Bonnie Tyler’s song Total Eclipse of the Heart (Turn Around) is one of those tracks that is just completely timeless. Every generation can appreciate the theatrics, the vocals and that intense music video.

Despite being released over 40 years ago, the song still resonates with music fans and karaoke afficianados alike, with striking lyrics such as: “Together we can take it to the end of the line/your love is like a shadow on me all of the time” scattered throughout the lyrics.

An unkind reading of the song could place it as a situationship that got out of hand, while others may see it as longing for a lost love but, uh, the inspiration was actually a lot more spooky than that.

The inspiration behind Total Eclipse of the Heart

You may want to hold onto your fangs here because actually, this song was inspired by, and written for a Nosferatu musical.

Yes, really.

In an interview with The Guardian back in 2023, Bonnie reveals that when she wanted to make the move from country rock to rock, she hoped to work with Jim Steinam, who wrote and produced for Meat Loaf at the time.

Fortunately for her, Jim really loved her voice and played Total Eclipse of the Heart to her. Bonnie muses: “I understood immediately what an incredible song it was.”

She later adds: “He told me he had started writing the song for a prospective musical version of Nosferatu years before, but never finished it.

“Around the time we were recording, Meat Loaf had lost his voice, and after it was a hit he always used to say: “Dang. That song should have been mine!” I poured my heart out singing it.”

40 years later, and the lore just solidifies the legend status of the song.