A British indie rock band associated with twee pop, who formed in the eighties. Several members later became Heavenly. Ultimately a major influence on early riot grrrl and countless indie-pop groups.
Avatars of the British twee-pop movement, Talulah Gosh formed in late 1986 when economics student Amelia Fletcher and struggling artist Elizabeth Price met at an Oxford area club; both were wearing Pastels badges, and their common love for indie rock prompted them to immediately found their own group. Originally intending to form a post-punk variation on 1960s-era girl groups, neither of the aspiring vocalists had the time or energy to find compatible female musicians, so they instead recruited Fletcher's 15-year-old brother Mathew on drums, her record-store clerk boyfriend Peter Momtchiloff on guitar, and Chris Scott on bass; Rob Pursey, who rounded out the initial Talulah Gosh roster, exited after only three shows.
The band bowed in March 1986, opening for the Razorcuts; their introductory song was "Pastels Badge," a celebration of their origins. Soon Talulah Gosh made their recording debut with "I Told You So," one side of a split flexi-disc with the Razorcuts issued on the tiny Sha-La-La label (whose owner, Matt Haynes, went on to co-found the highly influential Sarah Records imprint). A session for the BBC Radio One's Janice Long show followed before they signed to the Edinburgh label 53rd and 3rd, releasing their debut EP Steaming Train in 1987; the group's jangly, winsome songs and cotton-candy vocals won them a fervent cult following, and placed Talulah Gosh at the forefront of what the U.K. press dubbed the "shambling" scene.
Prior to the release of Steaming Train, Price left the band, having grown tired of their haphazard, out-of-tune live shows -- guitars broke, amplifiers shorted out and cymbals crashed over, forcing the group to attempt to repair their instruments between songs. With Eithne Farry sharing vocal duties, the band's image and sound hardened; their songs sped up and the group increasingly discarded their "cute" conceits, having expressed in numerous interviews that they felt misunderstood by fans and the press. Talulah Gosh returned to the studio in 1987 to record their second EP, Where's the Cougar Matey; a single, "Testcard Girl," followed, but after a final John Peel session, the group splintered in February 1988 to allow its members to continue their university careers. The Fletcher siblings and Momtchiloff later reunited in Heavenly, which also featured original Gosh bassist Rob Pursey.
Talulah Gosh
Talulah Gosh Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Her life will be a movie
All the things she does
Written in her diary
But when the day is done
She cannot tell the truth
Pretend her lifeβs exciting
Talulah Gosh was a film star for a day
Talulah Gosh was a top celebrity
You can lie to everyone
But please, please donβt lie to me
Now she is a pop star
With her own TV show
Tells them all her stories
And hopes theyβll never know
Donβt be anybody else
Forget about the rest
Youβll always be Talulah
Youβll always be yourself
Talulah Gosh was a film star for a day
Talulah Gosh was a top celebrity
You can lie to everyone
But please, please donβt lie to me
Talulah Gosh was a film star for a day
Talulah Gosh was a top celebrity
You can lie to everyone
But please, please donβt lie to me
The song Talulah Gosh seems to be a commentary on the desire for fame and the lengths people will go to achieve it. The titular character of the song wakes up every day with the belief that her life should be like a movie, with all her actions written in her diary. However, at the end of the day, she cannot tell the truth and must pretend that her life is more exciting than it actually is, demonstrating the pressure to present an image of perfection in the public eye.
Despite this, Talulah Gosh evolves from a film star to a pop star with a TV show, using her platform to share her stories with the world, but also hoping that they will never know the truth behind them. The song reminds the listener that they need to be themselves, to forget about the rest, and to always be true to who they are. The refrain of the song emphasizes that while people can lie to everyone else, they should not lie to the person they are addressing.
Overall, Talulah Gosh seems to be a reflection on the modern obsession with fame and the pressure to present a certain image to the world. It highlights the tension between the desire for authenticity and the need to conform to societal expectations.
Line by Line Meaning
Every day she wakes up
Talulah wakes up each day
Her life will be a movie
She imagines her life as a movie
All the things she does
Her activities
Written in her diary
Are recorded in her diary
But when the day is done
At the end of the day
She cannot tell the truth
She cannot be honest
Pretend her lifeβs exciting
She pretends her life is thrilling
Pretend sheβll never lose
She pretends she will never fail
Talulah Gosh was a film star for a day
Talulah Gosh briefly became a movie star
Talulah Gosh was a top celebrity
She gained popularity and notoriety
You can lie to everyone
She can deceive others
But please, please donβt lie to me
She asks to be told the truth
Now she is a pop star
She is now a popular music artist
With her own TV show
She has her own television program
Tells them all her stories
She shares her experiences with her audience
And hopes theyβll never know
She hopes her audience doesn't discover the truth
Donβt be anybody else
She advises against being someone else
Forget about the rest
She suggests ignoring others
Youβll always be Talulah
She assures that you will always be yourself
Youβll always be yourself
She stresses the importance of authenticity
Contributed by Joseph F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@akbar5869
Every day she wakes up
Her life will be a movie
All the things she does, written in her diary
But when the day is done, she cannot tell the truth
Pretend her life's exciting
Pretend she'll never lose
Talulah Gosh was a film star for a day
Talulah Gosh was a top celebrity
You can lie to everyone
But please, please don't lie to me
Now she is a popstar
With her own TV show
Tells them all her stories
And hopes they'll never know
Don't be anybody else
Forget about the rest
You'll always be Talulah
You'll always be yourself
Talulah Gosh was a film star for a day
Talulah Gosh was a top celebrity
You can lie to everyone
But please, please don't lie to me
@TheSpallanzani
it's never to late to discover a band
@Boltenstein1
One of the most underrated bands ever.
@TheGrandmasterMan
@@Boltenstein1 Damn right!
@alanramirez9935
Just discovered them today April 2021
@lajuvenyouth2889
U, U familiar places in my heart
@Sherar84
@@alanramirez9935 Me too, September 2022
@neilbombd
Amelia Fletcher really does amaze me. I wish more people realised just how brilliant she is.
@dizzylizzysunflower
I remember hearing this on John Peelβs show in the 80sβ¦bloody brilliant!!!
@DD-ev2dt
INDIE classic from Oxfords finest Talluhah Gosh π ..... classic from 1987 πβοΈ.
@springalo66
I want to cry....longing for simpler times.....thanks again for posting all these videos.