Album: Everything (1988)

Charted: 1 1

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• Close your eyes, give me your hand, darling
  Do you feel my heart beating
  Do you understand?
  Do you feel the same
  Am I only dreaming
  Is this burning an eternal flame?
  
  I believe it's meant to be, darling
  I watch you when you are sleeping
  You belong with me
  Do you feel the same?
  Am I only dreaming
  Or is this burning (burning) an eternal flame (eternal flame)?
  
  Say my name
  Sun shines through the rain
  A whole life so lonely
  And then come and ease the pain
  I don't want to lose this feeling, oh
  
  Say my name
  Sun shines through the rain
  A whole life so lonely
  And then come and ease the pain
  I don't want to lose this feeling, oh
  
  Close your eyes, give me your hand
  Do you feel my heart beating
  Do you understand?
  Do you feel the same
  Am I only dreaming
  Or is this burning an eternal flame?
  
  Close your eyes, give me your hand, darling
  Do you feel my heart beating
  Do you understand?
  Do you feel the same
  Am I only dreaming
  Is this burning an eternal flame?
  
  Close your eyes, give me your hand, darling
  Do you feel my heart beating
  Do you understand?
  Do you feel the same?
  Am I only dreaming, ah
  An eternal flame
  
  Close your eyes, give me your hand, darling
  Do you feel my heart beating
  Do you understand?
  Do you feel the same
  Am I only dreaming, ah
  Is this burning an eternal flame?
  
  Close your eyes, give me your hand Writer/s: Susanna Lee Hoffs, Thomas F. Kelly, William E. Steinberg
  Publisher: BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group
  Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Comments: 28

• Obvious Guy 2024 from La-la Land, CaAtomic Kitten's Liz McClarnon said that they remade this song because they "...wanted to bring it to a younger generation."
  Good idea, but it was a sappy pop version. It left out the heartache, being its core.
  
  IMHO, for the same intention, it could be redone, except maybe as a punk version.
  (After all, heartache and anger go together.)
  It can also be remade as a punk/ballad like Tracy Bonham did with "Mother Mother."
  Maybe even Susy Hoffs herself could produce it, and tap into her angry musical roots, from her early "The Bangs" days.
  
  Can an angry cover be a hit? Hey, in 2003, the Ataris did a full punk remake of "Boys of Summer," and it was surprisingly good!
• Obvious Guy 2024 from Los Angeles, Ca@Bobg from Mn
  RE: "Sooo, where do you need to put your hand to feel someone's heart beating?"
  
  Seductive??? How old are you, dude?
  It's a given that they already had sex in this song, when she sings,
  "I watch you when you are sleeping..."
  Where do you think they are, at summer camp in sleeping bags???
  
  Susy is singing about putting her heart in the guy's hands, LITERALLY.
  She fears the disappointment of having it broken.
  
  Separately, I read somewhere that the other reason the Bangles broke up was because they were too busy touring to start a family. So one must conclude that, when Hoffs (co-)wrote this song, she was channeling the loneliness of being out on the road.
  (Great harmonizing, BTW.)
  
  I love you Susy!
• Bobg from MnI've seen a bunch of comments and interviews about this song and not one has mentioned the obvious seductive nature of the song. "Close your eyes, give me your hand, do you feel my heart beating?"
  
  Sooo, where do you need to put your hand to feel someone's heart beating? I would love to have a girl ask me to feel her heart beating.
  
  This song, to me, has always been at the top of the "Prom Night Power Ballads" song list. Lots of emotion and angst, high school hormones driving all decision making. The girl is offering the guy herself, but wants to know if she's imaging how deep and meaningful their love is, or if it's just in her mind. Like a lot of high school romances.
• Camille from Toronto, OhI, too, have a story similar to Tereza and Ron. I was in my early 30s when I was fixed up on a blind date with my future husband. At the time, this song was a hit and the video was aired often on MTV. It's not that this song stood out among others at the time, it was just a nice tune to listen to, one of many that provided a background soundtrack to that time in my life. But it's certainly a song that always, always reminds me of that particular time. Fast forward almost 25 years, and if my life were a movie, this song playing at the time of that blind date would have been a touch of 'foreshadowing', predicting that yes, indeed, what we felt was the beginning of an eternal flame and we're still together. It's almost a more important song to me now than back then. I liked reading how it all came together. This song has a timeless quality to it.
  
