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/
This House
Alison Moyet Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And what is this empty place
I could be happily lost but for your face
Here stands an empty house
That used to be full of life
Now it's home for no one and his wife
It's a hovel and
Who can take your place?
And who will shelter me?
It's cold in here
Cover me
Under these fingertips a strange body rolls and dips
I close my eyes and you're here again
Later as day descends
I'll shout from my window
To anyone listening. "I'm loosing"
Who can take your place?
I can't face another day
And who will shelter me?
It's cold in here
Cover me
Oh in a plague of hateful questioning
Tap dancing every syllable from ear to ear
I hear the din of lovers jousting
When I'm hiding with my head to the wall
Who will shelter me?
It's cold in here
The song "This House" by Alison Moyet is a poignant and emotional composition that perfectly captures the feeling of loneliness and despair. The lyrics seem to convey a sense of sadness and longing for someone who has left. The opening lines, "Whose sticky hands are these? And what is this empty place," suggests that the singer is trying to make sense of the emotions they are feeling, as they struggle to come to grips with the reality of their situation. They are surrounded by emptiness, and there is no one to fill the void left behind by the person who has left them.
The lyrics also suggest that the house that the singer is occupying used to be full of life and happiness, but now it's nothing but an empty shell. The lines "Here stands an empty house, that used to be full of life, now it's home for no one and his wife" further emphasize this feeling of desolation. The singer is desperately seeking someone to take the place of the person who left, but they know that no one can fill that void. The chorus, "Who can take your place? I can't face another day, and who will shelter me? It's cold in here, cover me" perfectly encapsulates the sense of hopelessness and despair that pervades the song.
In the second verse, the singer seems to be reminiscing about the happier times, imagining that the person they miss is still there with them. The lines, "Under these fingertips, a strange body rolls and dips, I close my eyes and you're here again" suggest that the singer is imagining the presence of their loved one. The singer is reaching out for someone to shelter them, but they are only met with coldness and emptiness. The song ends with the repeated refrain "Who will shelter me? It's cold in here", as the singer is left alone to deal with their loneliness and isolation.
Line by Line Meaning
Whose sticky hands are these?
I wonder whose hands these are that have been touching everything around this empty place
And what is this empty place
I'm trying to figure out what this place used to be and why it's empty now
I could be happily lost but for your face
This place would be a peaceful escape for me if only I could forget about you
Here stands an empty house
This place was once alive, but now it's just a sad, empty house
That used to be full of life
This house used to have energy and activity, but now it's gone
Now it's home for no one and his wife
No one lives here anymore, not even the person who once called it home and their partner
It's a hovel and
This house is a rundown, miserable place
Who can take your place?
I can't find anyone who can replace you
I can't face another day
Thinking about living another day without you is unbearable
And who will shelter me?
I need someone to protect me from the coldness of life
It's cold in here
This place is emotionally and physically freezing
Cover me
I need someone to comfort me and be my shelter
Under these fingertips a strange body rolls and dips
My body feels sensory sensations from someone else's touch, but it's unfamiliar and strange
I close my eyes and you're here again
I imagine you're here and it brings me comfort
Later as day descends
As the day goes on and gets darker
I'll shout from my window
I'll cry out and express how I'm feeling, even if no one hears me
To anyone listening. "I'm loosing"
I'm admitting that I'm struggling and need help
Oh in a plague of hateful questioning
I'm overwhelmed with negative thoughts and doubts
Tap dancing every syllable from ear to ear
I can't escape the repetitive, negative thoughts in my head
I hear the din of lovers jousting
I'm surrounded by the happy noise of couples in love and it only makes me feel more lonely
When I'm hiding with my head to the wall
I retreat into myself, trying to escape the pain
Lyrics © Downtown Music Publishing
Written by: MOYET
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
panos alex
Whose sticky hands are these
And what is this empty place
I could be happily lost
But for your face
Here stands an empty house
That used to be full of life
Now it's home for no one
And his wife
It's a hovel and
(Who)
Who can take your place
I can't face another day
And
(Who)
Who will shelter me
It's cold in here
Cover me
Under these fingertips
A strange body rolls and dips
I close my eyes
And you're here again
Later as day descends
I'll shout from my window
To anyone listening
I'm losing
(Who)
Who can take your place
I can't face another day
And
(Who)
Who will shelter me
It's cold in here
Cover me
Oh, in a plague of hateful questioning
Tap dancing every syllable from ear to ear
I hear the din of lovers jousting
When I'm hiding with my head to the wall
So
(Who)
Who will shelter me
It's cold in here.
Who will shelter me?It's cold in here....So cold....So cold without you my LOVEEEE....<3 <3
Ali Gosh
Whose sticky hands are these
And what is this empty place
I could be happily lost
But for your face
Here stands an empty house
That used to be full of life
Now it's home for no one
And his wife
It's a hovel and
Who can take your place
I can't face another day
And
(Who)
Who will shelter me
It's cold in here
Cover me
Under these fingertips
A strange body rolls and dips
I close my eyes
And you're here again
Later as day descends
I'll shout from my window
To anyone listening
I'm losing
Who can take your place
I can't face another day
And
(Who)
Who will…
Source: Musixmatch
Mauricio Weber
It hurts me to see something so perfect with no proper recognition. This video deserved millions of views!
Ayelet Mazal
you are so right!!!
people are'nt appreciate a good masterpiece.
XxLilly_playsXx Kiz
I totally agree! Alison’s voice is legend. She’s awesome.
Eddie Sell
I absolutely agree
jason crawford
Right on. I bought the 7" record of this in 1991 and wore it out. I adore it and now it's the anthem to me protecting under privileged kids in my current job. Breaks my heart that this haunting classic only reached number 40 in the charts at the time
eM tuobA
This is not "Popular music", it is a real good music with amazing voice of Alison Moyet back in 90s. YouTube was born in 2005.
Spud S82
The most insanely underated female singer EVER!!!!!! Her vocals and lyrics are hauntingly beautiful and the video is stunning XxXxXx
VASHNA NERADA
No I don't agree with you she was huge in the 80s. Loved yazoo.. And when she went solo she had a lot of hits.
Stephen Saxby
Vashna I really don’t understand part of your comment but this song was her album Alf which was released in the 80s after her and Vince Clarke went their separate ways yes I agree yazoo were brilliant but so was Alison when she went solo her voice is amazing especially live in concert this song though is outstanding why they never released it as a single it would have smashed the charts for sure
John Raby
Totally agree