What does Total Eclipse of the Heart mean?

Bonnie Tyler: Total Eclipse of the Heart Meaning

Album cover for Total Eclipse of the Heart album cover

Covered By: Glee Cast, Chloe Kohanski (2017)


Total Eclipse of the Heart Lyrics

Turnaround, every now and then I get a
little bit lonely and you're never coming around
Turnaround, Every now and then I get a
little bit tired of listening to the sound of my tears
Turnaround, Every now and then I get a
little bit nervous...

  1. 1TOP RATED

    #1 top rated interpretation:
    anonymous
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    Aug 1st 2011 !⃝

    Love in marriage goes through ecclipses where it seems more distant but the commitment to stay and turn around is what causes it to grow to the next level. To me this song expresses the feelings during that journey through the hard times towards a brighter future.

  2. 2TOP RATED

    #2 top rated interpretation:
    anonymous
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    Apr 14th 2014 !⃝

    It's about true unconditional love. Sometimes people can't be together for whatever the reason might be. It doesn't matter what the reasons are. The true love is always there, there is no real separation. That is why the love is like a shadow on me all of the time. There is always a pull, they can call each other telepathically. It's the twin flame. The other half. And one day, whether in this dimension or the next, forever will begin.

  3. 3TOP RATED

    #3 top rated interpretation:
    astorian
    click a star to vote
    Mar 28th 2012 !⃝

    This won't explain what Bonnie Tyler's version of the song means, but a little history may give you a few things to think about.

    The song was written by Jim Steinman, who's best known as Meat Loaf's longtime partner. In the late Sixties, Steinman composed a rock opera based on Roman Polanski's horror-comedy "The Fearless Vampire Killers." The song "Total Eclipse of the Heart" was a song from that musical. It was sung by the virginal heroine, who is trying hard to resist the seductive lead vampire of the show.

    ORIGINALLY, the essence of the song was, "I'm terrified of this vampire who's trying to seduce me and drink my blood... but at the same time, I'm sort of excited by the idea. I'm both horrified AND tempted by the idea of rejecting my religious values and giving in to this charming but evil man."

    Steinman wasn't able to get financing to put his vampire musical on Broadway, but he recycled the song (he does that a lot!), changed the lyrics a little, and turned it into a pop hit.

    P.S. About 10 years ago, Steinman got "Dance of the Vampires" to Broadway, with Michael Crawford (aka the Phantom of the Opera) as the star. It was a total flop.

  4. anonymous
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    Mar 11th !⃝

    The death of Abraham Lincoln would indicate that Jesus Christ was on the wrong track. that thou shalt not kill, the conviction of a murderer from the beginning and I am from the house of David would mean Kennedy was off, a hopeful family verse would be "the keep Walt Disney in suspended animation Society.".

  5. anonymous
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    May 16th 2022 !⃝

    Because I think you do have a voice right now but keep it up with good work and put me in the movie. I’m crazy bout vampires.

  6. anonymous
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    Feb 19th 2021 !⃝

    I have always been told that the song was about a nurse on a teacher or someone in an all-boys School and she fell in love and was contemplating having an affair with one of her students

  7. anonymous
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    May 14th 2020 !⃝

    It is a beautiful song, a total classic. Love comes and goes, sometimes it feels like it's gone forever. Then you realise you need the love of your life more than ever. Beautiful.

  8. anonymous
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    Dec 7th 2019 !⃝

    It was originally a vampire musical song. She fell in love with a vampire and wanted to spend forever with him (join him as a vampire). There was light in her life, now there's only love in the dark. She is remembering back to being "human", so he calls her bright eyes to try to cheer her up (as they would have turned into cold dark eyes) She is lonely part of the time as she cannot be in the light anymore. (every now and then I fall apart). Forever's gonna start tonight (she is going to leave the thoughts of her past behind as she still loves and wants to be with him)

  9. anonymous
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    Oct 24th 2019 !⃝

    I think this song is about man and woman very much in love but the woman was depressed and the man was very heavy drinker and the keep rowing and no one could win so they split up and she wants him more but it not seen that he wants her but he is still telling her he lives her

  10. anonymous
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    Mar 2nd 2019 !⃝

    It means a love that was meant to be that a coldness came and the embers of a once full burning buitful flame love was put out leaving only hardly ignited embers now to that she you can try to fan back to a once wild burning flame but it's no use not enough fuel to keep it going it's a sad story of many people life's but you can catch sometimes that feeling that only one can relate to of the song that is if I can see your eyes that once carred the flame to both our hearts the 2 that once beat as one turn around so I can see if it's still there

  11. anonymous
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    Sep 1st 2018 !⃝

    I understand the producer was writing for a Vampire love story, but I think the reason it was a hit song (in contrast to his show) is because it is so relatable for so many marriages. I wish I could say otherwise, because it hits me in my gut every time I hear it now. It’s about how you can get incredibly far into a loving marriage— kids, mutual respect, admiration, genuine love— and somehow end up falling out of love and losing site of any future together despite every intention to the contrary. Once upon a time there was light in my life. Now there’s only love in the dark. Nothing I can say, a total eclipse of the heart. Wish I could say otherwise, but that’s why it breaks my heart to hear it— it speaks to the 18 years I’ve had with my wife and the inexplicable loss we both feel now knowing our futures would be better off apart.

  12. anonymous
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    Feb 3rd 2018 !⃝

    A question.. Where do these 'boy' verses come from? Are they from the Glee version? I only know the Bonnie Tyler version and I've never heard them before...?

  13. anonymous
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    Oct 17th 2017 !⃝

    Plain and simple. A woman who can’t get what she needs from a man. Thinking she could love him into what she needs from him but he’s just not capable.

  14. FrederikBernkastel
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    Aug 29th 2017 !⃝

    Total eclipse of the heart is the heart wrenching lament of a confused soul. It illustrates the terror and confusion of a person who after being madly in love for many years discovers that her feelings start to fade. She still wants to love her partner, who reawakened her will to live and granted her the best years of her life, yet she can not fight the feelings starting to fade. She has discovered her love is fading, yet she still wants to love him. Her heart is eclipsed with these feelings of confusion. Once upon a night there was light in her life, now it is just a love falling into the darkness. She does not know what to do, torn between her will to love him while she knows she can not love him anymore. She is going mad with emotion, living in a powder keg, resulting in a mental collapse giving off spark.

  15. anonymous
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    Aug 21st 2017 !⃝

    Meaning of this song to me: It's about true unconditional love. Sometimes as a couple gets older they are together emotionally but not physically. Women need that closeness, the hugging, the squeezes along with the words. The true love is always there, there is no real separation. That is why the words: “Your love is like a shadow on me all of the time.” And one day, when we both have left this world, we will be together forever. Like the words say: “And I need you now tonight. And I need you more than ever, And if you'll only hold me tight, We'll be holding on forever.”

  16. anonymous
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    Aug 21st 2017 !⃝

    He is an alcoholic.

  17. anonymous
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    Aug 8th 2017 !⃝

    ("once apon a time there was light in my life, but now theres only love in the dark.") "light in my life" she used to be happy with someone, but "love in the dark" now shes just sleeping with random men to get over him .

  18. anonymous
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    Aug 1st 2017 !⃝

    I think it is about a mother who lost her son when he was very young. Even though time has passed she is overcome with heart wrenching grief. She feels it at night in the dark and she is begging him to come to her one more time to hold him, thinking it will be enough. And as a child he had bright eyes as all children do, and with his death he couldn't become the boy he wanted to be. Then in those later years, to fill the void she teaches at a private school for boys who still had brightness in their eyes.

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