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.
Paradise
Tesla Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Don't let go of me tonight
You're all I want, you're all I need
Hold me close now, hold me tight
And don't let go of me tonight
Sweet paradise, yeah
How I love all of those crazy little things you've said and done for me
Darlin', dry your eyes, I can't stand to see you cry
Now just turn and walk away,
Don't look back when I say goodbye paradise
Days go by and life goes on,
I feel I've been away too long
What I would give to be with you,
Days go by and life drags on
Feel I've been away too long,
For much too long, yeah
And all the while that I'm away,
Don't let our love fade away, don't you fade away
Now as sure as the sun is gonna shine, the day will come
Now I'm waitin' for the day
There'll be no more sayin' goodbye paradise
My sweet paradise, you are the reason why it tears me up inside
And I break down and cry, didn't wanna say goodbye paradise
I'm comin' home to you tonight, comin' home to you tonight
So hold on tight, tonight I'm on my way back home to paradise
I'm so lost without you, I can't live without you
I've been away too long, now, tonight I'm on my way back home to you
My my paradise, my my paradise
To hold you in my arms, you're all that I adore
To see your smilin' face as I walk through the door
I'll never say goodbye again, no
The song “Paradise” by Tesla is a melancholic yet hopeful ode to love and longing. The opening lines of the song set the tone for the entire piece as the singer begs their lover to hold them close and never let go. The repetition of “hold me close now, hold me tight” creates a sense of urgency and desperation. The singer’s need for their lover is so overwhelming that they declare “you’re all I want, you’re all I need.” The refrain of “sweet paradise” is a nod to the paradise the singer finds in their lover’s embrace.
As the song continues, the singer reminisces about the moments they shared with their lover. They recall the “crazy little things” their lover said and did for them, solidifying the depth of their love. However, the mood of the song takes a dramatic shift as the singer realizes they have been away from their lover for too long. Though they promise to never let their love fade away, the longing and sense of loss in the “days go by and life goes on” line is palpable.
The final verse encompasses the hope and determination the singer has to return to their lover. They declare their intention to come back home to their paradise and never say goodbye again. The song ends on a triumphant note with the singer claiming they’ll never be lost without their lover again.
Line by Line Meaning
Hold me close now, hold me tight
I need your comforting embrace
Don't let go of me tonight
I want to feel safe and secure in your arms all night
You're all I want, you're all I need
You are my everything, I can't be without you
And don't let go of me tonight
Please don't leave me tonight, I need you close by
Sweet paradise, yeah
Being with you feels like heaven to me
How I love all of those crazy little things you've said and done for me
I appreciate all of the unique, quirky things about you
You're the one for me
You are my soulmate
Darlin', dry your eyes, I can't stand to see you cry
I hate seeing you upset, please don't cry
Now just turn and walk away,
I know I have to leave, but it's hard for me too
Don't look back when I say goodbye paradise
We need to move on from this and not look back
Days go by and life goes on,
Time passes quickly and we have to keep living
I feel I've been away too long
I miss you so much and wish I could be with you again
What I would give to be with you,
I would do anything to be in your arms right now
Days go by and life drags on
Time moves slowly without you
Feel I've been away too long,
I've been away from you for too much time
For much too long, yeah
It's been too long since we've been together
And all the while that I'm away,
Even when I'm not with you physically, I still love you deeply
Don't let our love fade away, don't you fade away
I don't want our love to disappear or grow distant
Now as sure as the sun is gonna shine, the day will come
I am confident that we will be together again soon
Now I'm waitin' for the day
I'm eagerly anticipating the day we reunite
There'll be no more sayin' goodbye paradise
We won't have to say goodbye again once we're together
My sweet paradise, you are the reason why it tears me up inside
Thinking of you makes me emotional and upset
And I break down and cry, didn't wanna say goodbye paradise
It was hard for me to say goodbye to you
I'm comin' home to you tonight, comin' home to you tonight
I'm finally returning to be with you tonight
So hold on tight, tonight I'm on my way back home to paradise
Be patient, I'm almost with you again and we can be in paradise together
I'm so lost without you, I can't live without you
I feel incomplete without you and need you to survive
Now, tonight I'm on my way back home to you
I'm making my way home to be with you
My my paradise, my my paradise
Being with you feels like a dream come true
To hold you in my arms, you're all that I adore
I can't wait to hold you again, you mean everything to me
To see your smilin' face as I walk through the door
Seeing you happy when I return will bring me joy
I'll never say goodbye again, no
I won't have to leave you again and say goodbye
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Brian Wheat, Frank Hannon, Jeffrey Keith
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Adilbek Mukhamedov
Hold me close now, hold me tight, don't let go of me tonight
You're all I want, you're all I need
Hold me close now, hold me tight, and don't let go of me tonight
Sweet paradise, yeah
How I love all of those crazy little things you've said and done for me
You're the one for me
Darlin', dry your eyes, I can't stand to see you cry
Now just turn and walk away, don't look back when I say goodbye paradise
Days go by and life goes on, I feel I've been away too long
What I would give to be with you, days go by and life drags on
Feel I've been away too long, for much too long, yeah
And all the while that I'm away, don't let our love fade away
Don't you fade away
Now as sure as the sun is gonna shine, the day will come
Now I'm waitin' for the day, there'll be no more sayin' goodbye paradise
My sweet paradise, you are the reason why it tears me up inside
And I break down and cry, didn't wanna say goodbye paradise
I'm comin' home to you tonight, comin' home to you tonight
So hold on tight, tonight I'm on my way back home to paradise
I'm so lost without you, I can't live without you
I've been away too long, now, tonight I'm on my way back home to you
My my paradise, my my paradise
To hold you in my arms, you're all that I adore
To see your smilin' face as I walk through the door
I'll never say goodbye again, no
Staci Mann
I wore this cassette out! My poor 17 year old heart couldn't take it😭
Christer Vainio
"Hang Tough, when the going gets rough" 🥰
Rajiv Maan
Same here. Love this song!
Adnan Demiroglu
Back when broom sticks were our guitars
J
Your beautiful
Christa Fatora
I was 17 also when this album came out! It was my favorite. I still know every single word to every single song on "The Great Radio Controversy"! It definitely brings back some GREAT memories. 😍🎶🎤🎸🥁🎹📻🎵
Lisa Nix
Telsa, best Freaking rock group ever. I've never heard a singer sing from the heart as he does....❤️
Aaron Zywicki
Yes Sir
Jerald Jones
yeah he gave me a pbr beer when i met him and everyone knows he could drink whatever and he was drinking that the dude is down to earth and yes he sings from within his soul
Ryan
I wore this cassette out while deployed to combat as a 19 y/o young man. Never thought I would be around after 22yrs of service and 12 deployments thru out might career. HOOYAH Rock on kids!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!