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
Racing Against Time
Judie Tzuke Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Looking for love around every corner
We're racing against time.
You never try to understand me or the fears I keep inside
We may not always be this lucky, so let's say that we tried
Racing against time, we're racing against time
We're racing against time.
If only you could see the seconds ticking off the clock
Then maybe you would realise we can't afford to stop. We got to get out of here
Racing against time, we're racing against time
Looking for love around every corner
We're racing against time.
We'll race against time
We're racing against time
Behind the door the city sleeps, and life slips through our hands
We let the days fly by us, I'm not sure we know the plan.
We're racing against time.
Racing against time, we're racing against time
Looking for love around every corner
We're racing against time.
The lyrics to Judie Tzuke's song "Racing Against Time" speak of the urgency felt in looking for love and meaning in life while time slips away. The metaphor of racing against time is used throughout the song, evoking a sense of pressure and desperation. The first verse speaks of the constant search for love, always hoping it will be found around the next corner, but also acknowledging the fleeting nature of time.
In the second verse, Tzuke addresses a partner who fails to understand her or the fears she keeps hidden inside. She implores them to make the most of their time together, as they may not always be so lucky. The bridge emphasizes the urgency of the situation, with Tzuke imagining that if only her partner could see the seconds ticking away on the clock, they would realize the importance of not wasting any more time.
The final verse returns to the theme of life slipping away, with Tzuke acknowledging that time passes quickly and perhaps they don't have a plan. The repetition of the chorus reinforces the idea that they are in a race against time and need to make the most of every moment.
Overall, the lyrics to "Racing Against Time" are a reflection on the fleeting nature of life and the importance of making the most of the time we have. It's a reminder to not take any moment for granted and to always be searching for love and meaning in our lives.
Line by Line Meaning
Racing against time, we're racing against time
We are hurrying to beat time and catch up with the speed it moves.
Looking for love around every corner
We are searching for love in every direction we turn.
We're racing against time.
We are trying our best to outrun the timer ticking in the background.
You never try to understand me or the fears I keep inside
You never attempt to comprehend the hidden worries and concerns that I harbor within.
We may not always be this lucky, so let's say that we tried
We might not always have the chance to do something; thus, we have to make the most of it now and say that we at least made an attempt.
If only you could see the seconds ticking off the clock
If you could only witness each second slipping away from us as time goes on.
Then maybe you would realise we can't afford to stop. We got to get out of here
Then you would understand that we don't have the luxury of stopping now, we must leave this place immediately.
Behind the door the city sleeps, and life slips through our hands
As the city rests on the other side of the door, time is slipping away, and our lives are fading through our fingers.
We let the days fly by us, I'm not sure we know the plan.
We allowed time to pass us by, and we are unsure of the path we should take.
We'll race against time
We will continue to attempt to outrun time and delay its impact on our lives.
Contributed by Stella G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.