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
Move On
Judie Tzuke Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I thought that I could take all you could throw.
I want to be true, I want to be your good friend,
But I have to tell you this time I don't know.
There's too many cards on the table,
To know which way they'll fall.
If I had a crystal ball, I'd throw it at the wall.
Does she love you or does she need you?
Is that enough to fill that hole inside?
You just got to let her go through
What she must do, let her heart decide.
You're all in a muddle and I'll try,
To look at all sides without falling in.
From here, it all looks very sad,
And you won't escape without some suffering.
There's too many guns
To know which one will fire.
If I had a crystal ball, I'd throw it at the wall
I don't know where she'll be
When she finds out you're with me.
(Go, move on, she'll drag you down)
(Go on now today, don't wait, don't stay)
In Judie Tzuke's song Move On, the singer explores the complexities of romantic entanglements and the uncertainty that comes with them. The singer reflects on being in the middle of many games and thinking they could handle all that was thrown their way. However, despite wanting to be true and a good friend, the singer admits they don't know what to do amidst so many cards on the table.
The chorus emphasizes this uncertainty even further, with the singer expressing a desire for a crystal ball to see the future and make decisions easier. Specifically, the singer wonders about a person's past relationship and whether they love or need each other enough to fill a hole inside. Despite this, the singer ultimately encourages this person to let their heart decide and go through what they need to, regardless of the suffering that may come with it.
The singer acknowledges the sadness of it all, but also recognizes the value in trying to look at all sides without falling in. The final repetition of "Go, move on, she'll drag you down," and "Go on now today, don't wait, don't stay," emphasizes the importance of taking action and moving forward even when it's hard.
Overall, Move On showcases a nuanced understanding of the difficulties of relationships and the importance of taking action in the face of uncertainty.
Line by Line Meaning
I've been in the middle of many games,
I have been involved in many difficult situations before
I thought that I could take all you could throw.
I believed I was strong enough to handle any challenge you could present
I want to be true, I want to be your good friend,
I want to be an honest and loyal friend to you
But I have to tell you this time I don't know.
However, this time I am unsure of what to do
There's too many cards on the table,
There are too many factors to consider
To know which way they'll fall.
And it is impossible to predict the outcome
If I had a crystal ball, I'd throw it at the wall.
If I had a way to see the future, I would destroy it because it is better not to know
I don't know what she'll see, when she finds out you're with me.
I don't know how your current partner will react when they discover we are together
Does she love you or does she need you?
Is your current partner with you because of love or dependency?
Is that enough to fill that hole inside?
Is the love or dependency enough to satisfy their emotional needs?
You just got to let her go through
You must allow your partner to go through their own journey
What she must do, let her heart decide.
Let your partner make their own decision based on their feelings
You're all in a muddle and I'll try,
You are confused and I will attempt to provide clarity
To look at all sides without falling in.
I will try to examine all perspectives without getting emotionally involved
From here, it all looks very sad,
From my perspective, the situation looks disheartening
And you won't escape without some suffering.
You will have to experience some pain before the situation can be resolved
There's too many guns
There are too many people or factors involved
To know which one will fire.
It is impossible to know who or what will cause the most harm
If I had a crystal ball, I'd throw it at the wall
If I had a way to see the future, I would destroy it because it is better not to know
I don't know where she'll be
I don't know what your current partner will do or where they will go
When she finds out you're with me.
When your current partner discovers we are together
(Go, move on, she'll drag you down)
You should move on because your current partner will hold you back
(Go on now today, don't wait, don't stay)
You should move on immediately without hesitation
Contributed by Vivian S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.