The group scored British and American hits in 1964 with "She's Not There". In the US, two further singles—"Tell Her No" in 1965 and "Time of the Season" in 1968—were also successful. Their 1968 album Odessey and Oracle is ranked number 100 on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. The Zombies were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2019.
The Zombies signed to Decca and recorded their first hit, "She's Not There" after winning a beat-group competition sponsored by the London Evening News. "She's Not There" was released in mid-1964 and peaked at number twelve in the U.K., where it would be their only top-forty hit. It was first aired in the United States in early August 1964, on New York City rock station WINS by Stan Z. Burns, who debuted the song on his daily noontime "Hot Spot" segment during which new songs were played. The tune began to catch on in early Autumn and eventually climbed to number two.
In early 1965, "Tell Her No" became another big seller in the United States but had failed to make the Top 40 in the band's native U.K Subsequent recordings such as "I Love You" (which became a hit for People! in 1968), "Indication", "Whenever You're Ready", and "Is This the Dream" failed to achieve the success of the previous two singles.
Their first LP, Begin Here (1965), was a collection of early singles, half a dozen original songs combined with several R&B covers. The Zombies signed to CBS Records for one final LP in 1967. The resulting album, Odessey and Oracle, was one of the very first to utilise a Mellotron keyboard, as the band's budget did not allow for the hiring of session musicians. The band discovered too late that "odyssey" had been misspelled by the cover designers and were reportedly deeply embarrassed.
By the time Odessey and Oracle was released in April 1968, the band had broken up. The album sold little, and was only released in the U.S. because musician Al Kooper vouched for it. It has since gone on to be recognized as one of the greatest albums of all time, with Rolling Stone ranking it eightieth on its 500 Greatest Albums list. An album track called "Time of the Season" was released as a single. and eventually (1969) it became a huge nationwide hit (Billboard number three) after a radio DJ discovered it and put it on heavy rotation.
After The Zombies disbanded, Rod Argent formed a band called Argent; Colin Blunstone started a solo career. In1991 Blunstone, Grundy, and White briefly reunited as The Zombies with guitarist Sebastian Santa Maria, and recorded the album New World.
Iconic British psychedelic pop legends The Zombies have returned to celebrate the release of their latest Billboard-charting album, Still Got That Hunger, lead by founding and current members, vocalist Colin Blunstone and keyboardist Rod Argent, alongside bassist Jim Rodford (formerly of ARGENT and The Kinks), Rodford’s son Steve Rodford on drums, and renowned session guitarist Tom Toomey.
The band’s live performances, described by Rolling Stone as “absolutely triumphant”, take fans on a journey through time, from their early hits…their 1968 masterpiece Odessey & Oracle…post-Zombies solo favorites…right to today with Still Got That Hunger.
The second U.K. band following the Beatles to score a #1 hit in America, The Zombies infiltrated the airwaves with the sophisticated melodies, breathy vocals, choral back-up harmonies and jazzy keyboard riffs of their 1960’s hit singles “She’s Not There” and “Tell Her No.” Ironically, the group broke-up just prior to achieving their greatest success – the worldwide chart-topping single “Time of the Season,” from their swan-song album Odessey & Oracle, ranked #100 in Rolling Stone’s ‘500 Greatest Albums of All Time.’ To this day, generations of new bands have cited The Zombies’ work as pop touchstones, and the band continues to be embraced by new generations of fans.
Following the break-up of the original band, lead vocalist Colin Blunstone went on to develop an acclaimed solo career (with hits including "Say You Don't Mind," "What Becomes of the Brokenhearted", and “Old & Wise” with Alan Parsons Project) and keyboardist/songwriter Rod Argent rocked ‘70’s arenas with his eponymous band ARGENT (“Hold Your Head Up,” “God Gave Rock ‘n’ Roll To You”), but the legend of The Zombies continued to take on a life of its own. By the start of the new Millennium, Blunstone and Argent were inspired to resurrect The Zombies.
The explosive release of Still Got That Hunger proved that Zombies fever is stronger than ever, with premieres at Rolling Stone, Mojo, The Wall Street Journal, The Guardian Speakeasy, and Spin, alongside special broadcast performances, including Later…With Jools Holland, The Late Show With Stephen Colbert and AOL Sessions. Moreover, it marked a historical moment on the Billboard charts, as The Zombies’ critically acclaimed album Odessey And Oracle re-entered the Billboard 100 forty-eight years later at the same time as Still Got That Hunger!
