So Alive

This sultry track was conceived by Love And Rockets guitarist Daniel Ash, who also handled lead vocals. It describes an encounter with a mysterious woman who gives him a rush of passion, making him feel so alive. The song has a real-life inspiration. "We had the weekend off and I had gone to a party on a Saturday night," Ash told Songfacts. "I saw this woman on the other side of the room at the party and I was completely transfixed. I never went up to her because it wasn't appropriate – I was married at the time. But she had long brown hair, and it was like I'd known her in a different lifetime or something. It was just this thing that hit me like a ton of bricks. I couldn't stop thinking about her."

After the English band Bauhaus broke up in 1983, lead singer Peter Murphy launched a solo career, and the other three members formed Love And Rockets. "So Alive" is by far their most popular song, reaching #3 in America, where it also topped the Modern Rock Chart. Their only other Hot 100 entry was "No Big Deal," which reached #82.

Many seductive songs mention the girl's eye color, but Daniel Ash never got close enough to see what color they were. That explains the opening line: I don't know what color your eyes are, baby But your hair is long and brown