First formed at the end of 1984 (Anders was 21), they unexpectedly became immensely popular with their standalone disco hit "You're My Heart, You're My Soul", which was then followed by "You Can Win If You Want" and "Cheri, Cheri Lady". They released two albums a year from 1985 to 1987 while also promoting their singles on television all over Europe. After splitting up in 1987, the duo reunited in 1998, at first only testing the waters with new versions of hit singles and again reaching the top of the charts unexpectedly. Bohlen and Anders split again in 2003 due to irreconcilable disagreements (they had never been friends in the first place). Thomas Anders started another solo career immediately, while Bohlen had by now begun devoting most of his time to new talents, especially those he discovered on the German edition of the TV show Pop Idol/American Idol.
Global sales of Modern Talking records were 120 million units, according to BMG in June 2003, and they have become the biggest-selling German music act in history, so far outselling even Frank Farian's projects Boney M and Milli Vanilli, Michael Cretu's Enigma, Sandra, the Scorpions, Snap! and Rammstein.
Modern Talking were successful in Europe, Asia, South America and some African countries. In the United Kingdom they reached the top ten only once with the song "Brother Louie" (in 1986, #4 UK). They did not feel very good about promoting their singles there due to being marketed in England as a gay group like Erasure and Culture Club. Indeed, in the UK "Brother Louie" is regarded by those who remember it as nothing more than a novelty record by a one-hit wonder.
They were almost unknown in North America by mainstream standards, never appearing in the charts there, and due to lack of backing from a record company and lack of time did not go there to promote their music. Composer Dieter Bohlen employed mood-evoking lyrics and intellectually-designed, synthesizer-based music which was out of vogue in the U.S. before Modern Talking even formed.
In 2006 Bohlen included a secret message in his song "Bizarre Bizarre" which was played backwards: "There will never be an end to Modern Talking". However, Bohlen said "he meant to say that the music of Modern Talking will live forever" [4]. Anders has kept the Modern Talking songs in his repertoire and produced songs in a similar vein for his solo records ("Independent Girl"). In 2006 he produced an album of Swing and Jazz versions of popular songs (including Modern Talking's first hit). Bohlen has written two autobiographical books, one of which also detailed Modern Talking's history from his perspective, and sold a million copies in Germany. The sequel was heavily criticised for his unfairness towards the people he worked with. As a result of that, he withdrew from the public for a year until 2006, when he said he regretted putting out the second book. Anders had not been the only one pressing charges against Bohlen and demanding that sections of the book be modified.
Bells Of Paris
Modern Talking Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Every little bit
You're holding me till the night is gone
Oh, my little heart really blue apart
When you touched me
You hold so strong
Now, you're looking in my eyes
And I feel the need
Nothing else I do
Only loving you
And I never will tell you lies
Bells of Paris
You steal my heart away
Bells of Paris
Remembering that day
Bells of Paris
When I met you on the Champs-Elyse¨¦s in that old caf¨¦
Bells of Paris
Coming up to me
Bells of Paris
Like a fantasy
Bells of Paris
I met you in the Paris' lights
And I fell all right
Oh, you stood in the light of an old cafe
You're flaming nice breaking up my heart
And you danced in the night in the magic light
And you gave my live a brand new start
Oh, you fed my love to your hungry soul
And I see an angel in your eyes
Want you take my hand to a wonderland
I will take you to paradise
The lyrics of Modern Talking's song Bells of Paris, convey a story of a love affair that began in the French capital. The song's narrator, is telling their lover of how they have given them their heart and how when they are together, their love seems to have no limits. The prospects of being with their lover, to make their dreams come true is the only thing that they desire, furthermore, they promise never to tell them lies. The chorus is the focus of the song, where it recounts how "Bells of Paris" stole the singer's heart, and how the memories of that day, they first met their lover at the old cafe they described, remains fresh in their memories. The singer refers to this day, as one where they met their lover in the Paris lights, and where they felt all right.
The lyrics of Bells of Paris not only describe the joy and ecstasy of being in love with someone but also resonates with the listeners' imaginations of Paris. They describe Paris with its unique and iconic bells that sing and melodize the air, seizing the heart and soul of anyone venturing in the city of love. Along with the song's rhythm, the lyrics perfectly articulate the dreamlike sensation French environment has, as felt by the singer. The music carries a significant amount of influence and inspiration from the 1980s Eurodance genre, and it has been one of the most iconic pieces of music from that era. Modern Talking was responsible for bringing the perfect combination of energy and emotion that was popular in the 80s, especially in Europe.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh, I gave you my heart
The singer has given their heart to the person they are addressing.
Every little bit
The singer has given their heart to the person they are addressing without holding anything back.
You're holding me till the night is gone
The person the singer has given their heart to is holding them close until morning.
Oh, my little heart really blue apart
The artist's heart was broken into pieces by the person they have given their heart to.
When you touched me
The heartbreak was caused when the person they gave their heart to touched them.
You hold so strong
The person they gave their heart to held them so tight that it caused their heart to break.
Now, you're looking in my eyes
The person they have given their heart to is now looking deeply into their eyes.
And I feel the need
The artist feels a strong desire to fulfill the needs of the person they have given their heart to.
I will try to make your dreams come true
The artist pledges to do everything in their power to make the dreams of the person they have given their heart to come true.
Nothing else I do
The only thing the artist will do is love the person they have given their heart to.
Only loving you
The singer is devoted to loving the person they have given their heart to.
And I never will tell you lies
The artist promises to never deceive or lie to the person they have given their heart to.
Bells of Paris
The singer is recalling memories of their time in Paris.
You steal my heart away
Their memories of Paris are so captivating that it feels as if their heart has been stolen by the city.
Remembering that day
The singer is reminiscing about a specific day they spent in Paris.
When I met you on the Champs-Elyse¨¦s in that old caf¨¦
The artist recalls the day they met the person they have given their heart to at an old cafe on the famous avenue in Paris.
Coming up to me
The person the artist has given their heart to approached them on that day.
Like a fantasy
The moment and the person were so enchanting that it felt like a dream.
I met you in the Paris' lights
The singer met the person they have given their heart to in the beautiful lights of Paris.
And I fell all right
Meeting this person made the artist feel completely content and happy.
Oh, you stood in the light of an old cafe
The person the artist has given their heart to was standing in the light of an old cafe when they met.
You're flaming nice breaking up my heart
Despite their beauty and charm, the person the artist has given their heart to has caused them heartbreak.
And you danced in the night in the magic light
The person the singer has given their heart to danced in the magical light of the night sky.
And you gave my live a brand new start
Meeting the person the artist has given their heart to gave their life a new beginning.
Oh, you fed my love to your hungry soul
The person the singer has given their heart to has taken and consumed all of their love.
And I see an angel in your eyes
The person the singer has given their heart to appears almost angelic to them.
Want you take my hand to a wonderland
The singer is asking the person they have given their heart to to take their hand and embark on an adventure together.
I will take you to paradise
The artist promises to lead the person they have given their heart to into a state of perfect happiness and contentment.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Hansa Musik, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DIETER BOHLEN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Edu Tere Barbosa
on Just Like An Angel
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