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.
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Alison Moyet Lyrics
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It's your idiot name
It's the noise in the noise
The gift of the game
It's the fruit that we bear
The peach that I bore
It's you and it's me and it should have been more
It's the choice that I made
It's the slip in the slide
From fingers to toes
It's the song of out there
The pull of the door
It's you and it's me and it should have been more
What if I could say now, what if I could say
Everything I meant now, everything
It's only hours, only days
Sat in Libra's Bowl, where it's all, it's all, it's all
It's all, balancing
It's the black in the grate
The smoke in the sink
It's the ether that you and I
Opted to drink
It's the tooth that was chipped
On the first ever kiss
It's you and it's me and that's what it is
The lyrics of Alison Moyet's song More are a reflection on a relationship that didn't quite fulfill its potential. The song is filled with metaphor and imagery that speak to the complexity of love and loss. The first few lines set the tone of the song by listing a number of different things that can be seen as both positive and negative, just like a relationship. The stain on the moon can be seen as something that shouldn't be there, but it can also be seen as something unique and beautiful. This duality is also present in the other items on the list such as the noise in the noise, the slip in the slide, and the black in the grate.
Later in the song, Moyet sings "It's the fruit that we bear, the peach that I bore." This line can be interpreted in a number of different ways. It can be seen as a reference to a child that the couple had together or it can be seen as a metaphor for the relationship itself. The peach can be seen as something sweet and desirable, but also fragile and prone to going bad quickly, much like a relationship. Moyet goes on to sing "It's you and it's me and it should have been more." The lyrics here are a lament over what could have been. The relationship had potential, but for whatever reason, it didn't work out.
The chorus of the song features the lyrics "What if I could say now, what if I could say, everything I meant now, everything. It's only hours, only days, sat in Libra's Bowl, where it's all, it's all, it's all. It's all, balancing." The lyrics here suggest that the relationship was always in a precarious balance. The couple was only ever a few missteps away from everything falling apart. However, Moyet seems to suggest that if they could have communicated their feelings better, things might have turned out differently.
Line by Line Meaning
It's the stain on the moon
It represents the blemish or the imperfection that exists even in the most beautiful of things
It's your idiot name
It is the name given by one's parents or those in authority and can be a source of embarrassment or regret
It's the noise in the noise
It is the disturbance that arises when there is already too much noise or chaos
The gift of the game
It is the opportunity for a chance or a victory in a game or competition
It's the fruit that we bear
It represents the results of our actions or behavior, whether good or bad
The peach that I bore
It is the personal responsibility or burden that one carries with them and cannot escape
It's you and it's me and it should have been more
It is the regret for something that could have been more, whether in a relationship or in life in general
It's the choice that I made
It is the decision that one has made, whether right or wrong, and must live with the consequences
It's the maid that you chose
It represents the partner or person that one has chosen to be with in a romantic relationship
It's the slip in the slide
It is the momentary error or mistake that can cause a spiraling effect on one's life
From fingers to toes
It represents the entirety of a person, from head to toe, and every aspect of their being
It's the song of out there
It represents the pull or the call of the unknown or the outside world, which can be both exciting and terrifying
The pull of the door
It represents the desire to leave or escape from a situation or relationship that is confining or unpleasant
What if I could say now, what if I could say
It represents the desire to express one's true feelings or thoughts but being unable or afraid to do so
Everything I meant now, everything
It represents the regret or disappointment for not expressing one's true feelings or intentions in a certain situation
It's only hours, only days
It represents the shortness and fragility of life and how quickly time can pass by without us realizing it
Sat in Libra's Bowl, where it's all, it's all, it's all
It represents the feeling of being trapped or stuck in a situation or relationship, unable to break free
Balancing
It represents the delicate balance that one must maintain in life, whether in relationships or in making decisions
It's the black in the grate
It represents the destruction or loss that can occur in life, whether through death or the end of a relationship
The smoke in the sink
It represents the remnants or memories of something that was once important or significant
It's the ether that you and I Opted to drink
It represents the highs and lows of life, whether through drugs, alcohol or other means of escapism
It's the tooth that was chipped
It represents the flaws or imperfections that exist in even the most perfect moments or relationships
On the first ever kiss
It represents the first time experience of something, whether positive or negative
It's you and it's me and that's what it is
It represents the acceptance of reality, that one cannot change the past or the present, but can learn from it and move on
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Downtown Music Publishing
Written by: ALISON MOYET, PETER WILFRED GLENISTER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind