T'Pau formed in 1986. The members originated from the towns of Shrewsbury and Wellington in central England and took their name from a Vulcan high priestess in the classic Star Trek episode Amok Time. Their debut single and first hit was the 1987 release Heart and Soul. Initially a flop in the UK, it first became a hit in the U.S. Billboard charts, reaching #4, a feat it repeated in the UK Singles Chart some months later. The same year, the band had their biggest hit with the ballad, China in Your Hand, which spent five weeks at Number One in the UK chart, and also claimed the top slot in several European countries, although oddly the song made little impact on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart.
They had a number of smaller hits which made it to at least the UK Top 40, including the singles Valentine, Sex Talk (a new recording of early flop single Intimate Strangers), I Will Be With You, and Secret Garden. Their 1987 album Bridge Of Spies (the album was called T'Pau in the U.S.) was a best seller and won several British record industry awards.
Nevertheless, the band failed to maintain their success and split in 1991. But Decker reformed the band with a new line-up in 1998, and T'Pau have in recent years attempted a comeback.
In May 2005, Carol Decker reached the final round of the ITV show Hit Me Baby One More Time, singing the T'Pau hit China in Your Hand.
See also: Official site
Only A Heartbeat
T'Pau Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But you can't see what's taking place
All you know is that the sun will set and the sun will rise
And everything will be alright
There's a cry in the dark and it comes from way across the world tonight
It's the sound of a drum that beats alone and knows what is right
And from Tiananmen to Timisoara
(And they took the wall away) And they took the wall away
You see step by step it came down again
A chain reaction, a solemn vow
Who in the world can stop this now?
Lift your head to a new day okay
Dawn of the start of a whole new way
Hold on to the meaning of the word
And when you know it's only gonna be a question of morality
It's only a heartbeat away
You can call for justice, we're free to be a part
And they lip service to it all
Cause you see that half the world is overcome
The other half is deaf is dumb
Now you will hear them call
(And they took the wall away) And they took the wall away
You see brick by brick it came down again
A chain reaction, a solemn vow
Who in the world can stop this now?
Lift your head to a new day okay
Dawn of the start of a whole new way
Hold on to the meaning of the word
And when you know it's only gonna be a question of morality
It's only a heartbeat away (only a heartbeat away)
Hold on to your home
And say oh-woah-woah-woah (you-lay-lay-lay)
Lift your head and there's a brand new day
It's only a heartbeat away
So don't sacrify the great divide
We are here to testify
Lift your head to a new day okay
Dawn of the start of a whole new way
Hold on to the meaning of the word (hold on to the meaning of the word)
And when you know it's only gonna be a question of morality
It's only a heartbeat away (only a heartbeat away)
Hold on to your home
And say oh-woah-woah-woah (you-lay-lay-lay)
Lift your head and face the day
It's only a heartbeat away (oh, yeah)
Lift your head to a new day okay
Dawn of the start of a another cool way
Hold on to the meaning of the word (hold on to the meaning of the word)
And when you know it's only gonna be a question of morality
It's only a heartbeat away (only a heartbeat away)
Hold on to your home
And say oh-woah-woah-woah (you-lay-lay-lay)
Lift your head and there's a brand new day
It's only a heartbeat away (oh, yeah)
The lyrics to T'Pau's song "Only A Heartbeat" speak to the urgency and importance of global unity and peaceful change. The first verse describes the fleeting nature of life and the way in which the world keeps turning despite all the struggles and injustices happening within it. The chorus urges listeners to hold on to the meaning of words like justice and morality, and to stay hopeful for a better future, which is only a heartbeat away.
The second verse describes a cry for justice that can be heard across the world, and the need for individuals to come together to create meaningful change. The reference to Tiananmen and Timisoara are nods to specific events in history where people came together to fight for justice and change. The repeated "And they took the wall away" speaks to the collapse of the Berlin Wall and the end of the Cold War, which is seen as a symbolic victory towards a more united world.
Overall, the lyrics of "Only A Heartbeat" uplift and inspire listeners to stay positive and hopeful, even in the face of adversity. The song encourages listeners to recognize their own power to make change in the world and to hold on to their values and beliefs.
Line by Line Meaning
There's a million ways and gloried days to take your breath away
There are countless opportunities and magnificent moments that can take your breath away.
But you can't see what's taking place
However, you are unable to perceive what is happening.
All you know is that the sun will set and the sun will rise
All you are aware of is that the sun will set and rise again.
And everything will be alright
And you are convinced that everything will end up fine.
There's a cry in the dark and it comes from way across the world tonight
In the darkness, there is a loud noise emanating from a faraway location tonight.
It's the sound of a drum that beats alone and knows what is right
The noise you're hearing could be the sound of a drum that plays alone but knows what's correct.
And from Tiananmen to Timisoara
Starting in Tiananmen and extending to Timisoara,
Across this land (And they took the wall away)
Throughout this realm, the wall was removed.
You see step by step it came down again
The wall was taken down gradually over time.
A chain reaction, a solemn vow
It was a sequence of events initiated by a solemn promise.
Who in the world can stop this now?
Who can prevent this from unfolding?
Lift your head to a new day okay
Raise your head to welcome a new day, alright?
Dawn of the start of a whole new way
It's the beginning of a completely new approach.
Hold on to the meaning of the word
Remember the definition of the term.
And when you know it's only gonna be a question of morality
And once you realize it will only be a matter of what is right or wrong,
It's only a heartbeat away
It's incredibly close to happening.
You can call for justice, we're free to be a part
You can advocate for fairness, and we have the liberty to participate.
And they lip service to it all
And they pay lip service to everything.
Cause you see that half the world is overcome
Because you can see that half of the world is experiencing hardship.
The other half is deaf is dumb
The other half is unresponsive and unable to interact.
Now you will hear them call (And they took the wall away)
Now you will hear them cry out (and they got rid of the wall).
You see brick by brick it came down again
Brick by brick, the wall crumbled once more.
Hold on to your home and say oh-woah-woah-woah (you-lay-lay-lay)
Grasp onto your house and repeat 'oh-woah-woah-woah (you-lay-lay-lay)'.
Lift your head and there's a brand new day
Raise your head, and there's a whole new day ahead of you.
So don't sacrify the great divide
So, don't disregard the huge disparity.
We are here to testify
We are here to bear witness.
Dawn of the start of another cool way
It's the emergence of yet another exciting way.
Hold on to the meaning of the word (hold on to the meaning of the word)
Remember the definition of the term.
And when you know it's only gonna be a question of morality
And once you recognize that it'll be only a matter of right versus wrong
It's only a heartbeat away (only a heartbeat away)
It's just a few moments away (just a few moments away).
Hold on to your home and say oh-woah-woah-woah (you-lay-lay-lay)
Grasp onto your house and repeat 'oh-woah-woah-woah (you-lay-lay-lay)'.
Lift your head and there's a brand new day
Raise your head, and there's a whole new day ahead of you.
Contributed by Chloe N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Jon Daedalus Govoni
Carol Decker's voice is fantastic!
Massi Cald
Love this song <3
den saunders
Love the demo version of this.... Should have been remixed
Zoe Paula Strassfield
LIFT YOUR HEAD TO A NEW DECADE! DAWN OF THE START OF A WHOLE NEW WAVE!
Paul Thrupp
Wot a tune!!!!!!!!!
Harjinder Chaggar
Yes you're only a heartbeat away,Pam!
Weston Hough
And we are gonna play now. . They want to take another inch.