It’s ironic that songs that seem so positive and life-affirming can be dissected apart and suddenly seem like real kicks to the gut. That happened to me this morning when listening to Phil Oakey singing “Together in Electric Dreams.”
“I only knew you for a while, I never saw your smile
Till it was time to go, time to go away (time to go away)
Sometimes it’s hard to recognise, love comes as a surprise
And it’s too late, it’s just too late to stay, too late to stay”
What the hell, Phil? The frontman for The Human League partners with the great Giorgio Moroder for this pure slice of pop heaven, which was featured in the 1984 movie of the same name. Good luck finding a copy of the movie that will play on DVD players in the U.S. and Canada. (I did find a version of it on YouTube though.)
The movie was largely panned by critics – it has 44 percent fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes – though Siskel & Ebert curiously gave it 3 1/2 out of 4 stars, crediting its “genuine sweetness.” That’s what I used to think of when I hear the song.
“We’ll always be together, however far it seems (love never ends)
We’ll always be together, together in electric dreams”
Aww, my heart just melts. And then, Phil and Giorgio fill it back up with air and pop it.
“Because the friendship that you gave
Has taught me to be brave
No matter where I go
I’ll never find a better prize (find a better prize)
Though you’re miles and miles away, I see you every day
I don’t have to try, I just close my eyes, I close my eyes”
Wait! She’s gone? (Or he’s gone – the specifics don’t matter.) So this is a song about being happy that true love is gone. And the vision of that love haunts you every day. And you’ll never find its equivalent? Holy hell. Are you sure this wasn’t written by Depeche Mode?
“We’ll always be together, however far it seems (love never ends)
We’ll always be together, together in electric dreams”
No, no. Too late now for the chorus again and that mumbo jumbo contradiction.
Truth by told, it’s probably best not to dissect songs you love too much. This tune – recorded in a single take, Phil once told me – was a top 10 hit in the UK and Australia. The Human League – often erroneously credited for the song – often includes it as an encore in live performances.
I’ll still play it on my headphones and quietly sob – it was also once my phone’s ring tone – but now, I just cry … and I close my eyes.
“We’ll always be together, however far it seems (love never ends)
We’ll always be together, together in electric dreams”