  
  
• Ron from Tyler, TxThis is a very simple, very nice, sweet song. It was popular when I was falling in love with my wife, and it really resonated with that feeling that made me wonder, at age 29, if I really had finally found the love that would last eternally. Well, can't speak to forever, but 25 years later we're still together & still in love.
• Esskayess from Dallas, TxIn this clip, she said the producer made up the stuff about ONJ, but she fell for it and DID sing this song au buffo:
  
  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hqcfDyfskA
• Esskayess from Dallas, Tx(This is what Wikipedia says about the supposed Urban Legend.)
  Hoffs was actually naked when she recorded the song, after being told that Olivia Newton-John got her amazing performances by recording everything while naked.
• Brandon from Seattle, WaI can definitely see the Beach Boys/Beatles influence, too, somewhat like "Here, there, and everywhere" and "God only knows", but is so breathtaking on its own, too. I also saw this on "Cold Case", and though the song is beyond words, I might offend, it stroke me as being too painful for the ending. Do not get me wrong, I love the show, this song, and the ending (one of the best TV endings of all-time), but it somewhat made things twice as sad, at least it did to me, but once again, great song, great band, great show, and great ending, something I will hold in my heart for the rest of my life.
• Rich from Wall , NjOne of the best songs I ever heard.
  Very well sung both by Susanna Hoffs
  and the other Bangles.Can see the influence
  of the Beatles and Beach Boys in this song.
• Oldpink from New Castle, InIt's a bit sappy, but still a sweet song, sung very nicely.
  I must admit that I was a bit stunned when I first saw the singer back in 1987, and I had to roll up my tongue.
  Smoking hot, and now she is 48, and as beautiful as ever.
  Yes, Virginia, the years have been very kind to Susanna Hoffs!
• Dale from Santa Fe, NmIt's the songs with the simple, true sentiment like this one that stand the test of time. This is the power of love, music and magic.
• Joycemorrison from Phthis was hugely popular in my country when it came out. still is, though considered by some as too sappy for comfort. but i won't be surprised if everyone likes it, albeit secretly.
• Tobes from Upton, NyThis may be 'Urban Legend' but many years ago (soon after the original song came out, I distinctly recall hearing a local radio DJ matter of factley stating that Suzanna Hoffs admitted somewhere to doing the studio recording session of 'Burning Flame' while in the buff. Allegedly, it inspired her to do the most honest and heartfelt rendition possible. Hmm..
• Dave from Cardiff, Wales"Everything" was a fantastic album! It did not only include the singles "Eternal Flame" and "In Your Room" but also such lesser-known greats as "Complicated Girl", "Bell Jar", Crash and Burn" and "Something To Believe In". One of the most underrated albums of the last 25 years for sure...
• Dave from Cardiff, WalesMitchell - Atomic Kitten did not write any of their songs. The ones which were not direct covers were written by ex-OMD frontman Andy McCluskey. When they sacked him as their main songwriter in 2004, AK's success ground to a halt... The Bangles' version of 'Eternal Flame' still remains the more the popular the world over
• Pete from Toronto, Canadareminds me of my ex-girlfriend, we had some good times together, too bad it ended so badly
• Alexander from Ciudad OjedaIt'll soon be 4 years when mom and I listened to Sharika's "Underneath Your Clothes" and she told me it'd got the melody from an old song, and I saw what she was talking about when a few days later I started singing The Bangles' "Eternal Flame" and she told me that was the song she meant.
• Tereza from Praha, Czech RepublicI first heard this song when I met the love of my life, and the lyrics were constantly on my mind.Though I was little embarrassed to listen to such sentimental song, i've never since found other song that would better describe the state of being in love.
• Marlow from Perth, Australiasusanna look so hot back in this video clip...
• Natasha from Bethany, Oki agree with Marina. the very first time i heard "eternal flame" i thought it sounded alot like "underneath your clothes".
• Mitchell from Auckland, New ZealandPractically all of Atomic Kitten's songs are remakes. Infact, I'm not sure if they wrote any of them themselves... Eternal Flame, See Ya, The Tide Is High, Whole Again..
• Marina from Seattle, WaThe song "Underneath Your Clothes" by Shakira sounds very, very similar to this song. Listen to them both and you'll agree.
• Kristy from Saco, MeThis song was also spoofed by Jason Bateman in The Sweetest Thing with Cameron Diaz
• Martijn from Helmond, NetherlandsDutch dj's spread the rumour that in order to get in the right mood for the song Susanna Hoffs sang it naked in the studio
• Jonathan from Natchitoches, LaAppeared in Season 1 Episode 21 of Cold Case on CBS. The name of the episode is "Maternal Instincts."
• Tiffany from Dover, FlI remembered this song when I was little and it was one of my favorites!
• Martin from London, EnglandAtomic Kitten's version was a UK No. 1 in 2001 (not 2002). It was the first instance of a song topping the UK chart twice by two different female-fronted bands. They did it a second time, too, in 2002, with The Tide Is High [Blondie].
• Dino from Bandung, IndonesiaCovered by Australia's Human Nature on the album Here & Now: The Best of Human Nature, released in 2001.

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