Music Review: The Cover Girls "All That Glitters Isn't Gold"

The Cover Girls

All That Glitters Isn’t Gold

Album: We Can’t Go Wrong

Year: 1990

          Angel Civilles’ friends think her new boyfriend is a pathological liar in the                pristine “All That Glitters Isn’t Gold.”

             Chatty synths open the single, setting a chummy tone.  She couldn’t believe her luck. She was going over notes, preparing herself for the next quiz. He immediately recongnized her from class. She explained to him she was having trouble with the specific dates. He turned her notes towards him, read them over and then began talking it over with her. He walked her to class, which lead to dinner and a romantic midnight kiss. He kept his hand on the small of her back as they walked and talked. He was making a point that she was clearly his. A month later, she decides it’s time he meets her friends. During lunch, she’s proud as he talks about his future plans. When he leaves to go to the bathroom, her girlfriends tell her that he’s trying to charm them. Another one of her friends found holes in one of his stories. They tell her she has to break up with him. He’ll only end bringing her down. (“Yesterday, I met a boy so fine/Right away I knew he'd captivate my mind/So strong, the kind you dream about/Bring it together, we could really scream and shout/I showed him to some friends of mine/They said "Girl, don't waste your time/That boy's no good for you/Listen, girl, I'm telling you/I think it's time you knew that.”)

            In the chorus, they say he’s too good to be true. Something is off about him. (“All that glitters isn't gold/ Everything you see/ Isn't what it seems to be [No, oh, oh]/All that glitters isn't gold.”)

          A few weeks later, on the way back to campus, she starts to notice how his charm seems to a reflect a character she’s seen on televison. She decides to try disagreeing with him and starts to see his friendly demeanor crack for a moment. However, it’s as though he remembers he’s on a date and has to behave. Her friends told her not to feel bad about leaving him. She’s a good person and doesn’t need his manipulation into her life. (“Sometimes we make the mistake/Of thinking everything that looks good is great/We all seem to go for what shines/And then we leave all of the other things behind/Some people always give a show/'Cause it's the only way they know/But you don't have to play that game because the/Only thing that matters/Is what's inside your heart.”)

          The chorus is sung again.

           In the bridge, she realized her friends were right. She heard from one of the girls in her hall that he assaulted his girlfriend. She thinks it could’ve been her, had her friends not helped her. (“So here's my advice to you/Everything you see's not always true/Take the time to look inside/And find out for yourself/What's really on their minds.”)

                The  chorus is sung five times to end the single.

             Civilles’ satiny vocals appreciate her friends’ guidance. She’s telling her story so others will learn. She would hate to see someone else get hurt. At this point, The Cover Girls are Civilles. The other members “toot toot” and emphasize the lyrics when needed, making themselves irrelevent in the process.

            The  fashionable  “All That Glitters Isn’t Gold” has a style of all it’s own, mixing freestyle with a dash of the Supremes.