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.
Part Time Lover
Modern Talking Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'll give you all my heart I swear
And when your love begins to turn
I light the fire, and it burns
Oh all I want is everything
But I can't buy you diamond rings
But I will make your dreams come true
But one thing I don't want to do
I don't want to be your part time lover
I don't want to play no silly games
Oh don't tell me baby there's no other
I don't want to die in sweet, sweet flames
I don't want to be your part time lover
I don't want to play no silly games
I don't want to be your special brother
Again, again, again
Oh lonely days and lonely nights
I'm waiting for your call, that's right
Oh should I stay or should I go
There is a place, oh girl I know
Don't waiting for a star to fall
Oh hundred times I tried to call
Oh baby why you telling lies
And try to break my paradise
The lyrics to Modern Talking's "Part Time Lover" describe a man's unwavering commitment to the woman he loves. He promises to give her his heart "anytime and anywhere" and offers to make her dreams come true. However, he asserts that he does not want to be her part-time lover, nor does he want to play any silly games. He doesn't want to be her special brother either. He insists that he won't settle for anything less than a full-time commitment and a genuine relationship with the woman he loves.
The song is heartfelt, romantic, and somewhat melancholic, with its wistful chorus begging the woman he loves to choose him and him alone. The song features a catchy melody and danceable beat, which were hallmarks of Modern Talking's music. The band is known for creating a unique sound that fused Euro disco, synth-pop, and EDM, gaining them massive popularity in the 1980s.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh anytime and anywhere
I am willing to be there for you whenever and wherever you need me.
I'll give you all my heart I swear
I promise to give you all of my love.
And when your love begins to turn
When your feelings towards me start to change,
I light the fire, and it burns
I ignite the passion in our relationship and it intensifies.
Oh all I want is everything
I want to give you everything in the world,
But I can't buy you diamond rings
But I am unable to buy you expensive material things,
But I will make your dreams come true
However, I will make sure that all your wishes are fulfilled,
But one thing I don't want to do
But there is one thing I refuse to do,
I don't want to be your part time lover
I don't want to be with you only when it's convenient for you,
I don't want to play no silly games
I don't want to play games with you or waste our time together,
Oh don't tell me baby there's no other
Don't lie to me and say there is nobody else,
I don't want to die in sweet, sweet flames
I don't want to have my heart broken by you and suffer the pain of a failed romance,
I don't want to be your special brother
I don't want to be just a friend or a sibling to whom you're not romantically attracted,
Again, again, again
I want to emphasize that I do not want to be your part-time lover, and I mean it.
Oh lonely days and lonely nights
I am lonely when I am without you, especially during the day and night,
I'm waiting for your call, that's right
I am eagerly waiting for you to call me because I am excited to talk to you,
Oh should I stay or should I go
I am unsure if I should stick around and wait for your love, or leave and move on,
There is a place, oh girl I know
However, I know of a place where we can be together and be happy,
Don't waiting for a star to fall
Don't wait for fate to bring us together by chance,
Oh hundred times I tried to call
I have called you many times but have not heard back from you,
Oh baby why you telling lies
Why are you lying to me and not being truthful about your feelings and intentions?
And try to break my paradise
Stop trying to ruin our perfect world and the happiness we could share together.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, 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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