Alison Moyet (born Geneviève Alison Jane Moyet on 18 June 1961 - Billericay… Read Full Bio ↴Alison Moyet (born Geneviève Alison Jane Moyet on 18 June 1961 - Billericay, Essex, England), is an English pop singer-songwriter noted for her bluesy voice.

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/

Satellite
Alison Moyet Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

You were alight
And I wouldn't look away
You said I was sky
And caught me anyway
How could I ever know
You burn all that you hold
Now sing to the walls
I've cared more

I want to go
I want to stay
I want your name
And I want nothing that you are
Not even when you're moving me
And you're moving me

I want to talk
I want to sleep
Want to get up
And wash the rest of you away
You never had me
Satellite

Maybe today
I'll not wear you anymore
I'll fold you away,
Lay you down where you belong
Maybe you'll waken
In time to break open a smile
Wide and wild
As the Humber
Satellite
Are you dancing tonight
Are you burning as bright

As the she- boy outside the
Firefly

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to "Satellite" by Alison Moyet seem to be exploring a complex mix of emotions related to a passionate but ultimately troubled relationship. In the opening lines, the singer describes how they were attracted to the other person's energy ("You were alight") but couldn't really get away from them ("I wouldn't look away"). The other person then calls the singer "sky" and manages to capture their attention despite their attraction to other things ("caught me anyway"). However, the tone of the song quickly turns to doubt and disillusionment as the singer realizes that the other person is not what they seem. They "burn all that they hold" and don't live up to the singer's expectations.

Despite this, the singer seems to be stuck in this dynamic and wanting conflicting things - they "want to go" but also "want to stay" with the other person. At the same time, they don't want the other person themselves, just their name. The chorus then repeats the refrain that the other person is a "satellite" - someone who orbits around the singer, but who they ultimately cannot connect with or rely on. The final lines, about the "she-boy outside the firefly," seem to imply that the singer is observing others who seem to be able to feel or experience things more fully than they can with their satellite.

Overall, the lyrics of "Satellite" suggest a complex mix of attraction, disillusionment, and a sense of being stuck in an unsatisfying relationship. While the other person is able to capture their attention and energy, they ultimately cannot fulfill the singer's needs or live up to their expectations. Despite this, the singer also seems unable or unwilling to fully let go of the other person, leading to a sense of frustration and confusion.

Line by Line Meaning

You were alight
You were bright and captivating

And I wouldn't look away
I couldn't tear my eyes away from you

You said I was sky
You called me a part of the sky

And caught me anyway
And still managed to grab hold of me

How could I ever know
I had no way of knowing

You burn all that you hold
You destroy all that you care about

Now sing to the walls
Now you're left alone and speaking to walls

I've cared more
I've cared more than you ever will

I want to go
I want to leave

I want to stay
I want to stay by your side

I want your name
I want to be associated with you