Tesla is an American hard rock band originating from Sacramento, California… Read Full Bio ↴Tesla is an American hard rock band originating from Sacramento, California. The band formed in 1984 as City Kidd and was renamed to Tesla during the recording of their first album on the advice of their manager. According to the Love Song Songfacts, their name (and the inspiration for some songs) comes from Nikola Tesla, the legendary scientist and inventor who quite possibly is single-handedly responsible for the "mad scientist" trope. Originally, the group included Jeff Keith (vocals), Frank Hannon (guitar), Tommy Skeoch (guitar), Brian Wheat (bass) and Troy Luccketta (drums). In 2006, Skeoch was replaced by Dave Rude, who is now an official member of the band.

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.

Shine Away
Tesla Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

All is well, as it could ever be
All is well, as it could ever be

All is well, as it could ever be
All is well, as it could ever, it could ask for

Me, I told myself that I'd get better, and I knew I would
But I've said that a thousand times

Said the same in the letters that I wrote to you
Guess you thought it's that same old line

Ooh I know, but the rest of my soul it don't ever need a reason why
Told myself I'd forget about, forget you
Never will till the day I die

This won't take long, shouldn't take but a minute
I got you right here in my heart
It's only human, it's only natural, it's love or animal
Now here you are, so far away, but instead I got it right here in my face

Shine away, shine away, one look at you and I can see the light of day
Shine away, shine away, 'cause I'm afraid of what could happen
If you shine my way, don't you shine my way

Now that it's over, I ask myself the reason why
That was then, the time you were mine
Told myself I'd get over it, over you
Now it's changed it don't feel so right

Ooh I know, but the rest of my soul it don't ever need a reason why
Love you so and always will, love to love you even still
Now there you are, so far away, all the while I got it right here in my face

Shine away, shine away, one look at you and I can see the light of day
Shine away, shine away, 'cause I'm afraid of what could happen
If you shine my way
Shine away, shine away, I got somebody sittin' home, waitin' for me yeah
Shine away, shine away, you make it hard for somebody
Who don't want to play, and I want to play

I told myself that I'd get better, and I knew I would
But I've said that ten thousand times
Said the same every time I made that call to you
Guess you thought it's that same old line

This won't take long, shouldn't take but a minute
I got you right here in my heart
It's only human, it's only natural, it's love or animal
Now there you are, so far away, but instead I got it right here in my face

Shine away, shine away, one look at you and I can see the light of day
Shine away, shine away, 'cause I'm afraid of what could happen
If you shine my way
Shine away, shine away, I got somebody sittin' home, waitin' for me
Shine away, shine away, shine away, shine away, shine away

Shine away, shine away, shine away, shine away, shine away

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Tesla's song "Shine Away" convey a sense of nostalgia and longing for a lost love, all while maintaining a tone of hope and resilience. The main character of the song reflects on how he had believed he would be alright without his love, but cannot help but be affected by her absence. He acknowledges that he went through the motions of moving on, but it just never felt right. The chorus "Shine away, shine away" reflects his desire for her to keep her distance, as he fears how much he still loves her and the potential for heartbreak if they were to try again.

Despite his reservations, the singer still finds comfort in the fact that he still carries his love for her in his heart. He cannot help but notice the way she still shines and how much she brightens up his life, even from afar. While he has a new love waiting for him, he struggles to fully commit to her when he is still processing his residual feelings for his ex. The song is a poignant reflection on moving on from a past love, while still grappling with the remnants of a time before.

Overall, the song "Shine Away" is a heartfelt and honest portrayal of moving on from a past love. The lyrics are reflective and emotional, yet there is a sense of resilience and acceptance that they convey as well.

Line by Line Meaning

All is well, as it could ever be
Everything is alright, nothing could be better

Me, I told myself that I'd get better, and I knew I would
I promised myself that I would improve and I had confidence in achieving it

But I've said that a thousand times
However, I have made the same promise many times without keeping my word

Guess you thought it's that same old line
I understand that you may have heard this promise from me before and don't believe it

Ooh I know, but the rest of my soul it don't ever need a reason why
I realize that you doubt me, but deep down within me, I do not need any reason for my feelings

Told myself I'd forget about, forget you
I tried to convince myself to move on and forget you

Never will till the day I die
But I know that I can never forget you, even if I live forever

This won't take long, shouldn't take but a minute
I want to express my feelings briefly, it won't take much time

It's only human, it's only natural, it's love or animal
Love is a natural feeling that is part of human nature

Now here you are, so far away, but instead I got it right here in my face
Even though you are far away, I still feel your presence and your impact on my life

Shine away, shine away, one look at you and I can see the light of day
Your presence makes me feel alive and gives me hope for the future

'cause I'm afraid of what could happen if you shine my way, don't you shine my way
However, I am also scared of the consequences of loving you again, please do not come back to me

Now that it's over, I ask myself the reason why
After our relationship ended, I keep wondering why it happened

Told myself I'd get over it, over you
I tried to convince myself that I can move on and forget you

Now it's changed it don't feel so right
But now things have changed, and moving on doesn't feel right anymore

Love you so and always will, love to love you even still
I still love you even though we are not together anymore and always will

Shine away, shine away, I got somebody sittin' home, waitin' for me yeah
I am in a new relationship now and someone is waiting for me at home

You make it hard for somebody who don't want to play, and I want to play
But your presence is making it hard for me to move on, even though I want to

But I've said that ten thousand times
I have made the same promise multiple times, but it still stands true

Said the same every time I made that call to you
Every time I called you, I made the same promise of getting better

Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: BRIAN WHEAT, FRANK HANNON, JEFF KEITH, TOM SKEOCH

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS