The Tide Is High

Album

Blue Jays

Label

Chrysalis Records

Genre

Reggae

Composer(s)

John Holt

Entered Chart

Nov 15, 1980

Peak Date

Jan 31, 1981

Released

31 October 1980[

Recorded

Unknown

Catalog #

Chrysalis 2465

B-Side

Susie and Jeffrey"

Lead singer Debbie Harry and guitarist Chris Stein wrote most of Blondie's songs, but not this one. "The Tide Is High" is a cover song, originally recorded by a Jamaican vocal group called The Paragons in 1967. Harry and Stein heard the song on a compilation tape they picked up in London; they thought it was too good not to record. Their version was a huge hit, going to #1 in both the US and UK. The song was written by John Holt, who sang tenor in The Paragons. Holt wrote a lot of love songs; in this one, he's willing to wait out the high tide to get his girl back. When Blondie recorded the song, they switched the gender so it from: I'm not the kind of man who gives up just like that to: I'm not the kind of girl who gives up just like that Blondie experimented with many different sounds. They were a punk/new wave band in their early years, making a name playing clubs like CBGB's in New York. This song was their foray into reggae, but they played around with rap on "Rapture" and with disco on "Heart Of Glass." Eric Clapton became the first white artist to transform a reggae song into a #1 hit when he covered Bob Marley's "I Shot The Sheriff" in 1974. The first reggae song to top the chart was "I Can See Clearly Now" by Johnny Nash in 1972. Debbie Harry and Chris Stein were both fans of the British ska revival band The Specials. Stein revealed to Mojo magazine May 2008 that they asked The Specials to back Debbie Harry on "The Tide Is High," but they didn't want to do it. In 2002 Atomic Kitten returned the song to the UK #1 spot with a more pop-oriented cover. They combined "The Tide Is High" with the freshly composed "Get The Feeling," which was added at the suggestion of Hugh Goldsmith of Innocent Records. This made "The Tide Is High" one of two songs to top the UK chart twice with versions by two different female vocal acts. The other song is "Eternal Flame," which was a hit for Atomic Kitten again as well as the Bangles. In a 2006 interview with Rolling Stone magazine, Sean Lennon said: "My father had an old Wurlitzer in the game room of our house on Long Island. It was filled with 45s, mostly Elvis and The Everly Brothers. The one modern song I remember him listening to was 'The Tide Is High' by Blondie, which he played constantly. When I hear that song, I see my father, unshaven, his hair pulled back into a ponytail, dancing to and fro in a worn-out pair of denim shorts, with me at his feet, trying my best to coordinate tiny limbs." The song featured in the penultimate episode of Better Call Saul broadcast on August 8, 2022. It's sung by Gene (aka Saul) in his car while driving to pick up his friend Marion.

never give up
yeah
never give up
The tide is high but I'm holding on
I'm gonna be your number one
I'm not the kind of girl
Who gives up just like that
Oh, no

It's not the things you do
That tease and hurt me bad
But it's the way you do
The things you do to me
I'm not the kind of girl
Who gives up just like that
Oh, no

The tide is high but I'm holding on
I'm gonna be your number one
the tide is high but i'm holding on
i'm gonna be your number one
Number one,
my number one
number one

Every girl wants you to be her man
But I'll wait right here 'till it's my turn
I'm not the kind of girl
Who gives up just like that
Oh, no

The tide is high but I'm holding on
I'm gonna be your number one
The tide is high but im holding on
I'm gonna be your number one
Number one,
my number one
number one

evreytime that i get the feeling
you give me something to believe in
everytime that i got you near me
i know the way that i want it to be
but you know i'm gonna take chance now
i'm gonna make it happen somehow
and you know i can take the pressure
a moment to pay for a lifetime pleasure

Every girl wants you to be her man
But I'll wait right here 'til it's my turn
I'm not the kind of girl
Who gives up just like that
Oh, no

The tide is high but I'm holding on
I'm gonna be your number one
The tide is high, but I'm holding on
I'm gonna be your number one

everytime that i get the feeling
you give me something to believe in
everytime that i got you near me
i know the way that i want it to be
but you know i'm gonna take chance now
i'm gonna make it happen somehow
and you know i can take the pressure
a moment to pay for a lifetime pleasure

the tide is high but i'm holding on
I'm gonna be your number one
The tide is high but I'm holding on
I'm gonna be your number one