She appeared in numerous television shows of the 1970s and 1980s, including T.J. Hooker and Lou Grant. She auditioned for the role of Princess Leia in Star Wars, and appeared in the 1978 film Thank God It's Friday.
Nunn joined the New Wave, techno-pop band Berlin in 1979, but temporarily left the band the following year to pursue an acting career. In 1981, Nunn rejoined the group as the lead vocalist and would soon forge her recording career with the band. Nunn's greatest success with Berlin was the top-selling single "Take My Breath Away", the love theme from the film Top Gun, which reached the #1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100, and has since been remade in a cover version by Jessica Simpson. Other popular songs songs voiced by Nunn included "Sex (I'm A...)", "The Metro", "No More Words", and "Masquerade".
In 1985 Nunn took a brief break as lead vocalist for Berlin and recorded the song "Dancing In Isolation" for the film Better Off Dead. The song was produced by British singer and producer Rupert Hine. In 1989, Nunn performed a duet with ex-Squeeze member Paul Carrack called "Romance". The song appeared the film soundtrack to the movie Sing, starring Peter Dobson and Lorraine Bracco.
In the early 1990s Nunn sang backing vocals for the band The Sisters of Mercy. In 1992, she recorded and released a solo album entitled Moment of Truth.
Nunn briefly sang for a rock band called "Sin City" which played in smaller clubs in Los Angeles in 1996, such as the Martini Lounge (now known as the Larchmont) on 5/14/96 and the (West Hollywood) House of Blues on 12/29/96.
Nunn obtained the rights to use of the band's name when Berlin disbanded in 1987, and resurrected Berlin with new members in 1996 and resumed recording and touring. Two EPs, Fall Into Heaven and Fall Into Heaven 2, were released in 1999, followed by Berlin's first live album, Sacred and Profane, in 2000. A subsequent album featuring all new songs, Voyeur, was released in 2002. Berlin's latest album, 4Play, released in 2005, included both new songs and covers of some of the band's favorite songs by other artists. In 2006, Nunn appeared as a guest vocalist on Pamela Moore's album Stories from a Blue Room.
Masquerade
Terri Nunn Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Caricatures of long ago
Oh they were young and oh-so sweet
Down beyond the boulevard
Knock on doors and empty halls
And still sometimes remember
The masquerade's forever
I'm sure you'll come and join the masquerade
The reeling figures pass on by
Like ghosts in some forgotten play
Beneath the black and empty sky
Music plays and figures dance
With partners chosen by chance
And still sometimes remember
The masquerade's forever
They reached for tomorrow
But tomorrows, more of the same
So they reached for tomorrow
But tomorrow never came
When you hear the price they paid
I'm sure you'll come and join the masquerade
One by one and two by two
Past eight by tens in shattered frames
The players try to leave the room
Frantic puppets on a string
And all the while the music sings
And still sometimes remember
The masquerade's forever
Terri Nunn's "Masquerade" is a melancholic depiction of the ephemeral nature of youth and the chaos of life. The lyrics describe the characters of the masquerade, who are painted faces on the street, caricatures of long ago. They were once young and sweet, but now they are just ghosts of people who used to be. The masquerade, in this context, is a metaphor for life, which is full of mysteries and illusions. The people in the masquerade are lost souls searching for something in the emptiness of their lives.
The song talks about the sadness that comes when you realize that tomorrow is never going to be as you thought it would be. The players in the masquerade, who are like "frantic puppets on a string," cannot escape this fate. They are trying to leave the room, but they are still dancing to the music as if nothing has changed. The song also touches upon the idea of chance and how random it can be. The figures dance with partners chosen by chance, and the masquerade seems to go on forever. In the end, the message is clear: life is what happens while we are busy making plans.
Line by Line Meaning
The painted faces on the street
People on the street are wearing artificial masks.
Caricatures of long ago
The masks are representations of past selves.
Oh they were young and oh-so sweet
These masks represent their younger selves, when they were innocent.
Down beyond the boulevard
This is happening in the outskirts of society, away from the glamour of the city.
Knock on doors and empty halls
These masked individuals are wandering aimlessly, looking for something or someone to fill their emptiness.
And still sometimes remember
Occasionally, they recollect the memories of those past selves.
The masquerade's forever
The charade will continue indefinitely until they can find something that is truly fulfilling.
When you see the price they paid
Their efforts to fill their voids have come at a great cost.
I'm sure you'll come and join the masquerade
Others will follow this path, unaware of the true cost involved.
The reeling figures pass on by
The people wearing these masks are stumbling through life without direction.
Like ghosts in some forgotten play
They're hauntingly present but not entirely real or of this world.
Beneath the black and empty sky
They are lost under the dark, starless sky, trying to find their way.
Music plays and figures dance
The music is a distraction, a way to forget their problems and make them feel alive for a brief moment.
With partners chosen by chance
They dance with strangers, hoping to find someone to relate to.
They reached for tomorrow
They hoped for a brighter future.
But tomorrows, more of the same
Their tomorrows aren't any different from their todays.
So they reached for tomorrow
They kept hoping that something would change.
But tomorrow never came
Their hopes were never fulfilled.
One by one and two by two
Individuals and couples are leaving.
Past eight by tens in shattered frames
The broken pictures on the walls serve as reminders of better times that never came.
The players try to leave the room
They attempt to exit the charade they've been a part of.
Frantic puppets on a string
They realize they've been controlled all along, and panic sets in.
And all the while the music sings
The music, their distraction, continues to play in the background.
And still sometimes remember
Even after leaving the masquerade, they can't forget the false sense of belonging they felt.
The masquerade's forever
Once they've experienced the masquerade, they'll always be searching for a way to replicate that feeling, even if they know it's a facade.
Lyrics © FANTASY CREATURE PRODUCTIONS
Written by: Jill Wisoff
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Douglas Windly
Terri Nunn is one of the best vocalists of all times.
mayscough72
Another legend completely overlooked by the hall of shame
Viking Vk30
What a fantastic voice Terri has :-)
MaskedMan66
Agreed!
Wendi Deleon Campbell
Yep 🌹🤟
MaskedMan66
Brilliant! Terri looked marvelous and performed brilliantly. I love how happy she looked.
Goldfire2006
Doesn't she always?
MaskedMan66
@Goldfire2006 She always performs brilliantly, but she didn't always look happy in the 80's; in all honesty, I sometimes worried about her.
Xendava
Terri is so kewl. She can still hit the notes. Plus shes as beautiful as ever.
Bama Binder
I could be wrong but Teri seems to genuinely enjoy singing and performing. I know I love her performances.