Tesla's music fit well with the blasting sounds of their 80s hair metal and glam rock contemporaries. Yet it was more bluesy and lyrics dealt with other themes than just the usual, girls, alcohol and violence. But what set them even more apart from their contemporaries was their t-shirt and jeans image, a 'street' look reminiscent of the Ramones (and other 70s punk groups) that was in strong contrast of the leather, spandex, and flashy-make type look of the time.
The band's early lifespan as City Kidd brought them considerable frustration, with them failing to break into the musical mainstream while also competing with another band with the same name. Their mutation into Tesla provided a clear shot at success. 'Mechanical Resonance', their debut that the boys released in 1986, became a commercial smash while also receiving significant critical praise. That album was certified platinum by the RIAA on October 5, 1989.
In total, the group has released six studio albums with original music, the latest of them being 2008's 'Forever More'. They have also created a a double-disc covers album, titled 'Real To Reel', as well as a number of compilations and live albums. Their sound has focused on a particularly melodic and accessible kind of hard rock with strong shades of classic heavy metal as well.
Tesla's popular 1990 remake of Signs, originally recorded by the Five Man Electrical Band (who also inspired the album which the remake came from, Five Man Acoustical Jam), is probably the most mainstream of Tesla's hits. However, many fans remember fondly Tesla's other hits such as Gettin' Better, Modern Day Cowboy, Little Suzi, Edison's Medicine and Love Song.
The band derived their name, certain album and song names (e.g. The Great Radio Controversy, Mechanical Resonance, etc), and some song content from events relating to Nikola Tesla, a Serbian-American inventor and electrical engineer born in the 19th century in Smiljan, Austria-Hungary, modern day Croatia.
08 All Of Me
Tesla Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I take back the first kiss that lead to choking on your fist
Your heart had been broken
Mine too then you ripped it wide open
Called up your two girlfriends
Told them hurry up and get your ass over here now
Said it won't be long till I wish she were dead
She had no intentions of leaving without taking everything
You took my pride, my dreams, my hopes,
Even my heart when you knew it was broke
Every single ounce of integrity
You took all of me
All of me
Turned my pockets inside out
Making sure that without a doubt
You had absolutely everything
You took all of me
All of me
Watching as your leaving
Thinking that was so unbelieving
Now I can start breathing
But looks can be deceiving
She is so cold hearted
Sending me a letter regarding
The last time we parted
Said she was only getting started
I can't believe she still wants something from me
When she left me here with nothing at all
How about her paying me
For all my pain and suffering
You took my pride, my dreams, my hopes
Even my heart when you knew it was broke
Every single ounce of my sanity
You took all of me
All of me
Turned my pockets inside out
Making sure that without a doubt
You had absolutely everything
You took all of me
All of me
Now that it's all over
I can feel the weight off of my shoulder
Good thing you're a good liar
Stole enough of my money to retire
I can't believe she still wants something from me
When she left me here with nothing at all
How about her paying me
For all my pain and suffering
You took my pride, my dreams, my hopes
Even my heart when you knew it was broke
Every single ounce of integrity
You took all of me
All of me
Turned my pockets inside out
Making sure that without a doubt
You had absolutely everything
You took all of me
All of me
All of me
The lyrics of Tesla's song "All of Me" tell the story of a tumultuous and toxic relationship that has come to an end. The singer regrets ever getting involved with their partner, wishing they could go back and undo their first kiss, which ultimately led to physical violence. Both of their hearts had been broken, but their partner took advantage of the singer's vulnerability and tore their heart open. This betrayal was compounded by the partner's actions as they called their friends over and threatened the singer's life. In the end, the partner took everything they could, leaving the singer with nothing, not even their pride, dreams, hopes or sanity.
Despite being robbed of everything, the singer is relieved that the relationship is over and they can finally breathe again. However, their ex-partner is still trying to get more from them, even after taking everything. The singer expresses their frustration that their ex-partner should be the one to pay for all the pain and suffering they have caused.
