"Total Eclipse of the Heart" by Jim Steinman and Bonnie Tyler
Strong Songs
Musical Analysis of 'Total Eclipse of the Heart'
This chapter provides a detailed examination of the song's composition, focusing on its harmonies, chord movements, and the interplay between vocalists. It explores key changes, backing vocals, and instrumentation that heighten the song's emotional depth, while also connecting these elements to broader themes such as attachment theory. Listeners gain insight into how the musical and lyrical intricacies work together to create the song's powerful narrative.
Turn around... every now and then I get a little lonely and the snare is sounding small
Turn around... every now and then I get a little bit tired of listening to the sound of sleigh bells
Turn around... every now and then I get a little bit nervous that the cannons will not fire
Turn around...
...every now and then Kirk decides to take on a classic 80s power ballad, and winds up learning a thing or two about when to use castanets and how to pull off an elegant key change. (Are you still singing along? Wow.)
Written and Produced by: Jim Steinman
Featuring: Bonnie Tyler and Rory Dodd, co-lead vocals
Album: Faster than the Speed of Night, 1983
Listen/Buy via Album.Link
ALSO REFERENCED/DISCUSSED:
- The "Literal Version" of the Total Eclipse music video
- Warren Huart's terrific "Produce Like a Pro" article and video about the song
- “Lost in France” and “More Than a Lover” by Bonnie Tyler from The World Starts Tonight, 1977
- “Bat Out of Hell” and “Paradise by the Dashboard Light” by Jim Steinman as sung by Meat Loaf and Ellen Foley on Bat Out of Hell, 1977
- “Making Love Out Of Nothing At All” by Jim Steinman and recorded by Air Supply, 1983
- ‘One-Hit Wonder’ Bonnie Tyler Resumes Her Singing Career with a ‘Total Eclipse’ of the Charts, People Magazine, November 1983
- “For Those About To Rock, (We Salute You)” by AC/DC, 1981
- Tchaikovsky’s “1812 Overture” by the National Symphony Orchestra of Ukrane, 2005
----LINKS-----
💰 SUPPORT STRONG SONGS!
Patreon | Paypal
🏠 HOMEPAGE
strongsongspodcast.com
👚 MERCH
strongsongspodcast.com/store
📬 KIRK'S NEWSLETTER
newsletter.kirkhamilton.com
📷 SOCIAL MEDIA
Instagram: @Kirk_Hamilton
Bluesky: @kirkhamilton.com
💬 STRONG SONGS DISCORD SERVER
strongsongspodcast.com/discord
🎧 STRONG SONGS PLAYLISTS
Spotify | Apple Music | YouTube Music
🎸 KIRK'S GEAR & INSTRUMENTS
kirkhamilton.com/gear
🎶 KIRK'S MUSIC
kirkhamilton.com/music
🎨 SHOW ART
Tom Deja, Bossman Graphics
--------------------
APRIL 2025 WHOLE-NOTE PATRONS
Andy
Lisa Crotty
Elizabeth Culver
Meryl Allison
Robyn Metcalfe
Cesar
Corpus Frisky
Ben Barron
Catherine Warner
Damon White
Jay Swartz
Rush
Daniel Hannon-Barry
Christopher Miller
Jamie White
Christopher McConnell
David Mascetti
Joe Laska
Ken Hirsh
Melanie Andrich
Jenness Gardner
Nathaniel Bauernfeind
Paul Delaney
Sami Samhuri
Jeremy Dawson
AccessViolation
Dave Florey
APRIL 2025 HALF-NOTE PATRONS
Dave Douglass
Suzanne Crawford
PhantomMare
Kym Griffith
Rachel
Aruni Jayatilleke
Ryan Gillen
Terry Auvenshine
TB
Daniel Kaberon
Wiggy Hash
Whit Sidener
Julie Kellman
Simon Hellman
Bea
Claudia Carty
Dani
Glenn Jackson
Christopher Selby Spink
Philip Kelly
Daniel Nervo
Kevin Stafford
Lawrence
Sy Jacobs
irritable
Ian Pidd
Andrew Hofer
Jordan Gatenby
Melissa Kuhns
Ashley
Seattle Trans And Nonbinary Choral Ensemble
Kevin Marcelo
Samantha Coates
James
Jeff
Dan Cutter
Joseph Romero
Ol Parker
John Berry
Danielle Kriz
Clint McElroy
Mordok’s Vape Pen
Inmar Givoni
Michael Singer
Merv Adrian
Joe Gallo
Lauren Knotts
Dave Kolas
Henry Mindlin
Monica St. Angelo
Stephen Wolkwitz
Rand LeShay
Max
eric sp
Matthew Jones
Thomas
Anthony Mentz
James McMurry
Ethan Laser
Brian John Peter
Chris Remo
Aaron Wilson
Dent Earl
Carlos Lerner
Misty Haisfield
Abraham Benrubi
Lee R.
Callum Webb
Lynda MacNeil
Dick Morgan
Ben Stein
Grettir Asmundarson
Sean Murphy
Randal Vegter
Kellen Steffen
Kaya Woodall
Robert Granat
dave malloy
Alan Maass
john halpin
Peter Harding
David
John Bauman
Martín Salías
Stu Baker
Steve Martino
Dr Arthur A Gray
Carolina
Gary Pierce
Matt Baxter
Luigi Boccia
E Margaret Warton
Tim Sheehan
Charles McGee
Catherine Clause
Ethan Bauman
KenIsWearingAHat
Jordan Block
Aaron Wade
Jeff Ulm
David Futter
Jamie
Deebs
Portland Eye Care
Richard Sneddon
Janice Berry
Doreen Carlson
David McDarby
Wendy Gilchrist
Lisa Turner
Paul Wayper
Miles Forman
Bruno Gaeta
Kenneth Jung
Adam Stofsky
Zak Remer
Rishi Sahay
Jeffrey Bean
JRRJ
Ailie Fraser
Rob Tsuk
NATALIE MISTILIS
Josh Singer
Amy Lynn Thornsen
Adam W
Kelli Brockington
Victoria Yu
mino capossela
Steve Paquin
David Joske
Bernard Khoo
Robert Heuer
David Noah
Geraldine Butler
Madeleine Mader
Jason Pratt
Abbie Berg
Doug Belew
Dermot Crowley
Ryan Rairigh
Michael Berman
Linda Duffy
Bonnie Prinsen
Eoin de Burca
Kevin Potter
M Shane Borders
Dallas Hockley
Jason Gerry
Nell Morse
Nathan Gouwens
Lauren Reay
Eric Prestemon
cbalmain
Angela Livingstone
Diane Hughes
Michael Casner
Lowell Meyer
Stephen Tsoneff
Joshua Hill
Geoff Golden
Pascal Rueger
Randy Souza
Clare Holberton
Diane Turner
Tom Coleman
Dhu Wik
Melmaniac
Eric Helm
Jonathan Daniels
Caro Field
Dave Sharpe
Naomi Watson
David
Alexander
Adam Georgandis
Chris K
Gavin Doig
Sam Fenn
Tanner Morton
AJ Schuster
Jennifer Bush
David Stroud
Brad Callahan
Amanda Furlotti
Andrew Baker
Andrew Fair
L.B. Morse
Bill Thornton
Brian Amoebas
Brett Douville
Jeffrey Olson
Matt Betzel
Nate from Kalamazoo
Melanie Stivers
Richard Toller
Alexander Polson
Justin McElroy
Arjun Sharma
James Johnson
Kevin Morrell
Colin Hodo
The AI-powered Podcast Player
