it's just a little bit.
You know heaven can wait for me
I am not ready to die or leave this world, I still have things I want to experience and people I want to be with.
I'm the ghost in your headlights
I am a presence that you can't escape, even when you are moving through life.
If you look in the moonlight
If you take a moment to reflect and look around you, you will see me there.
You'll see that I'm out there
I am still present in the world, even if I am not physically with you.
My eyes are burning
I am feeling intense emotions and they are showing through my eyes.
I breathe in the air that is turning around you
I am trying to breathe in the same air that you are, to feel closer to you and connected to your world.
I'm not ready for you to forget me
I am afraid of being forgotten and left behind, I want to stay in your thoughts and memories.
I'm racing the miles inbetween us
I am trying to close the distance between us, to stay connected even over long distances.
But how can I reach you when you don't recieve me
I am struggling to connect with you when you are not open and receptive to my attempts to reach out.
Contributed by Evelyn R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.