The lyrics of "All of Me" encapsulate the feeling of being in a toxic relationship, where one person has all the power and the other is left with nothing. It is a powerful and emotional song that serves as a reminder of the destructive nature of some relationships.
Line by Line Meaning
If I would have known it was gonna come down to this
Had I known this would be the end result
I take back the first kiss that lead to choking on your fist
I regret the moment we first kissed now that it resulted in physical harm
Your heart had been broken
You too had suffered the pain of a broken heart
Mine too then you ripped it wide open
But you tore me apart regardless
Called up your two girlfriends
You sought the support of your friends
Told them hurry up and get your ass over here now
Urged them to come to your aid quickly
Said it won't be long till I wish she were dead
You expressed a desire for my demise
She had no intentions of leaving without taking everything
You left with all my belongings
First time in years, you didn't lie to me
Surprisingly, you were truthful this time
You took my pride, my dreams, my hopes,
You stripped me of my dignity, aspirations, and expectations
Even my heart when you knew it was broke
You took my already-broken heart
Every single ounce of integrity
You also took my honor
Turned my pockets inside out
You thoroughly searched my pockets
Making sure that without a doubt
Ensuring you got everything
You had absolutely everything
You took everything I had
Watching as your leaving
As you left
Thinking that was so unbelieving
I was in disbelief
Now I can start breathing
But now I can finally breathe
But looks can be deceiving
Yet appearances can be misleading
She is so cold hearted
You are heartless
Sending me a letter regarding
Sending me a letter about
The last time we parted
Our previous separation
Said she was only getting started
You claimed it was just the beginning
I can't believe she still wants something from me
I can't believe you still want something from me
When she left me here with nothing at all
When you left me with nothing
How about her paying me
Maybe you should repay me
For all my pain and suffering
For the agony you caused me
Now that it's all over
Now that it's done
I can feel the weight off of my shoulder
I feel relieved
Good thing you're a good liar
Thankfully you're a skilled deceiver
Stole enough of my money to retire
You stole enough for a comfortable retirement
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Ultra Tunes
Written by: ANDRE FENNELL, J BROWN, O THOMAS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Whatever Happened To Fun?
I really love all the Tesla albums from Mechanical Resonance to Bust A Nut, 4 masterpieces. Into The Now is too modern, I like only 4 songs on 12. Forever More is far better, I dislike only 4 songs on 13, it's not a masterpiece but a good album. I hope that the next album will be like this. When I read the lyrics of this songs I was pietrified, they used my same words, their rage is my rage.
8jojobeans
Tesla rocks! My favorite band EVER!
Do not look down
First live band i ever saw supporting leppard on the Hysteria tour in 87. Blown away.
Brent Ray
My fav on this album is All of Me. Love these guys!
Shan Mac
best album i have bought in a while.
Lisa Engel
I love this song
Kevin C
I was very lucky and got to meet Tesla in either 99 or 2000 . I worked in a holiday inn and they were staying there...i worked in the restaurant as a kid there back then and Jeff came in for breakfast...he could tell i recognized him by the look on his face when I served him. and he asked me if I'd like to come to the show...i said yes but I could get in trouble with my boss if he found out...he told me not to worry and he took my info down and gave me great seats and backstage passes for me and 2 friends....it was a great show and a great time and he still remembered who I was hours and hours later that day after the show and he took time to talk with me and my friends quite a while. the whole band signed my jacket too...it was a great time.
Juan Manuel Del Valle
All the album is GREAT! This one it's just an example!
Michael Jeffress
From one who is in the middle of a nasty divorce that has dragged out for over a year now, this song is my preference to Fallin Apart. But "Breakin Free" is my top from this album given my context. :-)
Trayton Teichmer
I saw Tesla with Great White back in the earley 90's. I haven't heard of them coming back to this part of Kansas since. Too bad! I love them!