Moyet was born to a French father and English mother. She grew up in Basildon, where she attended school. After leaving school at 16, she worked as a shop worker and a piano tuner. She was involved in a number of punk rock, pub rock and blues bands in the South East Essex area during the late 1970s and early 1980s, including The Vandals and the Screamin' Ab Dabs, The Vicars, The Vandals (UK 1978) and The Little Roosters.
Her mainstream pop career began in 1982 when she formed the electro-pop duo Yazoo with former Depeche Mode member Vince Clarke. The duo had several hits, including "Situation", "Only You", "Don't Go" and recorded two albums, "Upstairs At Eric's" and "You And Me Both". The group was notable for melding Clarke's trademark electronic sounds with Moyet's warm, soulful voice.
In 1983 Moyet and Clarke decided to disband Yazoo. While Clarke went on to form Erasure, Moyet signed to CBS (in part because it had been Janis Joplin's label), and began her solo career.
In 1984 she released her debut album "Alf" (titled after her punk-era nickname). Alf included contributions by popular producers/songwriters Swain and Jolley, as well as a song, "Invisible", written by Motown legend Lamont Dozier. The record was a hit in Britain, reaching number one in the album charts. Alf spawned 3 hit singles, "Love Resurrection", "Invisible" and "All Cried Out". In the US, "Invisible" was a Top 40 hit (something Yazoo had never achieved).
In 1985 Moyet performed at the historic Live Aid concert, alongside Paul Young. She also released a single not featured on "Alf", a cover of the standard "That Ole Devil Called Love." The single went to #2 on the UK singles chart. (At present, it remains Moyet's highest-charting UK single.)
In 1986 Moyet had another big UK hit with the single "Is This Love?," followed in 1987 by the album Raindancing. Raindancing spawned further hit singles, including a cover of Floy Joy's "Weak In The Presence of Beauty" and "Ordinary Girl". In 1987, she scored another cover hit with "Love Letters"; the video for the song featured comedy duo French & Saunders.
Following a period of personal and career evaluation Hoodoo was released in 1991. Hoodoo, which took several steps away from the glossy pop sheen of Raindancing and was a far earthier and more personal album. Compared to her earlier releases, Hoodoo received little label support and only minimal promotion. The album sold respectably in Britain, and was nominated for a Grammy for the single "It Won't Be Long." However, the release of Hoodoo marked the beginning of what was to become a long fight for Moyet to secure complete control of her artistic direction. Like many similar artists of Moyet's calibre (including Aimee Mann and the late Kirsty MacColl), Moyet was reluctant to record a radio-friendly "pop" album simply for the sake of creating chart hits.
Moyet's next album Essex (1994) was also a source of controversy for her; in order for the album to be released, her label (now Sony) insisted that certain Essex tracks be re-recorded and re-produced, and that there be additional material remixed to create a more 'commercial' package. The video for the single "Whispering Your Name" again featured Dawn French.
Following the release of Essex, Sony released a greatest-hits compilation of Moyet's work the following year. Singles entered the UK charts at number one. Following incredible CD success and a UK tour, Singles was re-issued as a double CD set which included "No Overdubs", a bonus live CD. Upon re-issue Singles again charted, this time in the top 20.
Due to prolonged litigation with Sony, Moyet did not record or release a new studio album for over eight years after the release of Essex. During this time, however, Moyet recorded vocals for Tricky, Sylk-130, Ocean Colour Scene, The Lightning Seeds and King Britt, and was featured on the British leg of the Lilith Fair tour. 2001 saw the release of The Essential Alison Moyet CD.
In August 2002, after years of holding out and refusing to compromise, Moyet was finally released from her Sony contract. Moyet signed to Sanctuary Records and released her first studio album in eight years, Hometime, an album which Sony had refused to release. Hometime was produced by the Insects, who had also produced works by Goldfrapp and Massive Attack. The release of the CD launched Moyet into the top five best-selling female UK artists of 2002 and resulted in a Brit nomination for Best Female Vocal as well as a nomination for the Mercury Music Prize.
