The band's initial line-up consisted of singer/bassist Julian Cope, Mick Finkler on guitar, Gary Dwyer on drums and Paul Simpson on keyboards. They were managed by Bill Drummond and signed to his Zoo label. An early version of the band, which included Ian McCulloch on vocals, was known as A Shallow Madness.
The band released their first single, Sleeping Gas in February of 1979. Soon after, Simpson left the band and was replaced by Zoo label co-owner, David Balfe. Their next single Bouncing Babies inspired a tribute song of its own: I Can't Get Bouncing Babies by the Teardrop Explodes - an ode to the difficulty of obtaining a copy of the song.
Finkler was fired by Cope during the recording of their debut album Kilimanjaro and was replaced by Dalek I Love You guitarist Alan Gill. The LP was a moderate success; it reached number 24 on the British pop charts.
In 1981, the group was at the height of its popularity. In January, they hit # 6 on the British charts with the Reward single and in April they broke the top 20 with Treason. During this period, there were numerous line up changes: Alfie Agius was brought in on bass, Jeff Hammer replaced Balfe on keyboards and Troy Tate replaced Gill on guitar.
Expectations were high for the band's second album, Wilder. The first single Passionate Friend performed reasonably well (#25 UK), but the album itself was unsuccessful, limping to 29 on the charts, disappearing shortly afterwards.
When the band reconvened to record their third album, they were reduced to the trio of Cope, Dwyer and a reinstated Balfe. Tensions were high – Cope wanted to write ballads and quirky pop songs, while Balfe was more interested in recording synth-based dance music. Cope eventually dissolved the band in 1982 in the middle of the sessions. The material was later released in 1990 under the title Everybody Wants to Shag .... The outtakes show a mix of synth/dance pop, dominated by Balfe's keyboards on songs like Count to Ten and Run for Cover and more gentle pop on songs like Soft Enough For You, that prefigure the direction of Cope's early solo career.
Passionate Friend
The Teardrop Explodes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But I can`t see you buying
Love a dream of a love affair
That`s, over, past & dying
Celebrate, the great escape
From lunacy divided
Hunnanoo, I'm seeing you
A sound that`s drifting out from you
When the love has boiled away
Colours shape and there are things that need
A beating heart not a cheating heart
But a cheating heart, is still a beating heart
I believe in you today
My life see`s me wandering
Lost in smiles forever
Erase my mind see what I find
Axes dream together
I`ve got all sleeps secrets hidden in my bag
But a lot are leaving 'cos their not believing
That you could ever do that thing
And never bring yourself to sing
Bah bah bah bah bah
The friend I have is a passionate friend
But I can`t see you buying
Love a dream of a love affair
That`s, over, past & dying
Celebrate the great escape
Carry my soul away
From sufferance intolerance
Leaving you today
Bah bah bah bah bah
The Teardrop Explodes's song Passionate Friend is a lysergic and enigmatic piece that talks about a passionate friend who loves the dream of a love affair, but apparently not the real thing. Being "over, past, and dying" seems to be the fate of this relationship. The song addresses the difficulty of seeing that love is more than just a dream, explaining that once the love has boiled away, there are things that need to be viewed with a beating heart--not a cheating heart.
The lyrics describe the singer's life as being aimless, but unable to stop smiling, and he hopes to share an "axes dream" with his passionate friend. He has secrets hidden in his heart and mind, but he knows that some of those secrets are becoming redundant. The song assumes an unsteady pattern as it enters its third stanza, and the lyrics take on a more surreal quality: "A sound that`s drifting out from you," followed by a chorus of "Bah bah bah bah bah" that seems to suggest an inability to articulate just what is happening.
Line by Line Meaning
The friend I have is a passionate friend
I have a friend who is full of passion.
But I can`t see you buying
But I cannot see you being interested in it.
Love a dream of a love affair
Romantic love is often an idealized dream of getting into a relationship.
That`s, over, past & dying
That dream has ended and is no longer achievable.
Celebrate, the great escape
Let's celebrate the liberation from something negative.
From lunacy divided
From being separated from something that makes you crazy or paranoid.
Hunnanoo, I'm seeing you
Hey, I see you, Hunnanoo.
But nobody's decided
But we haven't made any decisions yet.
A sound that's drifting out from you
I can hear a sound coming from you.
When the love has boiled away
When the passion in a relationship has faded.
Colours shape and there are things that need
There are different perspectives and things that are necessary.
A beating heart not a cheating heart
What is needed is a genuine and faithful heart.
But a cheating heart, is still a beating heart
Even if someone has been unfaithful, they are still human and alive.
I believe in you today
I have faith in you right now.
My life sees me wandering
I often find myself lost or aimless in life.
Lost in smiles forever
In times of happiness, I feel like I could stay that way forever.
Erase my mind see what I find
If I could clear my thoughts, maybe I would discover something new.
Axes dream together
We could build something great if we work together.
I`ve got all sleeps secrets hidden in my bag
I carry my dreams with me, hidden from the rest of the world.
But a lot are leaving 'cos their not believing
But many of those dreams are slowly disappearing because they are seeming less and less attainable.
That you could ever do that thing
That I could ever achieve those dreams.
And never bring yourself to sing
And never express myself fully or passionately.
Bah bah bah bah bah
An onomatopoeic but ultimately meaningless phrase used for emphasis or rhythm.
Celebrate the great escape
Let's celebrate the release or liberation from something negative.
Carry my soul away
Let us move forward with renewed spirit and energy.
From sufferance intolerance
Let's move away from a state of suffering and intolerance.
Leaving you today
And leave the negative situation or person behind today.
Bah bah bah bah bah
An onomatopoeic but ultimately meaningless phrase used for emphasis or rhythm.
Contributed by Dylan H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
X. X.
40 years later and still thrilling - a true classic.
Neil Mcgrory
Yes
lala lulu
I remember hearing for the first time, It is now 2023 and I’m listening Julian & the Teardrops. This was always the one for me though
Andy J Grace
A band ahead of their time, a great artist.
flavio marangon
pure music pop julian cope is a genius
dlamiss
the memories of the autumn of 1981- final year at school. loved this song. saw them in concert in Liverpool. happy memories
Ronny Sterling
dlamiss tell me about it
steve brown
This song has aged really well. Or am I deluding myself?
mwd21
yes
Beryl Formby
No - its still a great song that takes us old uns back to our youth.