Everything But The Girl

Songwriter: Tracey Thorn

Producer: Ben Watt

[Verse 1]
You're only two and the whole wide world revolves around you
And nothing's happened yet that you might ever wish to forget
It doesn't stay that way
If I could I'd make it stay that way
And this you will recall in after years
Though you may weary of this vale of tears

[Refrain]
These days remember
Always remember

[Verse 2]
You're only two and I've no wish to worry you
So pay no mind to those who say the world is unkind
That's just something they've read
And if I could I'd strike them dead
And this you will recall in after years
Though you may weary of this vale of tears

[Refrain]
These days remember
Always remember (Yeah)

[Verse 3]
And honey there's no rush
The world will wait for you to grow up
And this you will recall in after years
Though you may weary of this vale of tears

[Refrain]
These early days
Remember always

[Outro]
I hope you never change
I'll call you Jimmy, they call you James
Don't ever change
I'll call you Jimmy, they call you James
These early days
I hope you never change
I'll call you Jimmy, they call you James
Remember always
Don't ever change
I'll call you Jimmy, they call you James
These early days
Remember always
I hope you never change
I'll call you Jimmy, they call you James
These early days
Don't ever change
I'll call you Jimmy, they call you James
Remember always

Originating at the turn of the 1980s as a leader of the lite-jazz movement, Everything but the Girl became an unlikely success story more than a decade later, emerging at the vanguard of the fusion between pop and electronica.

Founded in 1982 by Hull University students Tracey Thorn and Ben Watt, the duo took their name from a sign placed in the window of a local furniture shop, which claimed “for your bedroom needs, we sell everything but the girl.” At the time of their formation, both vocalist Thorn and songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Watt were already signed independently to the Cherry Red label; Thorn was a member of the sublime Marine Girls, while Watt had issued several solo singles and also collaborated with Robert Wyatt.

Everything but the Girl debuted in 1982 with a samba interpretation of Cole Porter’s “Night and Day”; the single was a success on the U.K. independent charts, but the duo nonetheless went on hiatus as Thorn recorded a solo EP, A Distant Shore, while Watt checked in with the full-length North Marine Drive in 1983. EBTG soon reunited to record a cover of the Jam’s “English Rose” for an NME sampler; the track so impressed former Jam frontman Paul Weller that he invited the duo to contribute to the 1984 LP Cafe Bleu, the debut from his new project, the Style Council.

more tracks from the album

Idlewild

From the albums

Idlewild (1988)
White Bird in a Blizzard (Songs From the Film) (2014)

Everything But The Girl popular songs

These Early DaysEverything But The Girl

Everything But The Girl

Idlewild