Originally called Hu… Read Full Bio ↴Wang Chung is a British new wave musical group.
Originally called Huang Chung which is Chinese for "perfect pitch" (though they later claimed it was the sound a guitar made on American Bandstand), the band formed in 1979. The lineup consisted of vocalist/guitarist Jack Hues, bassist Nick Feldman, saxophonist David Burnand a.k.a "Hogg" and drummer Darren Costin. Their self-titled debut was released by Arista Records in 1982 after several singles, including the minor post-punk hit "Isn't It About Time We Were On TV". In 1983, after being dropped by Arista and signed to Geffen Records, they changed their name to Wang Chung (at Geffen's suggestion, to make pronunciation easier for English-speakers) and subsequently they released Points on the Curve, which yielded two major hits, "Don't Let Go" and "Dance Hall Days"
In 1986, Costin left the band and Hues and Feldman continued to record. The same year, they had their biggest hits: "Everybody Have Fun Tonight" and "Let's Go", both from the album Mosaic. Not long after releasing their final album The Warmer Side of Cool in 1989, Wang Chung disbanded in 1991.
In June 2005, Hues and Feldman reunited as Wang Chung on the reality TV series Hit Me Baby One More Time, performing "Everybody Have Fun Tonight" and a cover of "Hot in Herre" by Nelly.
Shortly after, in postings at WangChung.com as well as the band's MySpace site, there was news of a new Wang Chung album being worked on by Hues and Feldman. In an e-mail response from Hues, he said, "We are shooting for a release around the March 2006 time frame and a tour in May. We are not sure who we are touring with yet, maybe Heaven 17 or Devo". Also on the band's MySpace, you can hear new clips such as "Hot In Herre" (The Nelly Cover) and a new song "I Was Abducted by the 80's".
To Live And Die In L.A.
Wang Chung Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Every time you go away
I have to piece my life together
Every time you're away
In the heat of the day
In the dark of the night
Every time I turn the light
I feel that God is not in heaven
The dark of the night
I wonder why I live alone here
I wonder why we spend these nights together
Is this the room I'll live my life forever
I wonder why in LA
To live and die in LA
I wonder why we waste our lives here
When we could run away to paradise
But I am held in some invisible vice
And I can't get away
To live and die in LA
If I let myself go
And for where I just don't know
I'd maybe hit some cold new river
That led out to the sea
An unknown sea
I'd either swim or I'd drown
Or just keep falling down and down
I think its that, that makes me quiver
Just to keep falling down
Down, down, down
I wonder why I live alone here
I wonder why we spend these nights together
Is this the way I'll live my life forever
I wonder why in LA
To live and die in LA
In every word that you say
I feel my freedom slip away
I feel the bars come down around me
And I can't get away
I can't get away
I wonder why I live alone here
I wonder why we spend these nights together
Is this the room I'll live my life forever
I wonder why in LA
To live and die in LA
I wonder why we waste our lives here
When we could run away to paradise
But I am held in some invisible vice
And I can't get away
To live and die in LA
I can't get away
To live and die in LA
I can't get away
To live and die in LA
I can't get away
To live and die in LA
I can't get away
To live and die in LA
The song "To Live and Die in L.A." by Wang Chung is a contemplative and melancholic reflection on life in Los Angeles. The first two stanzas describe the overwhelming sense of loneliness and desperation that the singer feels when his partner is away. He wonders why he is living in this city and feels trapped and limited by his circumstances. The reference to God not being in heaven adds a spiritual dimension to his despair, suggesting that he has lost all hope in finding a meaningful purpose to his existence.
The chorus "I wonder why in LA, to live and die in LA" repeats the theme of feeling stuck in a place that does not offer the comfort or the happiness he desires. The line "I wonder why we waste our lives here when we could run away to paradise" implies that LA is a place of illusions that makes people believe that they can attain their dreams, but ultimately fails to deliver.
The last stanza describes the singer's desire to escape and find a new direction in life. He acknowledges the risk of failing or being swept away by the current, but welcomes it as an alternative to the suffocating routine of his current existence. The repetition of "I can't get away" at the end creates a sense of hopelessness, suggesting that the possibility of change is always out of reach.
Overall, the song is a poignant expression of disillusionment and frustration with the American Dream as embodied by Los Angeles, a city that promises everything and delivers nothing.
Line by Line Meaning
In the heat of the day
During the most intense part of the day
Every time you go away
Whenever you leave my presence
I have to piece my life together
I must rebuild my life without you
Every time you're away
Whenever you are not with me
In the dark of the night
During the darkest hours of the night
Every time I turn the light
Whenever I try to shine a light on things
I feel that God is not in heaven
I feel a sense of dread and hopelessness
I wonder why I live alone here
I question why I am living in solitude
I wonder why we spend these nights together
I question why we continue to spend time together
Is this the room I'll live my life forever
Am I stuck in this place forever?
