She was born in the neighborhood of Greenpoint in Brooklyn, New York City, New York on January 10, 1953 as Patricia Andrzejewski. She graduated from Lindenhurst High on Long Island in 1971. She married her lead guitarist, Neil "Spyder" Geraldo, in 1982, and she has two children, named Haley and Hana.
In 1973, Benatar quit her job as a bank teller to pursue a singing career after being inspired by a Liza Minnelli concert she saw in Richmond. She got a job as a singing waitress at a flapper-esque nightclub named "The Roaring Twenties", and got a gig singing in lounge band Coxon's Army. They garnered enough attention to be the subject of a never-aired PBS special, and the band's bassist, Roger Capps, would go on to be the original bass player for the Pat Benatar band.
This period also yielded Benatar's first solo single – 1974's "Day Gig" – until her eventual major label debut on Chrysalis Records in 1979. The song was released via Trace Records, and was both written and produced by Coxon's Army band leader Phil Coxon.
Benatar's big break came in 1975 at an amateur night at the comedy club "Catch a Rising Star" in New York City. Her rousing rendition of Judy Garland's "Rock-a-Bye Your Baby with a Dixie Melody" earned her a call back by club owner Rick Newman, who would later become her manager.
After many years of producing big budget albums, Neil and Pat have continued to produce albums together, even though they have decided to end their association with major labels. They have chosen instead to place the care of their children above industry demands, and make records at home in their own professional quality studio. Each summer when their girls get out of school for vacation, they all pack up, board a tour bus, and set out to play as many shows as they can fit into the summer months. Pat and Neil maintain a close, and much more personal, relationship with their fans, than they were able to do in 80's during the heights of their commercial success.
http://www.benatargiraldo.com
Tell Me
Pat Benatar Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Do they come out of the air
Suspicion always washes over me like a disease
I cannot share I can't ignore the way you treated me sometimes
So go ahead and convince me otherwise
[Chorus:]
Show me that it's possible not to cry, swear that you'll
Never leave and you'd rather die than hurt me
Just tell me that every thing's gonna be fine
Give me a reason why I should stay
One I won't regret in the end
This time say something I can believe
Something you haven't used yet
I can't ignore the way you treated me sometime
So go ahead and convince me otherwise
So many empty words were spoken here today
So many promises I'd like to dream away
Like verses whispered in some ancient ritual
That accusations fly, but we are no closer to the truth
The lyrics to Pat Benatar's song "Tell Me" capture the emotional turmoil of a woman grappling with trust issues in a relationship. She is plagued by nagging doubts and suspicion that the person she loves is not being entirely truthful with her. The first two lines of the song, "Why do I have these thoughts go through my head/Do they come out of the air," encapsulate this sense of unease and uncertainty. The singer struggles to shake off the feeling that something is amiss, like a disease that she cannot ignore.
Throughout the song, Benatar implores her partner to reassure her and prove that everything is okay. She begs him to "Show me that it's possible not to cry" and "Tell me that everything's gonna be fine." She also asks for "a reason why I should stay," something that would make her believe in their relationship again. The chorus is a plea for reassurance and security, a desperate attempt to quell her fears and doubts.
Despite her pleas, however, the singer is still wary. She cannot ignore the way her partner has treated her in the past, and she needs more than empty promises to pacify her. The lines "So many empty words were spoken here today/So many promises I'd like to dream away" suggest that there have been similar situations in the past, where her partner has failed to live up to his word. The final lines, "That accusations fly, but we are no closer to the truth," highlight the hopeless situation in which the singer finds herself. Despite her attempts to seek clarity and reassurance, she is still no closer to understanding the truth about her relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
Why do I have these thoughts go through my head
I'm questioning why I can't stop thinking about our relationship.
Do they come out of the air
I'm wondering if my thoughts are irrational and unfounded.
Suspicion always washes over me like a disease
I constantly feel suspicious of you and it's consuming me.
I cannot share
I can't bring myself to open up to you about my doubts.
I can't ignore the way you treated me sometimes
I'm acknowledging that you've hurt me in the past.
So go ahead and convince me otherwise
I'm willing to listen if you can give me a reason to believe in us again.
Tell me it's okay, that every thing's fine
I need reassurance that our relationship is not in danger.
Show me that it's possible not to cry, swear that you'll never leave and you'd rather die than hurt me
I need you to show me that you're committed to me and won't hurt me again.
Just tell me that every thing's gonna be fine
I need you to tell me that everything will work out between us.
Give me a reason why I should stay
I'm feeling like giving up on us, so I need a good reason to stay.
One I won't regret in the end
I need assurance that staying with you won't lead to regret in the future.
This time say something I can believe, something you haven't used yet
I'm asking for honesty and for you to not give me empty promises you've made before.
So many empty words were spoken here today
I feel like I've heard the same words from you before and they've lost meaning.
So many promises I'd like to dream away
I'm feeling disillusioned with your promises and want to forget them.
Like verses whispered in some ancient ritual
I feel like your promises are meaningless, like words in a ritual with no significance.
That accusations fly, but we are no closer to the truth
We are both accusing each other of things, but it's not getting us any closer to the root of our problems.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: NEIL GERALDO, PAT BENATAR
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind