Watch Heart & Jimmy Fallon, Ratboys & Ducks Ltd., & Better Than Ezra’s Kevin Griffin Cover “Total Eclipse Of The Heart” During The Total Solar Eclipse
Yesterday, as you are almost certainly aware, certain parts of the contiguous United got to experience a total solar eclipse. (I was working on a column, and I forgot to look out the damn window.) Naturally, the eclipse led to a revival of interest in Bonnie Tyler’s 1983 anthem “Total Eclipse Of The Heart,” arguably the greatest power ballad of all time. When you’re witnessing an uncanny natural phenomenon, you probably want to hear something suitably dramatic, and “Total Eclipse Of The Heart” is that.
The last time that the US got a total solar eclipse was 2017. When that was happening, Bonnie Tyler sang “Total Eclipse Of The Heart” on an eclipse-themed cruise ship, with the Joe Jonas dance-pop band DNCE backing her up. Yesterday, Bonnie Tyler reportedly had to miss the eclipse, since she was flying to Finland for a concert. But fellow dramatic ’80s power ballad masters Heart, whose name is in the title, got to cover “Total Eclipse Of The Heart” on TV.
In last night’s Tonight Show cold open, Jimmy Fallon, in eclipse-ready eye protection and feathery mullet wig, joined Heart to perform “Total Eclipse Of The Heart” outside in Rockefeller Center during the eclipse. Fallon sang the “turn around bright eyes” parts and mostly didn’t embarrass himself, at least until the chorus. At the very least, his vocals were better than that one festival in Texas. New York wasn’t in the path of totality, so the video didn’t capture the full eclipse, but let’s be honest: That would’ve been wasted on Jimmy Fallon anyway. Watch it below.
Stereogum contributor Patrick Hosken also writes in to point out that current tourmates Ratboys and Ducks Ltd. also got together to cover “Total Eclipse Of The Heart” at their Rochester show last night. He got video.
Better Than Ezra frontman Kevin Griffen also had the same idea, covering “Total Eclipse” outside in Tennessee during the total eclipse and then posting the video on Instagram.