I wonder why in LA
I question why I am living in Los Angeles
To live and die in LA
To be born and die in Los Angeles
I wonder why we waste our lives here
I question why we are squandering our lives in this place
When we could run away to paradise
When we have the opportunity to escape to a better place
But I am held in some invisible vice
But some unknown force is keeping me stuck here
And I can't get away
And I cannot escape from this place
If I let myself go
If I allow myself to just give up
And for where I just don't know
And I have no idea what the future holds
I'd maybe hit some cold new river
I may encounter a new and harsh reality
That led out to the sea
That ultimately leads to the vast, unknown ocean
An unknown sea
A sea of uncertainty
I'd either swim or I'd drown
I have only two options: to survive or to perish
Or just keep falling down and down
Or to continue to plummet deeper into despair
I think its that, that makes me quiver
It is that thought that makes me tremble
In every word that you say
In each and every one of your spoken words
I feel my freedom slip away
I sense my liberty escaping me
I feel the bars come down around me
I sense my confinement closing in around me
And I can't get away
And I am unable to escape
I can't get away
I am trapped
To live and die in LA
To be confined to a life in Los Angeles
Lyrics © Spirit Music Group
Written by: JACK HUES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Jef
In the heat of the day
Every time you go away
I have to piece my life together
Every time you're away
In the heat of the day
In the dark of the night
Every time I turn the light
I feel that God is not in heaven
In the dark of the night
The dark of the night
I wonder why I live alone here
I wonder why we spend these nights together
Is this the room I'll live my life forever
I wonder why in LA
To live and die in LA
I wonder why we waste our lives here
When we could run away to paradise
But I am held in some invisible vise
And I can't get away
To live and die in LA
If I let myself go
And for where I just don't know
I'd maybe hit some cold new river
That led out to the sea
An unknown sea
I'd either swim or I'd drown
Or just keep falling down and down
I think its that, that makes me quiver
Just to keep falling down
Down, down, down
I wonder why I live alone here
I wonder why we spend these nights together
Is this the way I'll live my life forever
I wonder why in LA
To live and die in LA
In every word that you say
I feel my freedom slip away
I feel the bars come down around me
And I can't get away
I can't get away
I wonder why I live alone here
I wonder why we spend these nights together
Is this the room I'll live my life forever
I wonder why in LA
To live and die in LA
I wonder why we waste our lives here
When we could run away to paradise
But I am held in some invisible vise
And I can't get away
To live and die in LA
I can't get away
To live and die in LA
I can't get away
To live and die in LA
I can't get away
To live and die in LA
I can't get away
To live and die in LA
Laurylie Norman
In the heat of the day
Every time you go away
I have to piece my life together
Every time you're away
In the heat of the day
In the dark of the night
Every time I turn the light
I feel that God is not in heaven
In the dark of the night
The dark of the night
I wonder why I live alone here
I wonder why we spend these nights together
Is this the room I'll live my life forever
I wonder why in LA
To live and die in LA
I wonder why we waste our lives here
When we could run away to paradise
But I am held in some invisible vice
And I can't get away
To live and die in LA
If I let myself go
And for where I just don't know
I'd maybe hit some cold new river
That led out to the sea
An unknown sea
I'd either swim or I'd drown
Or just keep falling down and down
I think its that, that makes me quiver
Just to keep falling down
Down, down, down
I wonder why I live alone here
I wonder why we spend these nights together
Is this the way I'll live my life forever
I wonder why in LA
To live and die in LA
In every word that you say
I feel my freedom slip away
I feel the bars come down around me
And I can't get away
I can't get away
I wonder why I live alone here
I wonder why we spend these nights together
Is this the room I'll live my life forever
I wonder why in LA
To live and die in LA
I wonder why we waste our lives here
When we could run away to paradise
But I am held in some invisible vice
And I can't get away
To live and die in LA
I can't get away
To live and die in LA
I can't get away
To live and die in LA
I can't get away
To live and die in LA
I can't get away
To live and die in LA
robelinda2
Just keep listening to his on repeat, brilliance.
Roxanne Obrien
I like it I met these guys went out with my buddy with the
Roxanne Obrien
them
Derek Donnell
robelinda2 AS YOU SHOULD!! LOL!! BEAUTIFUL SONG HANDS DOWN!!.
Mr. H
I don’t blame ya it’s a fucking choooon 👍🏻
Ulterior-Lead_99
This is one of the most underrated songs and films of the 1980's.
Robert Wiegman
Totally. One of my film professors at USC showed it for Editing.
6blurs
Uhh 2pac?
David Carter
I totally agree with you. I have the soundtrack and the movie.
Bart Scanland
One of the very best chase scenes ever.