The Loop Song Playing in my Head Today
Total Eclipse of My Heart
RIP Bonnie Tyler
I just read the sad news that Welsh singer Bonnie Tyler passed away today. Her gruff voice was a staple of my generation. Her song, “Total Eclipse of the Heart”, still plays on the playlist in my head and on my iPhone as much as it did when I was a teen in 1983.
Singer Meatloaf was offered the tune, but his management turned it down. I wonder if the song would have had the same importance and cultural impact if Meatloaf were singing the song.
Needless to say, Bonnie did a wonderful job with it. Every time a total eclipse occurs, you cannot help but think of her. The song actually gets a nudge on streaming platforms each time there’s a total eclipse; it reached number 1 on the iTunes Charts during the last total eclipse in 2024.
The origin of the song
The song, written by Jim Steinman, was inspired by a vampire love. It’s very theatrical. Steinman has said in interviews that the song was a tribute to a film from 1922 called Nosferatu.
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MTV lovers like myself watched the video for the song a lot when it aired during the heyday of the music channel. We just enjoyed the song, never thinking about what it meant. I’m betting the song has already had many views on YouTube and several streaming downloads today.
“Every now and then”
This phase is repeated throughout the song. When you hear it, you know it is building to the eclipse, the total eclipse that pierces the soul, cutting deep to the heart. She gets lonely. She gets nervous. She gets tired. She’s terrified. She feels so many emotions. Then she falls apart. We feel her pain through the sound of her voice.
“Your love is like a shadow on me all of the time”
Love forecasts pain often seen, a back and forth in a relationship, that builds like a crescendo of darkness, contrasting in intense light. There is both light and darkness in a total eclipse; the darkness overshadows the light, yet the light always peaks through on the edges.
“Total eclipse of the heart”
Seeing a total eclipse can impact the heart. It shows us how vast the universe is, and that we’re merely a speck of dust in it. The song’s sentimentality brings that reality to light. To life. And her voice really adds to the experience.
Thank you, Bonnie
Your music has greatly influenced a generation. The song, “Holding Out for a Hero” is another staple of musical influence. This particular song was part of the soundtrack of what I call the “Grease” of 80s generation, the movie “Footloose.”
The soundtrack was one of the most successful of the decade. The movie is now considered a cult classic. I will always hear your voice ringing out loudly during TV replays of “Footloose” or upon seeing another solar eclipse in my lifetime. Your raspy voice will always be remembered. Rest in peace. You eclipsed our hearts today.
Thank you for reading.
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