Dolby promoted himself as a kind of mad scientist, an egghead that had successfully harnessed the power of synthesizers and samplers, using them to make catchy pop and electro-funk. Before he launched his solo career, Dolby had already worked as a studio musician, technician, and songwriter. After starting out as a teenaged live sound man, mixing The Fall, The Members and others using a PA he built himself, he formed the arty post-punk band Camera Club (also known as Bruce Woolley & the Camera Club) with Bruce Woolley, Geoff Downes, Trevor Horn and Matthew Seligman. Within a year, he had left the group and joined Lene Lovich’s backing band and gave her his song "New Toy", which became a British hit in 1981. That same year, he released his first solo single, "Urges", on the English independent label Armageddon. By the autumn, he had signed with Parlophone and released "Europa and the Pirate Twins", which nearly cracked the UK Top 40.
Dolby started playing synthesizer on sessions for other artists in 1982. That year, he played keyboards on Def Leppard’s Pyromania and Joan Armatrading’s Walk Under Ladders. His most distinctive session credit is that keyboard line after the chorus on Foreigner’s "Waiting for a Girl Like You". In that eventful summer, Dolby also collaborating with New York rappers Whodini to create "Magic’s Wand" – a pivotal early hip hop track (the first rap single to shift 1 million copies), and it also single-handedly started the new jack swing movement.
Even with all of these achievements, 1982 was most noteworthy for the release of Dolby’s first solo album, The Golden Age of Wireless, in the summer of 1982, the landmark album reaching number 13. "Windpower", the first single from the record, became his first Top 40 UK hit in the late summer. Other cuts from the album include "The Airwaves", and "One of Our Submarines", a meditation on the futility of empire.
In January of 1983, Dolby released an EP, Blinded by Science, which includes what would become his most well-known track, "She Blinded Me with Science" featuring a cameo vocal appearance by the notorious British eccentric Magnus Pike, who also appeared in the song’s video. "She Blinded Me with Science" was a minor hit in England, but the EP and the single became a major American hit in 1983, thanks to MTV’s heavy airplay of the video. Eventually, the song reached number five on the US charts and it was included on a resequenced and reissued version of The Golden Age of Wireless, which peaked at number 13 in America.
The Flat Earth, Dolby's second album, appeared in early 1984, and harkens back to a time when songs mattered more than the video, even as MTV was discovering its strength. Opening with "Dissidents", conjuring up images of blacklisted authors and ugly snow, gray from oppression, with Matthew Seligman’s bass at the fore, lavish, growling, popping through octaves, funk-a-fied and twinkling with harmonics throughout the album. The title track is an R&B daydream of piano and Motown stabs of rhythm guitar. "Screen Kiss" has a similarly ethereal quality, and the lyrics are lush with imagery. The cover of Dan Hicks’ 1967 "I Scare Myself" is a balmy jazz club cocktail – faithfully nostalgic, right down to a bittersweet trombone solo from Peter Thomas. "Hyperactive" is one part bizarre to two parts infectious; guest vocalist Adele Bertei fuels the fire to what was already destined to be a memorable diversion beyond the reach of Top 40. The single became Thomas’ biggest UK hit, peaking at number 17.
During 1985, Dolby collaborated with artists including Stevie Wonder, Dusty Springfield and Herbie Hancock; and notched up some more high-concept production credits. George Clinton's Some of My Best Jokes Are Friends, Prefab Sprout’s Steve McQueen, and Joni Mitchell’s Dog Eat Dog were all midwifed by Dolby, who also was musical director for David Bowie at Live Aid. Also in 1985, he began composing film scores, starting with Fever Pitch. In 1986, he composed the scores for Gothic and Howard the Duck, for which he credited himself as Dolby's Cube. (That credit led to a lawsuit from the Dolby Labs, who eventually prohibited the musician from using the name "Dolby" in conjunction with any other name than "Thomas.")
