The band released their debut album Beach Party in 1981. Snapped up by indie Cherry Red, their follow-up (and final) album was Lazy Ways released in 1983. It was produced by Stuart Moxham from Young Marble Giants and showcased a little more polished, mature sound. Soon after its release Marine Girls disbanded: Tracey Thorn formed Everything But the Girl with label mate Ben Watt, and the Fox sisters started a new band, called Grab Grab the Haddock.
In his journals, Kurt Cobain referred to Marine Girls album Beach Party as one of his favourite records.
Gina Hartman continues to make music, including in the group Fenestration with Mark Flunder (formerly of TV Personalities).
On My Mind
Marine Girls Lyrics
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(feeling so sad)
Only smiling when you're with me
(She's got it bad)
I look around for someone new
(Waisting her time)
But no one can compete with you
(and that's a bad sign)
My friends I don't hear what they say
(talking to you)
My heart's million miles away
(what can we do?)
And I don't know whether to laugh or cry
(Please don't ask me)
But I know I've kissed my heart goodbye
(it ain't easy)
(We tell her she's waisting her time
But still she finds..)
You're on my
You're on my mind
On my mind
And every day is just another
(day without you)
And I don't know why I bother
(thinking about you)
I see you should I run and hide?
Well I get home to slam the door and shut the world outside
(We tell her she's waisting her time
But still she finds..)
You're on my
You're on my mind
On my mind
On my mind
On my mind
The Marine Girls' song "On My Mind" is a melancholic tune that laments a love that cannot be denied, no matter how irrational it may seem. The lyrics describe a romantic infatuation that has taken over the singer's life, rendering her unable to focus on anything else. She admits that she feels both happy and sad in the presence of her lover, and that no one else can compete with them. Despite her friends' warnings that she is wasting her time pursuing this love, she cannot help but think about them constantly.
The singer's internal struggle is palpable in the song, as she questions whether her emotions are worth pursuing or not. She notes that her heart is a million miles away from her surroundings, indicating that her thoughts are consumed by her lover. She admits that she has "kissed [her] heart goodbye," acknowledging that she has fallen hopelessly in love. The song ends on a note of frustration, as the singer cannot escape from her thoughts no matter how hard she tries.
Overall, "On My Mind" is a poignant exploration of romantic obsession, captured perfectly in the Marine Girls' wistful melody and evocative lyrics.
Line by Line Meaning
You got me feeling so happy
Even though I feel sad when you're not around, being with you makes me so happy.
Only smiling when you're with me
The only time I feel happy and smile is when I'm with you.
I look around for someone new
I search for someone else who could make me feel the way you do.
But no one can compete with you
However, no one comes close to the way you make me feel and the love I have for you.
My friends I don't hear what they say
I'm so lost in thoughts about you that I can't hear what my friends are saying to me.
My heart's million miles away
My heart is so far away from my current reality and focused solely on thoughts of you.
And I don't know whether to laugh or cry
I'm so confused and overwhelmed with emotions that I don't know how to respond - whether to laugh or cry.
But I know I've kissed my heart goodbye
I'm fully aware that I have given my heart to you and won't be able to take it back.
You're on my mind
Thoughts of you consume my mind and I can't stop thinking about you.
And every day is just another
Every day without you feels like a repetition of the last and is uneventful.
And I don't know why I bother
I don't know why I still bother thinking about you when you're not here with me.
I see you should I run and hide?
When I see you, I don't know whether to confront my feelings or try to avoid them.
Well I get home to slam the door and shut the world outside
When I get home, I try to forget about everything and everyone and focus only on thoughts of you.
Contributed by Scarlett F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@hughmcguinness4354
Saw them perform at MAC Birmingham back in the very early 80s. Artless and unaffected. Fantastic.
@patrickwilliams7078
Such talent.
@nickthepostpunk5766
That's a fabulous photo. Love it.
@TSOL2023
I'm in love with it.
@MOTOPAC
I don't think that's them. Neither one of them look like Tracey Thorne.
@venuscrow4886
Tracy thorn is on the right playing guitar.
@TheSpikehere
@Paul Caporino This was taken when they were a four-piece. It is Gina Hartman on the left, Alice Fox in the middle, and I think Jane Fox on the right.
@nickygheda3714
Lovely Song!
@neilwilson5785
This was recorded at the Hedgehog pub in Welwyn Garden City. Same town that had 'World's End' movie with Simon Pegg and Emily Blunt. That grey paint behind the band is VERY diagnostic of the post war New Town art style. Now give me a series, Anglia TV.
@croutevomit
nice. what's Anglia TV?