She grew up in Hatfield, Hertfordshire and studied English at the University of Hull, where she graduated in 1984 with First Class Honours. She lives with her EBTG partner Ben Watt in North London. The couple have twin daughters born in 1998, and a son born in 2001.
Thorn began her musical career in the group Marine Girls. The band released two albums (Beach Party in 1981 and Lazy Ways in 1982) and several singles. The group disbanded when Thorn decided to concentrate on Everything But The Girl.
Thorn's first solo work was a solo mini-album in 1982 entitled A Distant Shore. A re-recorded version of the track Plain Sailing was released as a single, and was included on the 'Pillows & Prayers' Cherry Red records compilation album.
Thorn and Ben Watt met at University when they were both signed separately, as solo artists, to Cherry Red Records. Their first album together was Eden, released in 1984. As a band, Everything But The Girl released a body of work that spanned two decades. Their biggest chart success came in 1995, when DJ Todd Terry remixed a song from their Amplified Heart album. Missing became a huge hit all over the world, especially in the U.S., where it reached number 2 in the Billboard Hot 100.
The duo has been on extended hiatus since 2002 while Watt has concentrated on his DJ work, and Thorn has been raising their children and writing and recording a solo album.
She collaborated with Massive Attack on several projects, including the soundtrack for the motion picture Batman Forever where she contributed with The Hunter Gets Captured by the Game. Their first project together was the song Protection from the album by Massive Attack of the same name. She also sings on the track Better Things.
Thorn has also contributed guest vocals and backing vocals for The Style Council, The Go-Betweens, Working Week, and Lloyd Cole and the Commotions.
Her first collaboration, after a lengthy singing hiatus, was on the song Damage by the band Tiefschwarz.
In March 2007, Tracey Thorn released her second solo album Out of the Woods on Virgin Records (Worldwide) and on Astralwerks (USA). It includes contributions from Cagedbaby, Ewan Pearson, Charles Webster, Sasse and Martin Wheeler.
In 2010, she released Love and Its Opposite on her husband's own label, Strange Feeling. Swedish singer Jens Lekman appears on Come On Home to Me.
Official website: www.traceythorn.com
Plain Sailing
Tracey Thorn Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I say we’ve proved them wrong without a doubt
I can’t remember now just what we said
I never could have guessed what lay ahead
As I ran towards you up the stairs
Did a voice in my ear cry “Beware”?
Even now I’m surprised you recall
Pretending that my heart still lay elsewhere
When in truth I had long ceased to care
For what I thought I’d never replace
‘Til in my heart you left him no space
You say, you wonder what was it I saw?
I say “Oh, I don’t recall anymore”
My first impressions have been left behind
Replaced now by feelings and more lost in kind
Sure that you know but you never can tell
When I think I understand you so well
Shakes me that you were a constant surprise
Or so you appear in my eyes
Tempting to think now it will all be plain sailing
Old enough now to know there’s no such thing
"Plain Sailing" by Tracey Thorn is a song about two people who come together, fall in love, and try to navigate a relationship. The lyrics describe their meeting and the uncertainty and surprise that came with it. Thorn sings about how meetings are often unsuccessful, but they proved them wrong without a doubt. As they fell for each other, she pretends that her heart still lies elsewhere, when the truth is that she ceased to care for what she thought she'd never replace. She is surprised by how she keeps discovering new things about her significant other, and though tempted to believe that everything would be seamless, she knows that there's no such thing as plain sailing.
The song's catchy chorus and Thorn's vocals have contributed to its overall popularity. However, it's the song's insightful lyrics that drive home its message. The lyrics express a realness that many people could identify with, describing relationships that aren't as smooth as they may appear from the outside. The song's breezy melody and Thorn's matter-of-fact delivery capture the ups and downs of love and bring it to life in a way that's relatable and poignant.
