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/
The first time ever I saw your face
Alison Moyet Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I thought the sun rose in your eyes
And the moon and the stars were the gift you gave
To the dark and empty skies
My love
First time ever I kissed your mouth
I felt the earth move in my hand
That was there at my command
My love, that was there at my command
The first time ever I lay with you
And felt your heart beat over mine
And I thought our joy would fill the earth
And last till the end of time my love
Till the end of time my love
The lyrics of Alison Moyet's song "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" describe the overwhelming emotion of falling in love with someone for the first time. The singer recalls the moment she saw her lover for the first time, and how she was struck by the beauty in their eyes. In her mind, this person was not just a person, but also a source of light in the world. Their presence was enough to bring light to a dark and empty sky.
As she moves on to describe their first kiss, the lyrics become more physical. She describes feeling the earth move in her hand, as if she had the power to shake the very ground they stood on. This metaphor is used to show the intensity of the moment, as well as the power that she had over her lover. She felt as if she could control their emotions with just one touch.
The final verse moves beyond the physical to showcase the deep emotional connection between the two lovers. She describes lying with them, feeling their heartbeat under hers. It's a moment of pure joy, and she believes that their love is strong enough to last until the end of time. The use of the word "joy" shows that love is more than just physical attraction, it's something that brings happiness and contentment.
Overall, "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" is a song about experiencing the power of love for the first time. The lyrics use powerful metaphors to describe the intensity and depth of emotion that comes with falling in love.
Line by Line Meaning
The first time ever I saw your face
When I met you for the first time, I was mesmerized by the radiance of your eyes.
I thought the sun rose in your eyes
In your eyes, I saw a reflection of warmth and hope that reminded me of the sun's radiance.
And the moon and the stars were the gift you gave
Your mere presence filled the darkness in my life with light, beauty, and wonder like the moon and stars.
To the dark and empty skies
You brought light, love, and joy to the otherwise gloomy, desolate landscape of my life.
First time ever I kissed your mouth
When I first kissed you, it felt as though the earth was shaking with excitement.
I felt the earth move in my hand
The intensity of the moment made everything else in the world seem still, and all that mattered was our embrace.
Like the trembling heart of a captive bird
The experience was as exhilarating as holding a bird captive, with its heart pounding frantically.
That was there at my command
The passionate moment was mine to cherish and hold onto as a precious memory forever.
The first time ever I lay with you
When we spent a night together, I felt your heartbeat in perfect sync with mine, and I knew our love was meant to be.
And felt your heart beat over mine
As we got lost in each other's arms, our love felt like it had the power to heal the world and bring lasting joy.
And I thought our joy would fill the earth
At that moment, everything in the world felt perfect, and I imagined our love and happiness bringing light and warmth to all.
And last till the end of time my love
Our love felt so strong and magical that I was confident it would last forever and transcend everything, even time itself.
Lyrics © THE ROYALTY NETWORK INC., Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Ewan Maccoll
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind