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/
Never Too Late
Alison Moyet Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A face I know, not the one that I remember
I wanted to hide but I cant run out on you forever
[Milky eyes like opal stones
Staring through a stained glass window
It's never too late to change your mind
Looking through a stained glass window]
It's never too late
I know a man, couldn't change the peace that stands between us
But these open hands are empty bowls to fill
[Come for the one who pays the most
You don't get thanks for loyalty]
And all your friends, they've gone and sold you down the river
They've got your phone book now
[Once your life was a fiery feast
Now it's just a burning ember]
It's never too late
We'll get it back together
It's never too late
Release me from this sorrow
Will you never learn, love knows no bounds
Beggar or a king, it will bring you down
Fool may I be, cant give up the ghost that haunts me
I saw a face, grey as a cold December
It's never too late
The lyrics of Alison Moyet's song "Never Too Late" portrays the message of hope and redemption. The song begins with the image of a face that is grey, representing a bleak and hopeless situation. The face is not recognizable, signifying the loss of someone, maybe due to distance or a shift in a relationship. The singer then wishes to hide from the person but knows that running away is not the solution and that it's never too late to reconcile. The reference to opal stones further emphasizes the image of change, as opal stones are known for their chameleonic colors.
The second verse talks about a man who couldn't change the situation between them, and the open hands are empty bowls, signifying a lack of ability to fill the void. The lyrics "Come for the one who pays the most, you don't get thanks for loyalty" talks about how loyalty is often taken for granted, and people tend to gravitate towards those who offer more, leaving the loyal ones behind. The mention of the phone book indicates that the person has lost their contacts and perhaps their support system. The pre-chorus indicates that it's not too late to make amends and that it's possible to get things back together, and the sorrow can eventually be released.
In conclusion, the song "Never Too Late" by Alison Moyet tells the story of loss, redemption, and hope. It highlights the importance of forgiveness, and it's never too late to make amends in relationships.
Line by Line Meaning
I saw a face, grey as the cold December
A familiar face that looks worn and lifeless, nothing like their former self
A face I know, not the one that I remember
Recognizes the person but can't reconcile their once vivid, lively self
I wanted to hide but I cant run out on you forever
Feeling a need to escape the situation, but knowing that it's temporary and not a permanent solution
Milky eyes like opal stones, Staring through a stained glass window
The person's eyes appear dull, almost glazed over, as if looking out through a cloudy window
It's never too late to change your mind, Looking through a stained glass window
Reminder that it's never too late to make a change, even if the view is obstructed, the specks of light shining through indicate hope
It's never too late
Reiteration of the main message, that it's never too late to start anew
I know a man, couldn't change the peace that stands between us
Acknowledging someone in their life who they haven't been able to resolve differences with
But these open hands are empty bowls to fill
Despite wanting to reconcile with the person, their attempts feel fruitless and unproductive
Come for the one who pays the most, You don't get thanks for loyalty
Reflecting on society's tendency to prioritize selfish gains over loyalty and integrity
And all your friends, they’ve gone and sold you down the river
Feeling betrayed by people who were once seen as friends and now end up causing more harm than good
They’ve got your phone book now
The sense that others have access to personal information, adding to feelings of vulnerability and betrayal
Once your life was a fiery feast, Now it's just a burning ember
Remembering an earlier period in life filled with passion and excitement that has now turned into a dull ache
We'll get it back together, Release me from this sorrow
Hopeful sentiment that things can be fixed, and a plea to be free of the pain
Will you never learn, love knows no bounds
Addressing someone who may have caused hurt through their actions, emphasizing that love can be unconditional
Beggar or a king, it will bring you down
Highlighting that love can be both a blessing and a curse, impacting everyone equally
Fool may I be, cant give up the ghost that haunts me
Recognizing that past traumas can continue to affect a person and make it hard to move on, but being honest about the need to keep trying
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Downtown Music Publishing
Written by: DEAN KENNEDY, WARREN KENNEDY, ALISON MOYET
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind