Bonnie Tyler’s “Goin’ Through the Motions” tells the story of a relationship that has lost its heart. Two people stay together out of habit, hiding behind empty routines instead of real love. As disappointment replaces hope, the narrator accepts the end, choosing to move on rather than cling to a connection that no longer feels genuine.
Goin’ Through the Motions Lyrics
[Intro: Stephanie Black, Erica Katz, Brian Pew, Edward Skylar, Tristine Sykar, & David Varga]
In and out and out and in
And up and down and all around
We’re going through it
Nothing to it
All you’ve got to do is do it
Going through the motions
One, two, three, four
I go you go you go me go
Everywhere that we go we’ll be
Going through the motions
One, two, three, four
One, two
[Hook: Bonnie Tyler]
Going through the motions
Yeah, we’re going through the motions
[Verse 1: Bonnie Tyler]
I don’t really care
Cause you’re going nowhere
You’ve got nothing but fear in your eyes
You’re leading me on
But you can be anyone
Cause I know you’ll be gone when I rise
[Hook: Bonnie Tyler]
And we’re going through the motions
Yeah, we’re going through the motions
Yeah, we’re going through the motions
Going through the motions
[Verse 2: Bonnie Tyler]
Staying with you
Gave us something to do
I always thought it was true for a while
Your’re loving your lies
You’re so thinly disguised
You couldn’t tell right from wrong if you tried
[Hook: Bonnie Tyler]
And we’re going through the motions
Yeah, we’re going through the motions
It’s going through the motions
Going through the motions
[Bridge: Bonnie Tyler]
To thee I’ll dedicate this photograph
I’ll even sign it love to you, again
And when it’s faded and forgotten in some book
You’ll sometimes look (You’ll sometimes look)
You’ll sometimes look (You’ll sometimes look)
You’ll sometimes look
[Verse 3: Bonnie Tyler]
It’s a game, it’s a game
No, let’s call it a shame
Cause there’s no one to blame
It’s a pain
You were a friend for a day
So don’t cry if I say
That you got what you want, it’s OK
[Hook: Bonnie Tyler]
And we’re going through the motions
Yeah, we’re going through the motions
Yeah, we’re going through the motions
Ooh, it’s going through the motions
And we’re going through the motions
Ooh, it’s we’re going through the motions
Yeah, we’re going through the motions
Going through the motions
[Outro: Bonnie Tyler]
In and out and out and in
And up and down and all around
We’re going through it
Nothing to it
All you’ve got to do is do it
Going through the motions
Yeah, we’re going through the motions
I go you go you go me go
Everywhere that we go we’ll be
Going through the motions, yeah, yeah
Going through the motions, yeah
[Coda: Bonnie Tyler, Stephanie Black, Erica Katz, Brian Pew, Edward Skylar, Tristine Sykar, & David Varga]
(Going through the motions) Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
In and out and out and in (Going through the motions) Oh, yeah
And up and down and all around (Going)
We’re going through it
Nothing to it
All you’ve got to do is do it
Going through the motions
One, two, three, four
I go you go you go me go
Everywhere that we go we’ll be
Going through the motions
One, two, three…
Video of Goin’ Through the Motions Lyrics By Bonnie Tyler
Song Credits
- Song Name :– Goin’ Through the Motions
- Singer Name :–Bonnie Tyler
- Producer:- John Jansen & Jim Steinman
- Album:– Faster Than the Speed of Night
- Release Date :– April 8, 1983
Song Bio of Goin’ Through the Motions By Bonnie Tyler
Bonnie Tyler’s “Goin’ Through the Motions” captures the moment a relationship stops feeling real and starts feeling like a chore. The song follows two people who keep showing up for each other out of habit rather than love, trading affection for routine until even routine starts to wear thin. Tyler’s narrator sees through it first. She recognizes the fear behind her partner’s eyes, the empty promises, the slow drift toward an ending neither person wants to name out loud. Rather than fight to save something already gone, she chooses clarity over denial and walks away with her composure intact.
Produced by Jim Steinman and John Jansen, the track appeared on Tyler’s 1983 album “Faster Than the Speed of Night,” released April 8 of that year. Steinman’s signature bombast shows up in the song’s driving, march-like rhythm and layered group vocals, giving the breakup narrative an almost theatrical urgency. Tyler’s rasp cuts through the production with total conviction, turning resignation into something closer to release.
It’s a song about disillusionment, but not despair. The narrator doesn’t fall apart. She simply stops pretending, which somehow feels like the more honest kind of ending.
