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.
The 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"
Oh, each time you go
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 "The Big Hurt" depict a painful and all-consuming heartbreak. The chorus "Now it begins, now that you've gone, needles, and pins, twilight till dawn" refers to the physical pain that one may feel after a breakup, as if one were being poked with needles and pins all day long. The imagery of waiting and watching for the return of a lost love highlights the desperation and sense of loss that comes with heartbreak. The lines "Waiting to hear footsteps that say, 'love will appear and this time to stay'" suggest the longing for a love that will be enduring and not just temporary.
The song conveys a feeling of hopelessness, as if the singer has resigned himself to the pain of lost love. The repetition of the phrase "the big hurt" emphasizes the all-consuming nature of the pain that the singer is experiencing. He cannot escape the pain that his lost love has caused him, and he seems to accept that it will always be a part of his life.
Overall, "The Big Hurt" is a powerful song that captures the raw emotion of heartbreak. It depicts the pain and despair that come with a breakup, and the longing for a love that will last. It's a timeless piece that speaks to anyone who has ever experienced heartbreak.
Line by Line Meaning
Now it begins, now that you've gone
The start of a painful time without the person you love.
Needles and pins, twilight till dawn
The constant ache of missing someone, feeling like it will never end.
Watching that clock till you return
Anxiously waiting for the person to come back, feeling like time is passing too slowly.
Lighting that torch and watching it burn
Holding on to hope that love will return, even though it feels like a painful burden.
Now it begins, day after day
The repeated pain and heartache of missing the person every day.
This is my night, ticking away
The despair of feeling like every night is endless, spent waiting for the person to return.
Waiting to hear footsteps that say
Holding out hope for a sign that the person still loves you and will return.
"Love will appear and this time to stay"
Believing that the love you share will ultimately triumph and stay forever.
Oh, each time you go
Feeling the pain of separation every time the person leaves.
I try to pretend
Trying to convince yourself that the pain will go away, even though it never does.
It's over at last
Wanting the pain to end, but never truly believing it will.
This time the big hurt will end
Hoping that this time, the pain will not be as great and will eventually stop.
But if you go, come back again
Holding out hope that the person will return to stop the pain.
I wonder when, oh when will it end?
Questioning when the pain will stop and when the person will return to make it all go away.
The big hurt
The overwhelming pain of missing the person and the uncertainty of their return.
The big hurt
Repeating the title to emphasize the all-consuming pain of separation and longing.
The big hurt
Final repetition of the title to convey the depth and magnitude of the emotional pain being experienced.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Wayne Shanklin
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! 😍