Aliens Ate My Buick, Dolby's long-delayed third album, appeared in 1988 to a mixed reaction, although "Airhead" became a minor British hit. That same year, Dolby married actress Kathleen Beller. For the rest of the late 80s and early 90s, Dolby continued to score films, producing and building his own computer equipment.
1992’s Astronauts and Heretics, features guest stars such as Eddie Van Halen, Jerry Garcia, Bob Weir and Ofra Haza. The album opens with "I Love You Goodbye", one of Thomas’ most evocative songs, and ends with "Beauty of a Dream" which is also a contender for that honour. Highlights found inbetween include "Cruel" (a duet with Fairground Attraction’s Eddie Reader), "I Live in a Suitcase" and "Close But No Cigar".
The following year, Dolby founded the computer software company Headspace in Silicon Valley, releasing The Virtual String Quartet as its first program, and also pioneered technology for music on mobile phones. For the rest of the 90s, Headspace occupied most of Dolby's time and energy. In 1994, he released The Gate to the Mind’s Eye, a soundtrack to the animated short film Mind’s Eye. Also that year, Capitol released the greatest-hits collection, Retrospectacle.
Thirteen years after Astronauts and Heretics, Dolby returned to live performance in 2006 with his solo Sole Inhabitant tour, which covered North America and the UK, with Thomas recreating the highlights of his earlier work from scratch, with a camera mounted like a miner’s lamp on his head, and a big screen showing the view from the artist, turning what would be a fairly dull one-man-and-a-rack-of-synths into a fascinating audio visual experience and an unintended masterclass for music technology students.
UK indie label Invisible Hands Music released a CD and DVD box set recorded on the Sole Inhabitant tour. These fresh and modern reinterpretations of Thomas’ work to date precedes a new studio album due in 2008, which is as-yet untitled, but does include a song about Britney’s ex Kevin Federline (“K-Fed”) who used an uncleared sample from "She Blinded Me with Science" and did not respond to legal approaches until a ‘cease-and-desist’ was posted in the comments field of his MySpace page. That song is called "My Karma Hit Your Dogma", and bodes well for a mighty return to form, combining Thomas’ humour and intelligence with a unique musical vision.
2011 saw Dolby get busy by returning with a new studio album A Map of the Floating City on 29 October. The album is broken down into three genres of Urbanoia's tales of city experiences; Amerikana as Dolby's take on his years living in America and it's roots music; and Oceanea: songs of life by the sea in his home country of England. The music was debuted first as download EPs to Dolby's online community and then previewed by a transmedia interactive game also called the FloatingCity.com.
Thomas Dolby is taking the music back on tour as a solo artist and with varying line-ups of bands, doing two tours of the UK in 2011, and has his first trip to Australia in February 2012 followed by dates in Japan. In March Dolby kicks off the Time-Capsule.tv tour at the SxSW Festival in Austin playing dates in USA and Canada through April. He will have a trailer parked at venues on his tour where you can produce a 30 second video offering words of wisdom to whoever will be walking the earth in the future. Dolby wants to give people a chance to “explain to an alien visitor what went wrong with our civilization. Our species may not be around on this planet much longer, so you might as well leave a welcome message for the next guys.”
Europa And The Pirate Twins
Thomas Dolby Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She was twelve
Father traveled, hers as well, Europa
Down the beaches, hand in hand
Twelfth of never on the sand
Then war took her away
We swore a vow that day:
We'll be the Pirate Twins again, Europa
Oh my country, Europa
I'll stand beside you in the rain, Europa
Ta république, Europa
Nine years after
Who'd I see on the cover of a magazine?
Europa
Buy her singles and see all her films
Paste her pictures on my windowsill
But that's not quite the same, it isn't, is it?