Line by Line Meaning
Meetings arranged, they say, never work out
People say that pre-planned meetings never go as expected
I say we’ve proved them wrong without a doubt
I disagree because we've defied that expectation with our meeting
I can’t remember now just what we said
I can't recall the exact words we exchanged
I never could have guessed what lay ahead
I had no idea what the future held for us
As I ran towards you up the stairs
I approached you hurriedly while running up stairs
Did a voice in my ear cry “Beware”?
I wondered if some inner voice warned me about our relationship
Even now I’m surprised you recall
I'm amazed that you remember the early stages of our love story
Such a short time it took me to fall
I fell in love with you very quickly
Pretending that my heart still lay elsewhere
I acted as if my heart belonged to someone else
When in truth I had long ceased to care
But in reality, I had stopped caring about that other person
For what I thought I’d never replace
I believed that I'd never find someone to replace my previous love
‘Til in my heart you left him no space
But then you entered my heart and there was no room for anyone else
You say, you wonder what was it I saw?
You question what attracted me to you in the beginning
I say “Oh, I don’t recall anymore”
I reply that I don't really remember the details anymore
My first impressions have been left behind
My initial judgments are no longer relevant
Replaced now by feelings and more lost in kind
They've been replaced by deeper emotions and more complexities
Sure that you know but you never can tell
I think I understand you, but I can never be sure
When I think I understand you so well
Sometimes I feel like I have you all figured out
Shakes me that you were a constant surprise
But then you always manage to surprise me, which is both exciting and unsettling
Or so you appear in my eyes
At least that's how you seem to me based on what I've experienced
Tempting to think now it will all be plain sailing
It's easy to imagine that everything will be easy and smooth sailing from now on
Old enough now to know there’s no such thing
But I'm wise enough to realize that there's no such thing as a completely easy relationship
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: TRACEY ANNE THORN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@clinteldorado
Meetings arranged, they say, never work out
I’d say we’ve proved them wrong without doubt
I can’t remember now just what we said
I never could have guessed what lay ahead
As I ran towards you up the stairs
Did a voice in my ear cry “Beware”?
Even now I’m surprised to recall
Such a short time it took me to fall
Pretending that my heart still lay elsewhere
When in truth I had long ceased to care
For what I thought I’d never replace
Till in my heart you left him no space
You say you wonder what was it I saw
I say “Oh, I don’t recall any more”
My first impressions have been left behind
Replaced now by feelings and more lost in kind
Sure that you know but you never can tell
When I think I understand you so well
Shakes me that you were a constant surprise
Or so you appear in my eyes
Tempting to think now it will all be plain sailing
Old enough now to know there’s no such thing
@brianwilkinson1715
Takes me back. Such wonderful challenging and often sad times being younger. Here I am now at 50 but close eyes and travel back for 3 minutes 🤗
@harbourdogNL
Wow. I listen to this and I'm whisked back to university in 1980-something, it's 2 AM in the darkroom with this on my cassette player, pulling prints from 4x5 negatives for a presentation, smoking a joint with the one or two others there...good times.
@Idcanymore510
This track accompanied me throughout my university years, 1984-1988. Sussex Uni. Halcyon days for sure.
@pinestreeteast5242
Tracey's blessed with the best singing voice. Love it.
@jenkins7492
I love this song very melancholic and smooth, just what I needed tonight. 👌🏽😌
@guardinner
Still one of the best albums in my (1000+) vinyl album. I still play tracks from it 30+ years later, Tracey is one of the greatest under-rated and missed out artistes of the modern age (IMHO)
@brianvonnazareth8248
Hmm and her biggest mistake in my opinion was to team up with her lover ben watt as everything but the girl
@harbourdogNL
No question about it.
@marineboy1964
I still own this single from back in the day
And I still cherish is lovingly
@machoke666
One of the most underrated indie pop records of all time, a hidden gem for sure, even with Tracey Thorn's subsequent success this never retrospectively became a renowned album, it's a shame, but I'm happy that out of the thousands upon thousand of hidden gems destiny lead me to this one