Fisher is best remembered for her 1959 song, "The Big Hurt" written by her manager Wayne Shanklin. The song went to No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 music chart in the U.S. "The Big Hurt" is notable because it featured phasing effects; indeed, it is claimed to be the first song to do so. DJ Dick Biondi on WKBW would introduce the record as "Toni Fisher's weird one."
According to an unconfirmed source the recording session was conducted in an airplane hangar, which is suggested by the sounds of aircraft in the background. Actually the song was recorded in the famous Gold Star Studios in Los Angeles and engineered by Stan Ross and Dave Gold.
Disc jockey Wink Martindale commented that the record label bills the singer as "Miss Toni Fisher" because of her powerful voice, which is consistently audible over the phasing, the instruments, and the background noise; to confirm to the listener that this is indeed a woman singing.
In 1962 she had another Top 40 hit with "West Of The Wall" (#37), a song about the sadness of lovers separated by the 1961 erection of the Berlin Wall.
"The Big Hurt" was later covered by Del Shannon, Susan Rafey, Susan Farrar, Scott Walker, Nick Cave, BearEssence, and Nessie & Her Beard.
She died of a heart attack on January 11th, 1999.
Big Hurt
Miss Toni Fisher Lyrics
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Needles and pins, twilight till dawn
Watching that clock till you return
Lighting that torch and watching it burn
Now it begins, day after day
This is my night, ticking away
Waiting to hear footsteps that say
"Love will appear and this time to stay"
I try to pretend
It's over at last
This time the big hurt will end
Now it begins, now that you've gone
Needles and pins, twilight till dawn
But if you go, come back again
I wonder when, oh when will it end?
The big hurt
The big hurt
The big hurt
The lyrics to Miss Toni Fisher's song "Big Hurt" describe the pain and heartbreak one experiences when a lover leaves. The song begins with the singer acknowledging the beginning of a long night without their lover, with the imagery of needles and pins used to symbolize the physical and emotional pain they are feeling. As they wait for their lover's return, they watch as the torch they light burns down to nothing. The torch can be interpreted as a metaphor for the hope that their lover will return and their love will rekindle, but as the torch burns out, so does the singer's hope.
The chorus repeats the phrase "now it begins" to emphasize the cyclical nature of heartbreak. The singer is stuck in a constant loop of waiting for their lover to return, only to be disappointed when they don't. They know deep down that their love is not guaranteed to last, and that each time their lover leaves, it could be the end. The final lines of the song express the singer's desperation for the heartbreak to end, but also their fear that it never will.
Overall, the lyrics of "Big Hurt" capture the raw emotions of heartbreak and the longing for a love that may never return.
Line by Line Meaning
Now it begins, now that you've gone
The feeling of pain starts now that you are no longer here.
Needles and pins, twilight till dawn
Feeling sharp pains all night long, unable to sleep.
Watching that clock till you return
Constantly checking the time, waiting for your return.
Lighting that torch and watching it burn
Holding out hope for your return and clinging to the idea of a future together.
Now it begins, day after day
The agony of your absence is felt repeatedly each day.
This is my night, ticking away
Each moment is felt like an eternity, as time ticks by slowly in my loneliness.
Waiting to hear footsteps that say
Hoping to hear that you have come back, and that our love is still strong.
"Love will appear and this time to stay"
Believing that love will conquer all, and that this time it will last forever.
Oh, each time you go
The sadness of your departure is felt with each goodbye.
I try to pretend
Trying to hide my feelings of sadness and loss.
"It's over at last
Believing that the relationship has ended, and that I can move on.
This time the big hurt will end"
Feeling hopeful that the pain will finally subside, and that I can move forward with my life.
But if you go, come back again
Feeling torn between wanting you to stay, and wanting you to come back if you leave.
I wonder when, oh when will it end?
Questioning whether the pain will ever truly end, and hoping for a resolution to the turmoil.
The big hurt
The immense emotional pain of this difficult relationship.
The big hurt
The overwhelming feeling of sadness and loss that is hard to overcome.
The big hurt
The significant emotional pain experienced in this tumultuous relationship.
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Kim Coburn
I LOVE THIS SONG! My mother used to turn the volume up as high as our record turntable would go. In hearing this song today I can see her wonderful face smiling! See you in heaven Mommy Do!
prlysis
Her last recordings were made for Capitol in 1967. She spent the rest of the sixties doing club dates and retired from the music scene after the death of her husband in 1970. Toni Fisher died of a heart attack February 12, 1999 at the age of 67 in Hyrum, Utah - it's a shame she didn't get more recognition than she did for such innovative technique with song which heralded musical influence well into the 1960's music revolution.
Rick fisher
This song sounds as good in 2020 as it did in 1959. Love it.
William Hargiss
There is something about this song that I can’t get enough of.
Clyde Blair
A masterpiece. I was so impressed at 11 yrs old, played it on the jukeboxes over and over. Wow.
Angela Carter
I was also 11 wow what a wonderful song,now at73yrs its still a good song
renaissance
WOW I remember this song as a kid and never forgot it!! to hear it again brought me to tears and goosebumps thank-you sooo much for this
Julieann Kuster
Yes tears I'm my eyes also my daddy would sing IT CAUSE my mama LEFT SHE was a CHEATER VERY beautiful lady I was 15mos old..☹😢💔👱♀️
dewey44
One of the few truly iconic recordings of the late fifties. This performance is forever seared into my memory.
Inspired By Ebony Love
I remember the first time I heard this song . I was instantly captured! I was in the general store in Lake Los Angeles with my cousin. I asked who that was, playing over the speakers! I loved it. The lady running the store was so kind! She burned it onto a CD for me! 😍