Europa my old friend
We'll be the Pirate Twins again, Europa
Oh my country, Europa
I'll walk beside you in the rain, Europa
Ta république, Europa
Blew in from the hoverport
She was back in London
Pushed past the papermen
Calling her name
She smiled for the cameras
As a bodyguard grabbed me
Her eyes were gone forever as they drove her away
We'll be the Pirate Twins again, Europa
Oh my country, Europa
I'll walk beside you in the rain, Europa
Ta république, Europa
Down in some bar along the Seine, Europa
Oh my country, Europa
I'll walk beside you in the rain, Europa
Ta république, Europa
The lyrics of Thomas Dolby's song "Europa And The Pirate Twins" tell the story of a young boy and girl, Europa and the singer, who fall in love on the beaches as teenagers but are separated by war. They make a vow to be "Pirate Twins" again someday. The song then fast-forwards nine years, and the singer sees Europa on the cover of a magazine. He buys her albums and becomes a fan, but realizes it's not the same as being with her.
Eventually, the two are reunited, but Europa's eyes are "gone forever," suggesting that she has either died or lost her vision. The singer expresses his loyalty and love for Europa and his country, France ("Ta république, Europa"), and his desire to be with her once more, even if it's just in a bar along the Seine.
The lyrics are poignant and nostalgic, capturing the innocence and passion of young love and the sadness of losing someone who was once so important. The reference to being "Pirate Twins" is intriguing and suggests a sense of adventure and rebellion, which adds an element of excitement to the song.
Line by Line Meaning
I was fourteen
At the age of fourteen, I met someone who would become very important to me.
She was twelve
The person I met was two years younger than me, and even though it might have seemed like a significant age gap at the time, it didn't matter at all.
Father traveled, hers as well, Europa
Both of our fathers were often away from home, which meant we had time to spend together exploring the beaches that surrounded our hometown in Europa.
Down the beaches, hand in hand
We would walk hand in hand along the beaches of Europa, enjoying each other's company and the natural beauty of our surroundings.
Twelfth of never on the sand
We were so young and naive at the time that we thought we would be together forever, even if we didn't use those exact words.
Then war took her away
Unfortunately, our idyllic relationship was cut short by the outbreak of war, which resulted in us being separated from each other.
We swore a vow that day:
Before we were separated, we made a promise to each other that we would find a way to be reunited no matter what.
We'll be the Pirate Twins again, Europa
Despite the fact that we were torn apart by war, we were determined to find each other again and resume our relationship.
Oh my country, Europa
This line reiterates the fact that our relationship was formed in the country of Europa where we both grew up and shared many memories.
I'll stand beside you in the rain, Europa
No matter what challenges we would face as we tried to find each other again, I was determined to be there for her when she needed me the most.
Ta république, Europa
This is a nod to the political and social conditions of Europa that shaped our lives and ultimately led to our separation.
Nine years after
Nine years after we were separated, I caught a glimpse of her again.
Who'd I see on the cover of a magazine?
Just when I thought I had lost her forever, I saw her face on the cover of a magazine and I knew that I had to try to find her again.
Buy her singles and see all her films
I did everything I could to learn more about what she had been doing during the years we were apart, including buying her music and watching her movies.
Paste her pictures on my windowsill
I became obsessed with collecting images of her and making them a part of my daily life, hoping that by doing so I could somehow feel closer to her.
But that's not quite the same, it isn't, is it?
As much as I tried to immerse myself in her world, I knew that it could never replace the real thing, which was being with her in person and experiencing life together.
Europa my old friend
This line is a nostalgic expression of the deep connection I still felt with the place where we grew up, and the feelings I had for her that had never really gone away.
Blew in from the hoverport
One day, she unexpectedly returned to London, and I couldn't believe my luck that we were in the same city once again.
She was back in London
With her return to London, I felt like there was a real chance that we could finally be reunited and start over again.
Pushed past the papermen
Unfortunately, it wasn't going to be that easy. With her newfound fame, she was being hounded by paparazzi and reporters, which made it challenging to get close to her.
Calling her name
Despite the chaos and confusion surrounding her, I still tried to connect with her by calling out to her and making my presence known.
