Martha's Harbour

All About Eve

About Martha's Harbour

"Martha's Harbour" is a song by the English rock band All About Eve. It became known as the group's signature song, reaching #10 in the UK Singles Chart and helping the group's self-titled debut album reach #7 in the UK albums chart. The song was highly unusual for a 1980s pop hit, featuring only Julianne Regan's voice, acoustic guitars played by Tim Bricheno and background sound effects of the sea. The song is also well known for an incident on the popular BBC UK music show Top of the Pops, when the group, ready to do a mimed (as was BBC policy at the time) performance of their hit, were not played the backing track through their monitors, and so sat motionless while the television and studio audience could hear the song. Due to this error on the part of the BBC, the band were invited back the following week and insisted on playing the song live. On its creation, Julianne Regan has said, in an interview on BBC radio, "This song happened by accident when we were recording the first album. It was one of those things when we had the day off and we were sat in this very idyllic setting beneath a willow tree besides a stream by this beautiful residential recording studio and it just came out so naturally. It was a miracle of a little song and it's very dear to us because of that, because it was very pure, a really happy accident. Everybody went to the pub and we put it down and by the time they got back Martha's Harbour was committed to tape. Martha's Harbour is a fictitious backdrop for this happening."The song has also been covered by other artists including Méav Ní Mhaolchatha. 


Year:
1988
3:07
858 
#1

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I sit by the harbor
The sea calls to me
I hide in the water
But I need to breath.

You are an ocean wave my love
Crashing at the bow
I am a galley slave my Love
If only I could find out the way to sail you
Maybe I'll just stow away

I've been run a ground
So sad for a sailor
I felt safe and sound
But needed the danger

You are an ocean wave my love
Crashing at the bow
I am a galley slave my Love
If only I could find out the way to sail you
Maybe I'll just stow away

You are an ocean wave my love
Crashing at the bow
I am a galley slave my Love
If only I could find out the way to sail you
Maybe I'll just stow away

Stow away
Stow away

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Written by: ANDY COUSIN, JULIANNE REGAN, TIM BRICHENO

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind


10 facts about this song

Band Formation
"All About Eve" was formed in 1984, and "Martha's Harbour" is one of their famous songs.
Release Information
"Martha's Harbour" was released as a single in July 1988 from their self-titled debut album "All About Eve".
Chart Performance
The song is their biggest hit, peaking at No. 3 on the UK Singles Chart, making it their only top ten single in the UK.
Song Composition
Written by band members Julianne Regan and Tim Bricheno, it can be classified as a dreamy, atmospheric gothic folk song.
Mistakes on Live Television
A memorable moment for the song came when the band performed it live on Top of the Pops. Due to a technical error, the band couldn't hear the song in their headphones, leading to an awkward performance where they sat without singing or playing their instruments.
Critical Opinion
The song received positive reviews from music critics at the time of its release.
Media Inclusion
It is featured in the video game Grand Theft Auto IV on the radio station "Liberty Rock Radio 97.8".
Artistic Influence
The song's title "Martha's Harbour" supposedly came from a dream that lead vocalist Julianne Regan had.
Song Legacy
Despite the mishap on Top of the Pops, the song remains an iconic hit for All About Eve, and is still remembered and played today, over 30 years after its release.
Live Performance
Due to its success, "Martha's Harbour" is often played in the band's live performances. Their Top of the Pops appearance, despite the technical failure, has been re-aired on multiple occasions.

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