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
The Girl I Want To Be
Judie Tzuke Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She's one in a million she says
She knows me well
Sometimes better than I do
And I look to her, for a way to learn
The reason, for it all
Sweetness in a hard shell,
How did she get so cool?
She sees what I disguise,
She looks through open eyes
She leads me when I'm blind,
Oh, not me - the girl I want to be
Have you been there?
She lives in an awesome place
With open windows
She sees everything clear
And she's not afraid, to be on her own
When I'd fall apart
Danger doesn't phase her,
How did she get to be so brave?
She sees what I disguise,
She looks through open eyes
She leads me when I'm blind,
Oh, not me - the girl I want to be
She stands up when I'd run,
I'm weak when she'd be strong
She's still there when I'm gone,
Oh, not me - the girl I want to be
Oh, she's one in a million
She knows me well
She's everything I'm not
She knows I'm not
The girl I want to be
In the song "The Girl I Want To Be," Judie Tzuke presents a depiction of a girl who is everything the artist aspires to be like. The girl is unique, confident, and independent- everything Judie Tzuke is not. Tzuke admires her and tries to learn from her. The song is about finding someone to emulate and look up to, someone who can guide you through life's complexities. Tzuke is asking the question, "how did this girl become so self-assured and fearless?"
The lyrics paint a picture of a girl who is not afraid to be different, who lives in a "creative" space, and who is not afraid to be herself. Tzuke tries to learn from this girl how to better understand the world and herself. The girl who Tzuke wants to be is also described as someone who sees right through the façade, who is able to look at things with open eyes, and who is not afraid to stand up for herself. Besides, the girl does not try to hide behind any disguise and faces the danger with bravado.
In conclusion, the song is about recognizing the qualities that make us aspire to want to be more like someone else. Tzuke is looking for guidance and inspiration, which she finds in the girl that she describes in the lyrics. She describes the girl as everything she wants to be but is not. The song is a testament to the human desire to be better and to achieve more. It's a depiction of the constant struggle we all face to become what we envision for ourselves.
Line by Line Meaning
Have you seen her?
Asking if anyone has seen this amazing person she admires so much
She's one in a million she says
She thinks this person is unique and special
She knows me well
This person understands her better than she understands herself
Sometimes better than I do
At times, this person knows her better than she knows herself
And I look to her, for a way to learn
She sees this person as an inspiration and mentor
The reason, for it all
She believes this person has the answers to life's questions
Sweetness in a hard shell
This person has a gentle nature despite a tough exterior
How did she get so cool?
She admires this person's confidence and attitude
She sees what I disguise
This person can see through her facade
She looks through open eyes
This person sees things objectively and without bias
She leads me when I'm blind
This person guides her when she can't see the way forward
Oh, not me - the girl I want to be
She aspires to be like this person but feels like she falls short
Have you been there?
Asking if anyone has experienced the same thing she has
She lives in an awesome place
This person appears to have an amazing life
With open windows
This person has an open and transparent nature
She sees everything clear
This person has a clear understanding of things
And she's not afraid, to be on her own
This person is comfortable being alone and independent
When I'd fall apart
She would struggle if she were in her shoes
Danger doesn't phase her
This person is brave and unafraid of danger
How did she get to be so brave?
She wonders what has made this person so courageous
She stands up when I'd run
This person is courageous when she herself would be fearful
I'm weak when she'd be strong
She feels like she is not as strong as this person is
She's still there when I'm gone
This person is dependable and loyal
The girl I want to be
This person embodies the kind of woman that she wants to be
Oh, she's one in a million
Reiterating that this person is incredibly special
She's everything I'm not
This person possesses qualities that she herself does not have
She knows I'm not
This person is aware that the singer doesn't feel like she measures up
Contributed by Aiden B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.