The Zombies look forward to an even busier 2017, with a major world tour, table-top book release and other exciting projects to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the recording of Odessey And Oracle.
If It Don't Work Out
The Zombies Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Can touch her loving now
The light of love has gone
Can I return the joy she's dreaming of
I don't know
I don't know
But if it don't work out
(If it don't work out)
Won't bring her home
(If it don't work out)
If it don't work out
Will she still care for me
The way she did before, well
She turned around and tells me
She don't love me anymore
I don't know
I don't know
But if it don't work out
The tears that I cried, babe
(If it don't work out)
Won't bring her home
(If it don't work out)
If it don't work out
But if I could forget
The tears and the crying
That I went through
Once before
Maybe my love, could start
Start again
One day I know we'll find
The candle that we had
And I
Will know and feel
The joys and pleasures
That I'm dreaming of
And I don't know
I don't know
But if it don't work out
The tears that I cried, babe
(If it don't work out)
Won't bring her home
(If it don't work out)
If it don't work out
But if it don't work out
If it don't work out
If it don't work out
If it don't work out
The song "If It Don't Work Out" by The Zombies is a melancholic tune that explores the complex emotions of a man whose lover has left him. The opening lines "when she loved me nothing in the world can touch her loving now" suggest that when the singer was in a relationship with his lover, he was convinced that her love was untouchable and nothing could go wrong. However, things didn't turn out as planned, and the "light of love has gone." The singer wonders if he can return the joy that his lover is dreaming of, but he doesn't know the answer to that question. The uncertainty of the relationship looms over the singer, and he's not sure if he can rebuild the connection he had with his lover.
The chorus of the song - "if it don't work out, the tears that I cried, babe won't bring her home" - is an admission of defeat. The singer understands that there's no point crying over spilled milk and realizes that his tears won't bring his lover back. He wonders if his lover still cares for him the way she did before, even though she claims not to love him anymore. The singer believes that love can always find a way, and he hopes that they can start again, but he's not sure if it's possible. The song ends on an uncertain note, suggesting that the future of the relationship is uncertain.
Line by Line Meaning
When she love me nothing in the world
When she loves me, nothing in the world compares or matters.
Can touch her loving now
Her love is all-consuming and impenetrable.
The light of love has gone
The spark and passion of our love has faded away.
Can I return the joy she's dreaming of
Is it possible for me to bring her the happiness she desires?
I don't know
I am uncertain.
But if it don't work out
In the event our love fails.
The tears that I cried, babe
The tears I shed for you.
(If it don't work out)
Won't bring her home
My sorrow won't bring her back to me.
Will she still care for me
Does she still have feelings for me?
The way she did before, well
The same level she once did.
She turned around and tells me
She informed me.
She don't love me anymore
Her love for me has faded away completely.
But if I could forget
If only I could erase the memories.
The tears and the crying
The sadness and agony of the past.
That I went through
That I experienced.
Once before
In the past.
Maybe my love, could start
Perhaps my love could rekindle.
Start again
Begin anew.
One day I know we'll find
Someday, I am certain we'll discover.
The candle that we had
The unquenched passion and romance we shared.
And I
And I alone.
Will know and feel
I will understand and experience.
The joys and pleasures
The happiness and satisfaction.
That I'm dreaming of
That I aspire to or fantasize about.
But if it don't work out
But if our love fails.
If it don't work out
If our love fails.
If it don't work out
If our love fails.
If it don't work out
If our love fails.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Janster59
Wonderful VIDEO! I am a HUGE fan of the Zombies!
Daniel Richter
They don't write them like this anymore
Peter Pandemonium
The Zombies will be undead in Austin, Texas at the Mohawk on March 2nd, 2019.
DrHogfan
Was this not released as a single ?
The Barnkickers
It was released in 1969 and The Zombies last single. They had recorded it earlier but gave the song to Dusty Springfield who released her own version.
Thatmaninrio
Should have been a hit for them....
DrHogfan
@The Barnkickers Dusty's version kicks ass
GPsgurl80
I wonder who's singing lead..
Yunus Emre Büyüktokmak
colin blunstone
Karl Fisher
It doesn't sound like Colin