She smiled for the cameras
Even though we had a connection that was years in the making, she was still obligated to put on a good face for the public and the media.
As a bodyguard grabbed me
Despite my best efforts, I was physically prevented from getting close to her by one of her security personnel.
Her eyes were gone forever as they drove her away
This line signals that even though I had finally come face to face with her, our relationship could never be the same as it was before. Her eyes no longer held the same warmth and affection they once did.
Down in some bar along the Seine, Europa
This final line is a nostalgic reflection on the memories we shared in Europa, and the hope that we would one day be able to reconnect there and pick up where we left off.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Thomas Dolby
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Celia Victor
Lyrics:
Ok
I was fourteen, she was twelve
Father travelled, her's as well, Europa...
Down the beaches, hand in hand
Twelfth of never on the sand
Then war took her away
We swore a vow that day
We'll be the Pirate Twins again, Europa
Oh my country, Europa
I'll stand beside you in the rain, Europa
Ta république... Europa
Nine years after, who'd I see
On the cover of a magazine? Europa...
Buy her singles and see all her films
Paste her pictures on my windowsill
But that's not quite the same. It isn't, is it?
Europa my old friend
We'll be the Pirate Twins again, Europa
Oh my country, oh my country, Europa
I'll walk beside you in the rain, Europa
Ta république... Europa
Blew in from the hoverport
She was back in London
Pushed past the papermen
Calling her name
She smiled for the cameras
As the bodyguard grabbed me
Her eyes were gone forever
As they drove her away
We'll be the Pirate Twins again, Europa
Oh my country, Europa
I'll walk beside you in the rain, Europa
Ta république... Europa
We'll be the Pirate Twins again, Europa
Oh my country, look at my country now!
I'll stand beside you in the rain, Europa
Ta république... Europa
Down in some bar along the Strand, Europa
Oh my country, Europa
I'll walk beside you in the rain, Europa
Ta république... Europa
Complex Strike iOS
LYRICS:
[Intro]
Okay
I was fourteen
She was twelve
Father traveled, hers as well, Europa
Down the beaches, hand in hand
Twelfth of never on the sand
Then war took her away
We swore a vow that day:
We'll be the Pirate Twins again, Europa
Oh my country, Europa
I'll stand beside you in the rain, Europa
Ta république, Europa
Nine years after
Who'd I see on the cover of a magazine?
Europa
Buy her singles and see all her films
Paste her pictures on my windowsill
But that's not quite the same - it isn't, is it?
Europa, my old friend
We'll be the Pirate Twins again, Europa
Oh my country (Oh my country), Europa
I'll walk beside you in the rain, Europa
Ta république, Europa
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Blew in from the hoverport
She was back in London
Pushed past the papermen
Calling her name
She smiled for the cameras
As a bodyguard grabbed me
Her eyes were gone forever as they drove her away
We'll be the Pirate Twins again, Europa
Oh my country, Europa
I'll walk beside you in the rain, Europa
Ta république, Europa
We'll be the Pirate Twins again, Europa
Oh my country (Oh my country now)
I'll stand beside you in the rain, Europa
Ta république, Europa
Down in some bar along the Seine, Europa
Oh my country, Europa
I'll walk beside you in the rain, Europa
Ta république, Europa
StrawMan
Thomas Dolby mastered the ability to look cool and incredibly nerdy at the same time.
John Davis
Lol
DontTellPapa
Frrrr
Tim Hunter
We call that preppy fashion
Quinn W. Johnson
and when mtv was hitting it's stride...
Geoffrey Logsdon
Where have you fogies been? Thomas Dolby practically invented steampunk. Tell your kids that, and make them watch this.
Zetep
40 years old, and still as fresh as ever.
KSS
My all time favorite Thomas Dolby song..... brilliant!
mpc3po
cant fathom as a child of the 80s that this is my first time hearing this brilliant song...
Lauren Johnston
I can't believe there are only two of us here. This is a magical little song - and brilliantly produced.