Formed in Los Angeles in 1979, the band relocated to San Francisco and were swiftly signed to Howie Klein's independent label, 415 Records, on the strength of their demo version of "Everywhere That I'm Not," the song that would remain the band's signature tune.
Heartbeats and Triggers (415/Columbia 1982), produced by David Kahne, was a college-radio hit and contained the hit single "Everywhere That I'm Not". The second album, 1983's No Time Like Now featured the hit "Un-Alone". The band was struggling to break away from the tight new wave formula and started to on their lush, third album from 1985 produced by Ed Stasium, simply titled Translator. As the decade wore on, the band became increasingly interested in exploring psychedelia, and their live shows were often three-hour affairs. Their final album (also produced by Stasium), Evening of the Harvest (1986), was the sound of a band that had matured and was their most realized statement. Everywhere That I'm Not -- A Retrospective was released by Columbia in 1986. Two more CD retrospectives were released on the band, Translation on Oglio and Everywhere That We Were -- The Best of Translator by Columbia Legacy in 1995 and 1996, respectively. All four of the band's original albums are available on CD and on iTunes. The band reunited at the South By Southwest (SXSW) festival in Austin in 2006 for three very well-received shows. More reunion shows are being planned for 2009 & 2010.
Steve Barton now has a band called Steve Barton And The Oblivion Click. It is a trio with Steve, Robbie Rist (Cousin Oliver from The Brady Bunch) and Derrick Anderson (current Bangles bassist). Their new 20-song CD called "Gallery" is out on Spectra Records. All of the former Translator members still play music. Drummer Dave Scheff recently toured the U.S. and UK with Dead Kennedys. Robert Darlington is a published poet, whose collection "Ether" is now available. Larry Dekker continues to add his melodic solid bass playing to a variety of bands.
Come With Me
Translator Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And it leads to the heart of you
I don't know why it ever made me so afraid
I looked back to my childhood
But you know it does me no good
I've already lived to my past
And all of the things that I thought would last
Where the road there does not end
By the light of an old street lamp
In the rain I wade again
Strange shapes strange shadows strange faces
That the wind blows
You catch me as I run away
Through the rain I hear you say
Come with me
Take my hand
Thru the milk and honey of a broken promise land
Side by side
Don't say no
Time will tell our secrets
Everywhere we go
Now the streets we walk are still
And the rain is gone away
And I don't know why it ever made me so afraid
One wish on a parts
In the beginning there were false starts
I know that in the end
All I want is a good true friend
So many people we never will meet
So many hills we will never climb
But I will be by you on the dead end street
One more last chance
One more time
In Translator's song "Come With Me," the singer expresses a longing to connect with someone on a deeper level. They describe a door they need to get through to reach the heart of the person they desire, but they are unsure why they have been so afraid to do so. The singer reflects on their past, realizing that looking back serves no purpose in moving forward.
As the song progresses, the singer takes a walk in the rain, seemingly searching for this connection. They encounter strange shapes and shadows, but eventually, they hear the person they desire calling to them, encouraging them to come with them. The singer takes their hand and together they travel through the good and bad of life, not knowing what the future holds but willing to take the risk.
The song touches on the universal human desire for authentic connection and companionship, as well as our fear of vulnerability and rejection. The image of the door symbolizes the guarded nature of the heart and the courage it takes to try and enter it. Ultimately, the singer seems to take a leap of faith, embracing the uncertainty of the future but confident that together they can face whatever comes their way.