Moyet's following CD, Voice, an eclectic collection of covers, was released on 6 September 2004 and entered the UK charts at number seven. The album was later re-issued with a bonus track, "Alfie." A companion DVD, One Blue Voice, was released in 2006.
After signing with the W14 Music label in late 2006, Moyet released the all-original The Turn in October 2007. As of this writing (15 Sept 2008), Moyet will be touring North America for the first time in 14 years after the huge success of the Yazoo Reconnected Tour of 2008.
www.alisonmoyet.com/
Falling
Alison Moyet Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Down where the river's wild
He said take me then I want do drown
Deep in your violent eyes
(feel the water rise again,
Call the river by your name)
I want to float in through your door
Hand it on the wall, hang it all
That I'm getting into something peaceful
I want to fly in on your wing
Way way up here I don't care for anything
It's all in, and I'm not afraid I don't fear
Falling
She said listen I've been telling you
I'm into something cruel
He said give me what got into you
I don't care what you do
(if there's a full moon in Taiwan
I want half of what you're on)
I want to open up your mind
Leave it all behind you and me
We're one of a kind
We may find that we're getting
High on something peaceful
We're gonna take it for a ride
Goin' nowhere fast but we got
Nothin' to tie ourselves on
And I'm not afraid to go down
Falling
She said something like
I"m tired of me
You've got to paint my face
He said fold up like a paper boat,
Set sail for me again
I want to fly in on your wing
Way way up here I don't care
For anything, it's all in
And I'm not afraid I don't fear
Falling
The lyrics to Alison Moyet's "Falling" evoke strong emotions of desire and surrender. The song speaks of two lovers who want to experience something wild and dangerous together. The woman tells her partner that she wants to go down to the wild river, and he wants to follow her and drown in her violent eyes. However, they both want to make sure that what they are getting into is peaceful, and that they can trust each other. The woman acknowledges that she is into something cruel, and her partner tells her that he doesn't care what she does as long as he can have her. They both want to escape reality and find something peaceful, even if it means going nowhere fast. The song ends with the lovers wanting to experience the ultimate surrender, falling into each other completely.
The lyrics can be interpreted in many ways, but they resonate most with people who have experienced the intense emotions that come with falling in love. The song speaks of the desire to let go of all fears and inhibitions and surrender to love completely. It also speaks of the need to trust one another and to make sure that what they are getting into is something that will bring them peace and happiness.
One interesting fact about the song is that it was co-written by Alison Moyet and Guy Sigsworth, who had previously worked with Madonna and Bjork. Another interesting fact is that the song was released as a single in 1993 and reached number ten on the UK Singles Chart. "Falling" was also included on Moyet's greatest hits album "The Essential Alison Moyet" in 2001.
In terms of the chords, "Falling" is a fairly simple song to play on the guitar. The intro is D-G-A, and the verses are D-G-D. The chorus is G-A-D, and the bridge is Bm-G-D. The song has a slow tempo and a dreamy melody that complements the lyrics perfectly.
Chords:
★ Intro: D-G-A
★ Verse 1: D-G-D
★ Chorus: G-A-D
★ Verse 2: D-G-D
★ Chorus: G-A-D
★ Bridge: Bm-G-D
★ Chorus: G-A-D
Line by Line Meaning
She said something like I want to go
She expressed her desire to venture somewhere
Down where the river's wild
A place where the river flows freely
He said take me then I want do drown
He wanted to fully immerse himself in her presence
Deep in your violent eyes
Being absorbed by the intensity of her gaze
(feel the water rise again,
Call the river by your name)
She wanted to provoke sensations of being engulfed by the powerful currents of passion, and the idea of personalizing their journey.
