Mike & The Mechanics debuted with their stellar eponymous album in 1985 which highlighted Rutherford's innovative guitar work and the vocal talents of the two Pauls, amongst other guest vocalists. Initially, the group's albums were released between Genesis albums, all three Genesis members having solo projects of their own, most notable in the huge chart success of singer/drummer Phil Collins. This ended with the disbanding of Genesis in 1998.
The classic song "The Living Years" from the album of the same name was to be the height of their critical success to date; the #1 single was written by and about the dissension between singer BA Robertson and his father, a situation that was never rectified prior to his father's death, sung with great passion by Carrack. The album also featured the song "Nobody's Perfect" which received considerable airtime as the music to a successful television advertising campaign for Tennants bitter. Their third album "Word of Mouth" followed in 1991 with less commercial and critical success although the lead single, with vocals by Paul Young, reached the Top 20. The fourth album "Beggar On a Beach of Gold" was a high watermark in the quality of their material, with both the album and first single "Over My Shoulder" charting well with many considering the album the band's best work.
After a hiatus following Young's death from a heart attack on July 17, 2000, the band reformed in 2004 as Mike & the Mechanics featuring Paul Carrack releasing the album "Rewired".
A new Mike & the Mechanics album (titled "The Road") was released in the spring of 2011, supported by a 22-date UK tour. Replacing Carrack and Young as vocalists for the group are Andrew Roachford and Canadian actor/singer Tim Hower.
Asking
Mike & The Mechanics Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I know I let you believe
You weren't important to me
And now it's safe to assume
That you'll be leaving me soon
Well I won't analyse it
I know I've been a pain
My need to explain
I'm asking for the last time
Is there anything
I can do to change your mind
I'm asking for the last time
Before you walk away
From this heart of mine
Don't say we're over and done
Before we've ever begun
Maybe you've made a mistake
Don't leave me for heavens sake
But I won't agonise
If you leave me behind
But I still recognise there's doubt in your mind
That's why I'm asking for the last time
Is there anything I can do to change your mind
I'm asking for the last time
Before you walk away
From this heart of mine
No I won't agonise
If you leave me behind
Cos I still recognise there's doubt in your mind
That's why I'm asking for the last time
Is there anything I can do to change your mind
I'm asking for the last time
Before you walk away
From this heart of mine
I'm asking for the last time
Is there anything I can do to change your mind
I'm asking for the last time
Before you walk away
From this heart of mine
The song "Asking (For the Last Time)" by Mike & The Mechanics is a ballad about a man pleading with his partner to reconsider leaving him. The singer acknowledges that he had let his partner believe that she was not important to him and he had been a pain to her. He also admits that there has been doubt in her mind about their relationship, which is why he is asking for the last time if there is anything he can do to change her mind before she walks away from him. He emphasizes his need to explain and his plea for her to not say that their relationship is over before it has even started.
The lyrics suggest a relationship that might have had its fair share of issues and the man’s regret for not valuing his partner enough. The repeated lines “I’m asking for the last time” add an emotional depth to the song, almost as if the man is desperate for his partner to believe him when he says that he wants to change and make things work. The song ends on a hopeful note, with the man making one final attempt to convince his partner not to leave him.
Overall, "Asking (For the Last Time)" is a moving song that conveys feelings of lost love, regret, and the desire to fix a relationship that seems doomed.
Line by Line Meaning
I know I let you believe
I understand that I gave you the impression
You weren't important to me
That you didn't hold any value in my eyes
And now it's safe to assume
It is now okay to believe
That you'll be leaving me soon
That you are planning to depart soon
Well I won't analyze it
I will not try to dissect the situation
I know I've been a pain
I understand that my behavior has been a nuisance
But I must emphasize
However, I need to stress
My need to explain
The importance of me clarifying things
I'm asking for the last time
This will be my final plea
Is there anything I can do to change your mind
Is there any way I can influence your decision
Before you walk away
Before you make your departure
From this heart of mine
From my emotionally invested self
Don't say we're over and done
Don't declare that we are finished
Before we've ever begun
Before we even had a chance to start
Maybe you've made a mistake
Perhaps you have committed an error
Don't leave me for heaven's sake
Don't depart for the love of all that is holy
But I won't agonize
However, I will not stress
If you leave me behind
If you decide to abandon me
But I still recognize there's doubt in your mind
But I acknowledge that you have uncertainty
That's why I'm asking for the last time
This is why I am making one final request
No I won't agonize
I will not fret
Cos I still recognize there's doubt in your mind
Because I am aware that you have reservations
I'm asking for the last time
I am making one final plea
Is there anything I can do to change your mind
Is there any way I can convince you otherwise
Before you walk away
Before you depart
From this heart of mine
From my emotionally invested self
I'm asking for the last time
This is my last request
Is there anything I can do to change your mind
Is there any way I can sway your decision
I'm asking for the last time
This will be the end of my appeals
Before you walk away
Before you make your departure
From this heart of mine
From my emotionally invested self
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@toddvandell85
@Kathie Myrenaes
Funny thing, but I always believed Paul Carrack sang this song.
