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
Swimming
Tracey Thorn Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When the season comes around
There will be no end in sight
We will be besieged by light
When we shake off winter's chain
We will see the point again
Right now we are just keeping afloat
Soon we'll be swimming, swimming
It's all over, so let's go on
There's nothing left, so let's go on
We can't keep on, so let's keep on
There is no reason, so let's make our own
Let's make our own, let's make our own
When the hurricane dies down
And everything lies on the ground
There will be no end in sight
We will be besieged by light
It's all over; let's carry on
It's all over; let's carry on
Right now we are just keeping afloat
But soon we'll be swimming, swimming
Soon we'll be swimming, swimming
Swimming, swimming
Swimming, swimming
Swimming, swimming
Swimming, swimming
Tracey Thorn's song "Swimming" is a contemplative piece about the cyclical nature of life, particularly as it relates to the changing of seasons. When summer arrives, the endless days and bright sun can feel overwhelming, but as winter comes to an end, it's a welcome change. In the beginning of the song, Thorn describes the anticipation of the arrival of summer, noting that "there will be no end in sight" and "we will be besieged by light." This is followed by a call to action, to "shake off winter's chain" and "see the point again."
As the song progresses, it becomes clear that the lyrics are about more than just the changing of seasons. There's a sense of embracing change and creating one's own path, even in the face of uncertainty. Thorn encourages listeners to keep moving forward, even when there's seemingly nothing left to hold on to - "It's all over, so let's go on / There's nothing left, so let's go on / We can't keep on, so let's keep on / There is no reason, so let's make our own." Later in the song, she repeats the lines "It's all over; let's carry on" to drive home the message of resilience and perseverance.
Overall, "Swimming" is a song about finding the courage to keep moving forward even when things feel overwhelming or uncertain, and the upbeat melody reinforces that sense of hope and optimism.
Line by Line Meaning
When that summer sun comes down
When the summer season arrives and the sun sets
When the season comes around
When the time of year changes to summer
There will be no end in sight
Summer feels like it will last forever
We will be besieged by light
Sunlight will surround and overwhelm us
When we shake off winter's chain
When we leave behind the confines of winter
We will see the point again
We will rediscover our purpose
Right now we are just keeping afloat
We are just managing to survive
But soon we'll be swimming, swimming
But soon we'll be thriving and enjoying life
It's all over, so let's go on
The past is behind us, so let's move forward
There's nothing left, so let's go on
There's nothing to hold us back, so let's continue
We can't keep on, so let's keep on
Although we may not be able to continue, we must
There is no reason, so let's make our own
If there is no purpose, we must create our own
When the hurricane dies down
When chaos and turmoil settle
And everything lies on the ground
All is still and peaceful
It's all over; let's carry on
Although one situation ends, we must continue forward
Swimming, swimming
Enjoying and thriving in life
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ALEXIS SCHUMACHER, RUSS TITELMAN, GARY SCHREINER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
SuperSeriouSam
Such a beautiful original track yet not a single comment.
groundmistery
Kinda reminds me of Fleetwood Mac's Dreams. Gosh, how cool would be a mashup!
MUNROMOTORS
Now there's 2.