Line by Line Meaning
There's a door I must get through
I need to reach your heart, which is an obstacle for me
And it leads to the heart of you
I am trying to get closer to you emotionally
I don't know why it ever made me so afraid
I am uncertain about my fear of being rejected by you
I looked back to my childhood
I am reminiscing about my past for answers
But you know it does me no good
I realize that reflecting on my past has not given me any wisdom
I've already lived to my past
I have already experienced my past
And all of the things that I thought would last
Things that I believed would be permanent have come and gone
Take a walk around the bend
Let's explore unknown territory
Where the road there does not end
Let's go somewhere without expectations or predetermined outcomes
By the light of an old street lamp
Let us wander in the quiet of the night
In the rain, I wade again
I am fully embracing the adventure, even when it is uncomfortable
Strange shapes strange shadows strange faces
The unfamiliar surroundings are enticing and provocative
That the wind blows
The environment is ever-changing
You catch me as I run away
You are dependable during moments of uncertainty
Through the rain, I hear you say
Your encouragement helps me overcome my fear
Come with me
Let's explore life together
Take my hand
I am offering my support
Thru the milk and honey of a broken promise land
Through the difficulties and unfulfilled dreams, we can still find something worthwhile
Side by side
We are in this together
Don't say no
Let's embrace this opportunity without hesitation
Time will tell our secrets
Our relationship will develop over time
Everywhere we go
Together, we will experience new things
Now the streets we walk are still
We are walking in quiet, peaceful surroundings
And the rain is gone away
The rain has stopped, and we are enjoying clear skies
One wish on a parts
I have hopes and desires for our future
In the beginning there were false starts
We have had setbacks but are still committed to each other
I know that in the end
Ultimately, I have a clear perspective about my intentions
All I want is a good true friend
Above all, I value a genuine connection with you as a friend
So many people we never will meet
We won't be able to cross paths with every person in the world
So many hills we will never climb
We won't be able to experience every opportunity in the world
But I will be by you on the dead end street
However, I will always be by your side, regardless of the challenges we face
One more last chance
This is our final opportunity to take a risk and pursue our relationship
One more time
Let's give it one more try
Contributed by Christopher E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Alan Ramirez
There's a door I must get through
And it leads to the heart of you
I don't know why it ever made me so afraid
I looked back to my childhood
But you know it does me no good
I've already lived to my past
And all of the things that I thought would last
Take a walk around the bend
Where the road there does not end
By the light of an old street lamp
In the rain I wade again
Strange shapes strange shadows strange faces
That the wind blows
You catch me as I run away
Through the rain I hear you say
Come with me
Take my hand
Thru the milk and honey of a broken promise land
Side by side
Don't say no
Time will tell our secrets
Everywhere we go
Now the streets we walk are still
And the rain is gone away
And I don't know why it ever made me so afraid
One wish on a parts
In the beginning there were false starts
I know that in the end
All I want is a good true friend
So many people we never will meet
So many hills we will never climb
But I will be by you on the dead end street
One more last chance
One more time
Jeorge K Santiago
when this album came out in the 80's nobody sounds like them. If you play this album in 2016 it sounds like the album was released yesterday. Thats how far this band is ahead of its time.
John Smith
@Rau Diaz I think the same, actually I hear lot Church vibes here and that's great because I love the church and this band.
Rau Diaz
This song reminds me a bit of Steve Kilby of the Church Yet they're from San Francisco area instead of Australia. Which is Interesting You lose your accent when you sing. But yeah, Songs like Un-Alone is unique and "You're everywhere that I'm not" is pretty unique in sound.
Al Just Al
This is from their self-titled third album. Their best album, according to me (and many other Translator fans). I have it on vinyl and nearly wore it out back in the 80's.
Steve
So cheesy! But such a great song played so well by this great band!
John Galt
This is long lost gold, now found. The wave of the 80s! Always the best!
swordtail1023
Never got tired of listening to the lyrics, so meaningful... Much much better than the music nowadays if you still call them music anyways...
Jeorge K Santiago
Barton & Darlington outstanding song writers.
Rau Diaz
They sound a bit between Ocean Blue and an upbeat version of what "The Church" would sing but this song very bright from the Dark sound of "..Everywhere I'm not" so they're very dynamic in their sound.
Hughe
Fantastic music great vibes the 80's was magic!