I want to float in through your door
Entering into her world
Hand it on the wall, hang it all
Determined to claim a place in her life
But I want to be sure of one thing
Despite his eagerness, he needed assurance
That I'm getting into something peaceful
Wants a calming and tranquil experience
I want to fly in on your wing
Desires to feel invincible with her
Way way up here I don't care for anything
Achieving an elevated sense of transcendence
It's all in, and I'm not afraid I don't fear
Fully committed and unafraid of the unknown
Falling
Embracing the experience of letting go and falling in love
She said listen I've been telling you
She was communicating her desires and intentions
I'm into something cruel
Her interests were unconventional
He said give me what got into you
Totally open to her suggestions and experimentation
I don't care what you do
Completely willing to submit to her desires
(if there's a full moon in Taiwan
I want half of what you're on)
Wanting to share and experience the same sensations as her, to feel connected
I want to open up your mind
Craving access to the depths of her thoughts
Leave it all behind you and me
To escape into their own world
We're one of a kind
Feeling that they were unique and special together
We may find that we're getting
The possibility of discovering something new and exciting
High on something peaceful
Aroused by a deep sense of serenity and tranquility
We're gonna take it for a ride
Venturing together into the unknown future
Goin' nowhere fast but we got
Even if they didn't have any destination, it won't matter
Nothin' to tie ourselves on
Free to just let themselves go
And I'm not afraid to go down
Unafraid of any setbacks or difficulties
Falling
Reiterating the acceptance of falling head over heels in love
She said something like
I"m tired of me
Shared her frustration with herself
You've got to paint my face
Needing a new and refreshing outlook on life
He said fold up like a paper boat,
Set sail for me again
Encouraging her to take comfort in him and explore life together
Way way up here I don't care
For anything, it's all in
Being elevated in love and fully devoted to the relationship
And I'm not afraid I don't fear
Reiterating the complete abandonment of any anxiety or fear
Falling
The culmination of the journey and embracing of falling in love
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Downtown Music Publishing
Written by: PETER WILFRED GLENISTER, ALISON MOYET
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Ali Gosh
She said something like I want to go
Down where the river's wild
He said take me then I want do drown
Deep in your violent eyes
(feel the water rise again,
Call the river by your name)
I want to float in through your door
Hand it on the wall, hang it all
But I want to be sure of one thing
That I'm getting into something peaceful
I want to fly in on your wing
Way way up here I don't care for anything
It's all in, and I'm not afraid I don't fear
Falling
She said listen I've been telling you
I'm into something cruel
He said give me what got into you
I don't care what you do
(if there's a full moon in Taiwan
I want half of what you're on)
I want to open up your mind
Leave it all behind you and me
We're one of a kind
We may find that we're getting
High on something peaceful
We're gonna take it for a ride
Goin' nowhere fast but we got
Nothin' to tie ourselves on
And I'm not afraid to go down
Falling
She said something like
I"m tired of me
You've got to paint my face
He said fold up like a paper boat,
Set sail for me again
I want to fly in on your wing
Way way up here I don't care
For anything, it's all in
And I'm not afraid I don't fear
Falling
Source: LyricFind
Songwriters: Peter Wilfred Glenister / Alison Moyet
Falling lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Catherine
A great artist who can change genre's without missing a beat. Up there with the absolute best of them.
Kevin Clark
@r4b32t11 to right
Stephen Maskrey
Love Allison's voice, she has to be Britain's best female singer by far, and she still is.
msingl100
Never one bad word against this wonderful woman
Damien Wright
this lady is fantastic love her to bits
Basil Maher
One of my favorite songs from Alison's underrated "Essex" album. Ian Broudie from The Lightning Seeds added his magic touch to this amazing song. What a great combination. Love Alison's work with The Lightning Seeds on "My Best Day" from the latter's "Jollification" album, as well as the expanded deluxe edition of "Essex."
Jul006
One of the best from one of the best! Much respect Queen Alison!
Mark Pullen
Stunning, i love alison immensely xx
bryan heggie
what a beautifull woman with a beautifull voice stunning
Veronika J
awesome voice