The Bee Gees: “Tragedy”

The Gibb brothers wrote both this and “Too Much Heaven” (another American #1), in an afternoon off from making the Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band movie in which they were starring. Then in the evening they wrote another American #1 single, “Shadow Dancing” for their brother Andy Gibb.

In January 1999 a cover by the British group Steps returned this song to the top of the British charts. Released as a double A-side with “Heartbeat,” it sold over a million copies in the UK, making it the top selling Bee Gees cover of all time in Britain.

Stuck for a convincing thunderclap sound, Barry Gibb cupped his hands over a microphone and made an exploding noise with his mouth. Several of these sounds were then mixed together creating the large boom heard on this song.

(source songfacts.com)

Here I lie

In a lost and lonely part of town

Held in time

In a world of tears I slowly drown

Goin’ home

I just can’t make it all alone

I really should be holding you

Holding you

Loving you, loving you

Tragedy

When the feeling’s gone and you can’t go on

It’s tragedy

When the morning cries and you don’t know why

It’s hard to bear

With no one to love you, you’re

Goin’ nowhere

Tragedy

When you lose control and you got no soul

It’s tragedy

When the morning cries and you don’t know why

It’s hard to bear

With no one beside you, you’re

Goin’ nowhere

Night and day

There’s a burning down inside of me

Burning love

With a yearning that won’t let me be

Down I go

And I just can’t take it all alone

I really should be holding you

Holding you

Loving you, loving

Tragedy

When you lose control and you got no soul

It’s tragedy

When the morning cries and you don’t know why

It’s hard to bear

With no one beside you, you’re

Goin’ nowhere

Tragedy

When the feeling’s gone and you can’t go on

It’s tragedy

When the morning cries and you don’t know why

It’s hard to bear

With no one to love you, you’re

Goin’ nowhere

Tragedy

When you lose control and you got no soul

It’s tragedy

When the morning cries and you don’t know why

It’s hard to bear

With no one beside you, you’re

Goin’ nowhere