Initially formed in 1976 in London, England, they didn't reach a stable line-up or decide on the Spandau name until 1978. Their odd title allegedly came from a piece of bathroom graffiti observed during the members early days. Inspired by a mixture of avant-garde synth pop and slick funk. as typified by their early track "Chant No 1 (I Don't Need This Pressure On)", also known by other titles such as "Chant # 1", the band commercially broke through with an artistic public image as remarked upon as their music. Said track reached the #2 spot in the U.K. and was notable for inclusion of the horn section from the group Beggar & Co, which proved a fruitful collaboration on record.
Spandau Ballet's first two albums, 1981's 'Journeys to Glory' and 1982's 'Diamond', found them also mining their art rock and glam rock roots as their fan-base expanded, the group looking to the works of David Bowie and Roxy Music for inspiration. Both albums charted in the U.K. top 20 and were later certified gold by the RIAA. Additional popular songs from the band in this era include "To Cut a Long Story Short" and "Freeze" (also known as "The Freeze". The group also notably picked up a semi-friendly rivalry with new wave contemporaries Duran Duran.
After four hits in the U.K. followed by a couple of less successful releases, however, Spandau Ballet's chart career appeared to be on the wane. Yet Instinction, re-ignited their fortunes and became the first of eleven consecutive singles to reach the Top 20
Immensely popular in the UK, the New Romantic group eventually mellowed into a mainstream pop act. As with Duran Duran they 'broke America', albeit briefly - the title track of their 3rd album True peaked in the Top 5 of the Singles charts. The song gained a new life in the 1990's and beyond by being sampled in the songs Set Adrift on Memory Bliss by PM Dawn and N Dey Say by Nelly.
After a split in 1990 and a court case almost ten years later involving Hadley, Keeble & Norman suing Gary Kemp over royalties, they announced in March 2009 a reformation.
Heaven Is A Secret
Spandau Ballet Lyrics
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You could be the boy in the film
Heaven is a secret
Heaven is a secret
Where are the West-Side boys?
Fighting on the scaffold of love
Scripted pleasures made forever
Heaven is a secret
It's a passion
It's a long way over there
Far from her arms tonight
Heaven is a secret
It's a passion
It's a long way over there
Far from her arms tonight
Far from her arms tonight
Here is her model home
Listen to the call of the wild
Heaven is a secret
Heaven is a secret
Facts are an awful shame
The shadow of a doubtful affair
Scripted pleasures made forever
Easier said than done together
Heaven is a secret
It's a passion
It's a long way over there
Far from her arms tonight
Heaven is a secret
It's a passion
It's a long way over there
Far from her arms tonight
Far from her arms tonight
Act One's the same as you read in the book
Could this be the thing that they shout about?
No more in distress, now it's rushed through the door
And you can't believe that the secrets out
Scripted pleasures made forever
Easier said than done together
Heaven is a secret
It's a passion
It's a long way over there
Far from her arms tonight
Heaven is a secret
It's a passion
It's a long way over there
Far from her arms tonight
Far from her arms tonight
Far from her arms tonight
Far from her arms tonight
Heaven is a secret
Heaven is a secret
Heaven is a secret
Heaven is a secret
Heaven is a secret
Heaven is a secret
Heaven is a secret
Heaven is a secret
The lyrics to Spandau Ballet's song, "Heaven Is a Secret," are somewhat ambiguous, but they seem to be about someone who is searching for something elusive, something that they can't quite put their finger on. The opening lines suggest that this person is a singer or performer of some kind, and that they sing a "West-Side song," perhaps a reference to the Broadway musical, West Side Story. The next lines suggest that the person listening to the song could be the "boy in the film," which could mean that they feel like they're living in a movie or that they're searching for the perfect romantic partner.
The chorus repeats the phrase "Heaven is a secret" several times, suggesting that the elusive thing that the singer is searching for is something like heaven, something that seems impossibly perfect and out of reach. The following verses add more detail to this picture, with lines about "scripted pleasures made forever" and the "shadow of a doubtful affair." These lines seem to suggest that the singer is looking for something real, something unscripted and authentic, but that they're having a hard time finding it.
The final lines of the song seem to suggest that the singer has found what they were looking for, or at least, that they've come close. They talk about a door that has been "rushed through" and a secret that is now out. It's not clear what this secret is, but it seems to be something significant, perhaps the key to the singer's search for heaven.
Overall, the lyrics to "Heaven Is a Secret" suggest a quest for something elusive and magical, something that seems almost too good to be true.
Line by Line Meaning
She'll sing a West-Side song
Where are the boys from the West Side? She's singing a song of love.
You could be the boy in the film
A romantic dreamer caught in a story from a movie.
Heaven is a secret
A place of passion and wonder, far away from here.
Heaven is a secret
A place of passion and wonder, far away from here.
Where are the West-Side boys?
Where are the boys from the West Side?
Fighting on the scaffold of love
Struggling and fighting for love on a precarious and unstable platform.
Scripted pleasures made forever
Planned and pre-arranged enjoyment that lasts forever.
Easier said than done together
It's easier to talk about it than to actually achieve something together.
Heaven is a secret
A place of passion and wonder, far away from here.
It's a passion
A powerful and intense feeling that drives one's actions and emotions.
It's a long way over there
It's far away, both physically and emotionally.
Far from her arms tonight
Separated from the one they love.
Here is her model home
This is where she belongs, surrounded by her possessions and memories.
Listen to the call of the wild
Hear the untamed and free-spirited voice of nature.
Heaven is a secret
A place of passion and wonder, far away from here.
Facts are an awful shame
The truth can be painful and difficult to accept.
The shadow of a doubtful affair
The looming suspicion that something is wrong with the relationship.
Act One's the same as you read in the book
The beginning of the story is the same as every other love story.
Could this be the thing that they shout about?
Is this the thing that everyone talks about? The thing that people dream of?
No more in distress, now it's rushed through the door
No longer stuck and unhappy, now the adventure begins and the excitement can't be contained.
And you can't believe that the secrets out
The secret is finally revealed and it's a shock to the system.
Heaven is a secret
A place of passion and wonder, far away from here.
It's a passion
A powerful and intense feeling that drives one's actions and emotions.
It's a long way over there
It's far away, both physically and emotionally.
Far from her arms tonight
Separated from the one they love.
Heaven is a secret
A place of passion and wonder, far away from here.
Heaven is a secret
A place of passion and wonder, far away from here.
Heaven is a secret
A place of passion and wonder, far away from here.
Heaven is a secret
A place of passion and wonder, far away from here.
Heaven is a secret
A place of passion and wonder, far away from here.
Heaven is a secret
A place of passion and wonder, far away from here.
Heaven is a secret
A place of passion and wonder, far away from here.
Heaven is a secret
A place of passion and wonder, far away from here.
Lyrics © REFORMATION MUSIC INC
Written by: GARY KEMP
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind