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
While She Sleeps
Judie Tzuke Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Will the smile I see on your face stay there forever?
It’s so beautiful and makes me cry,
Don’t want to change the angle of your mouth, now or ever
And yes I know it’s all about her
And the way your feeling really isn’t mine to keep
But if I sit close enough to you, I might steal a little ray of light
And I know your heart grows bigger each time she looks your way,
And even though you don’t love me it doesn’t matter,
’Cause I get to stay here just a bit longer,
Being close to you I can’t pretend my hold on you is stronger
While she sleeps you’re with me,
While she sleeps you’re with me,
While she sleeps
I know there would come the time when you will move on and
You won’t need me here as your good friend
But you’ve been with me for so long now I’m not sure how
I’m going to be alone when you’re gone
And yes I know it’s all about her
And the way your feeling really isn’t mine to keep
But if I sit close enough to you, I might steal a little ray of light
While she sleeps
And I know your heart grows bigger each time she looks your way,
And even though you don’t love me it doesn’t matter,
’Cause I get to stay here just a bit longer,
Being close to you I can’t pretend my hold on you is stronger
While she sleeps you’re with me,
While she sleeps you’re with me,
While she sleeps
The song While She Sleeps by Judie Tzuke is a reflection on unrequited love. The singer is in love with someone who is in love with someone else (presumably the "her" mentioned in the song), but she is content to remain in their presence as long as she can, even if it means stealing small moments of joy while the object of her affection sleeps. She is aware that the person she loves will eventually move on, leaving her alone, but for the time being, she cherishes the time they spend together.
The lyrics are poignant and bittersweet, capturing the pain of loving someone who doesn't love you back. The singer is resigned to her fate but still finds solace in the brief moments she gets to spend with the person she loves. The line, "And even though you don’t love me it doesn’t matter" perfectly encapsulates the feeling of unconditional love and the willingness to endure pain for the sake of being close to someone.
Overall, While She Sleeps is a heartbreaking ode to unrequited love, and Judie Tzuke's powerful vocals and evocative lyrics make it a standout track.
Line by Line Meaning
If I cross my fingers and shut my eyes,
I hope that the happiness I see in you will last forever
Will the smile I see on your face stay there forever?
I want the joy that you have now to never fade away
It’s so beautiful and makes me cry,
Your happiness is so breathtaking that it brings tears to my eyes
Don’t want to change the angle of your mouth, now or ever
I don't want anything to ruin your smile, now or in the future
And yes I know it’s all about her
I understand that your love is for her and not for me
And the way your feeling really isn’t mine to keep
Your emotions and feelings are your own and I can't control them
But if I sit close enough to you, I might steal a little ray of light
I hope that being near you can bring me some of the happiness that you have
While she sleeps you’re with me,
I can be with you while she is sleeping
I know there would come the time when you will move on and
I am aware that someday you will move forward
You won’t need me here as your good friend
You will no longer require me as your close confidant
But you’ve been with me for so long now I’m not sure how
We have shared a lengthy relationship and I am uncertain how I will continue on without you
I’m going to be alone when you’re gone
I will be by myself once you have moved on
And I know your heart grows bigger each time she looks your way,
Your love for her expands every time she catches your eye
And even though you don’t love me it doesn’t matter,
I accept that you do not love me romantically
’Cause I get to stay here just a bit longer,
I am grateful for the time that I have with you
Being close to you I can’t pretend my hold on you is stronger
I cannot pretend that my hold on you is stronger than her hold on you
While she sleeps you’re with me,
I can be with you while she is sleeping
While she sleeps you’re with me,
I can be with you while she is sleeping
While she sleeps
I can be with you while she is sleeping
Contributed by Lincoln D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Cathryn Really does care
Love this🦋
kevin marles
Fantastic song!
Wayne Panter
Fab song from a great album ❤️
Rachel Does Acrylic
brillant gorgeous