Together with Dave Parsons and Anthony Doughty (AKA Tex Axile) made up the the band's four permanent members. Additional members Pol Burton, James Piper and Martin Hallett were musicians engaged to play during live concerts: Burton, then later Hallett (AKA Mallet), on drums, and Piper on guitar.
The band was signed by MCA and released a cover single of the Holly and the Italians song "Tell That Girl To Shut Up" in April 1988 . A month later the follow-up single "I Want Your Love", with its pop/punk crossover appeal, entered the Top 5 in the United Kingdom. The band went on to release the hit album Pop Art in October.
1989 was the band's most successful year, with the number 3 hit single "Baby I Don't Care" and hit album Velveteen.
In 1990 MCA refused to release Transvision Vamp's third album Little Magnets Versus The Bubble Of Babble in the UK, reportedly disliking the mellower direction of the music. Wendy James has stated "...it came out in America and did better than the other two albums in America. But then we decided to split up, during which time the English record label had said they weren't convinced about this record, we're going to hold off on it and see how well it does in other countries first. By the time they were ready to release it, we'd already decided to split up, and so it never came out". The band formally split early in 1991. Tex Axile left to Join Max with John Reynolds, Kevin Mooney and Mathew Ashman formerly of Sinead O'connor, Adam and the Ants and Bow Wow Wow. Dave Parsons Joined Gavin Rossdale and formed Bush.
James went on to a solo career and in 2004 formed the band Racine.
www.transvisionvamp.com
Falling For A Goldmine
Transvision Vamp Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I can see it all
Oh there's flowers growing
On the Berlin Wall
As the moon shines down
On the broken town
Her memories fall
Like gold dust to the ground
Your eyes sparkle while your diamionds shine
Marlene, Marlene
Your eyes sparkle while your diamionds shine
And I think I'm falling for a goldmine
She takes my hand
Shows me her plan
It's a ladder stretching
To another land
And in her eyes
The teardrops dry
As the stars all fall
Like jewels from the sky
Marlene, Marlene
Your eyes sparkle while your diamionds shine
Marlene, Marlene
Your eyes sparkle while your diamionds shine
And I think I'm falling for a goldmine
Now as the sun comes round
On this broken town
There are flowers lying
Dead on the ground
Marlene, Marlene
Your eyes sparkle while your diamionds shine
Marlene, Marlene
Your eyes sparkle while your diamionds shine
And I think I'm falling for a goldmine
And I think I'm falling for a goldmine
And I think I'm falling for a goldmine
And I think I'm falling for a goldmine
For a goldmine
For a goldmine
The lyrics of Transvision Vamp's "Falling for a Goldmine" paint a vivid picture of a broken town where there is beauty and possibility amid the rubble. As nighttime falls, the singer describes seeing flowers growing on the Berlin Wall, a symbol of division and conflict. He also sees the memories of a woman named Marlene falling like gold dust to the ground. Marlene takes the singer by the hand and shows him a ladder stretching to another land, a hopeful image of escape and new beginnings. As stars fall like jewels from the sky, Marlene's eyes sparkle and her diamonds shine, drawing the singer in. He realizes that he is falling for a goldmine, perhaps the promise of love or a brighter future.
The song's lyrics are open to interpretation, but it's clear that they convey a sense of hope in the midst of despair. The images of flowers growing on the Berlin Wall and stars falling like jewels suggest that even in the bleakest of circumstances, there is still beauty to be found. Marlene represents a beacon of hope and possibility, leading the singer to a better place. The final verse, in which flowers lie dead on the ground as the sun comes up, underscores the transience of beauty and the impermanence of hope.
Line by Line Meaning
As the nighttime falls
As the darkness of night descends upon the scenery
I can see it all
Everything becomes visible in the darkness of the night
Oh there's flowers growing
Flowers are blooming and growing in a particular place
On the Berlin Wall
On the significant historical structure that was once a symbol of division
As the moon shines down
As the illumination of the moon is cast upon the landscape
On the broken town
On the town that is in a state of disrepair and hardship
Her memories fall
Her recollections and experiences are being forgotten and lost
Like gold dust to the ground
Like precious particles that are scattered and lost
Marlene, Marlene
Addressing a person named Marlene
Your eyes sparkle while your diamonds shine
Your eyes are captivating and shining just like your jewels
She takes my hand
She takes hold of my hand
Shows me her plan
She shares her strategy or plot with me
It's a ladder stretching
It's a means to climb to new heights or opportunities
To another land
To a different place with new prospects
And in her eyes
And by looking into her eyes
The teardrops dry
The tears that were once shed cease to exist
As the stars all fall
As the stars descend from the sky
Like jewels from the sky
Like precious stones raining down
Now as the sun comes round
Now with the return of daylight
There are flowers lying
Flowers are now wilted and lying on the ground
Dead on the ground
Lifeless and decaying on the earth
And I think I'm falling for a goldmine
And I believe I'm captivated by something of tremendous value
For a goldmine
For something exceptionally precious
Contributed by Avery J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.