He and the late Paul Young definitely had similar vocal timbres.
I feel like I've heard Paul Carrack sing it, and he might have when Paul Young died and Paul Carrack took over all the lead vocal duties in Mike & The Mechanics in 2000.
I'm pretty sure that's him playing keyboards behind Mike Rutherford in this video. 🙂
Anyway.
Great song.
Paul Young left us way too soon.
R.I.P.
And yes, the great Richard Belzer co-stars in this video.
Undoubtedly playing John Munch, the character he's most known for playing on Law & Order: SVU and several other shows besides.
(Richard's John Munch currently holds the record for the most played character on the most TV series.)
In addition to his lengthy career as a comedian.
From Wikipedia's entry:
"Belzer has played Munch in episodes on seven other series and in a sketch on one talk show, making Munch the only fictional character to appear on eleven different television shows played by a single actor.
These shows were on six different networks:
Homicide: Life on the Street (NBC)
Law & Order (NBC)
The X-Files (Fox)
The Beat (UPN)
Law & Order: Trial by Jury (NBC)
Belzer's appearance on Trial by Jury, which aired April 15, 2005, made him the third actor ever to play the same character in six different prime time TV series.
The other two actors are John Ratzenberger and George Wendt, who played Cliff Clavin and Norm Peterson, respectively, in Cheers (1982–93); St. Elsewhere (1985); The Tortellis (1987); Wings (1990); The Simpsons (1994); and Frasier (2002).
Arrested Development (Fox)
The Wire (HBO)
30 Rock (NBC)
The characters are watching a Law & Order: Special Victims Unit episode; a scene shot for 30 Rock
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (NBC)
Jimmy Kimmel Live! (ABC)
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (Netflix), in which he played a John Munch-like character on a fictional Law & Order spinoff.
In March 2016, executive producer Warren Leight announced Belzer would return to reprise the role in a May 2016 episode of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, titled "Fashionable Crimes".
Belzer portrayed Det. Munch for 22 consecutive seasons on Homicide (7 seasons) and Law & Order: SVU (15 seasons), which exceeded the previous primetime live-action record of twenty consecutive seasons held by James Arness (who portrayed Marshal Matt Dillon on Gunsmoke from 1955 to 1975) and Kelsey Grammer (as Dr. Frasier Crane on Cheers and Frasier from 1984 to 2004)."
@luiscavalcanti3431
Taken in, taken in again
Wrapped around the finger of some fair-weather friend
Caught up in the promises, left out in the end
No pride, taken for a ride
You say I'm the only one when I look in your eyes
I want to believe you but you know how to lie
And if you say you understand I don't believe it
And when you reach out for my hand I don't believe it
And if you say you take the blame I don't believe it
And if say that nothing's changed I don't believe it, don't believe it
Taken in, taken in again
Someone saw me coming, a fool without a friend
There's one born every minute and you're looking at him
And if you say you want me near I don't believe it
And when you're holding back the tears I don't believe it
And when you swear that you are mine I don't believe it
And it's your heart that's on the line I don't believe it, don't believe it
Taken in, taken in again
Wrapped around the finger of some fair-weather friend
Caught up in the promises, left out in the end
No pride, taken for a ride
You say I'm the only one when I look in your eyes
I'd love to believe you but you know how to lie
You say you want me near I don't believe it
And when you're holding back the tears I don't believe it
Oh, there's one born every minute, you're looking at him
Taken in, taken in again
Someone saw me coming, a fool without a friend
I want to believe you, oh
When you say you understand
When you reach out for my hand
Oh, I wish I could believe you
Taken in, taken in again
@michiganmike67
One of the greatest forgotten songs of the 80’s. The hypnotic saxophone and smooth melody make this Mike and the Mechanics song a mid 80’s gem.
@Walsh1502
Imagine having both Paul Young (RIP) and Paul Carrack as vocalists in the same band at the same time. Amazing.
@danilomacalino9889
Beautiful song,so cool ....
@haraldfarinski6245
Just shows us once again to never take talent for granted!
@AlanJumpi
Huh? Paul Young is died? 🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔
@remmer7010
@@AlanJumpiyeah he’s still alive😅
@edgar5598
He's still alive dum dum.
@ChrisBakerauthor
This was actually my favorite of their songs. I don't know why it wasn't as popular as others.
@guslevy3506
Yep…
@conniebauer4128
It's their best song...IMO.