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/
Wishing You Were Here
Alison Moyet Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's a clear blue sky
Out here my heart so full it's fit to burst
Just counting the hours
Home, such a long way gone
How to share a day, here's my only way
Send myself to you
I can't begin to tell you where I've been
It's a world behind
And if we are to find our heaven here
We just have to look harder
Now I can see you
I never could before, now I want nothing more
When I close my eyes
Wishing you were here, wishing you were here
Home such a long way gone
How to share a day, here's my only way
When I close my eyes
Wishing you were here, wishing you were here
Wishing you were here, wishing you were here
I can't begin to tell you how it feels
The lyrics of Alison Moyet's song "Wishing You Were Here" exudes a sense of longing and nostalgia, as well as an intense desire to be with someone who's far away. The song starts with the singer describing a beautiful clear blue sky and how her heart is so full that it's fit to burst. Despite this idyllic scene, she is clearly missing someone deeply and is counting every hour until they can be together again.
The chorus repeats the phrase "Wishing you were here" over and over, emphasizing the singer's yearning and her hope that the person she's missing can somehow be with her in this perfect moment. In the second verse, the singer describes a distant world that she's left behind, and how finding happiness in the present requires looking hard for it. She assures the person she's addressing that she can now see them better than she ever could before, and that being with them is now the most important thing she wants in life.
Overall, the lyrics convey a powerful sense of longing and the universal desire to be with those we love, even if we're separated by distance or circumstance. Despite its simplicity, the song is incredibly emotive and resonates with anyone who's ever missed someone they care for deeply.
Line by Line Meaning
I can't begin to tell you how it feels
Words can't describe how overwhelming the emotions are
It's a clear blue sky
The weather is perfect and life seems good
Out here my heart so full it's fit to burst
Being in this moment makes my heart feel like it's overflowing with joy
Just counting the hours
Waiting for you seems like an eternity
Home, such a long way gone
Being away from home makes it feel like a distant memory
How to share a day, here's my only way
The only way to share this moment with you is to send my thoughts
Send myself to you
My thoughts are traveling across the distance to reach you
Wishing you were here, wishing you were here
My heart aches for you to be here with me
I can't begin to tell you where I've been
The journey I've been on is something I can't explain
It's a world behind
The past seems far away and unimportant
And if we are to find our heaven here
Our happy place is in the present moment
We just have to look harder
We need to appreciate what is right in front of us
Now I can see you
I finally understand and appreciate your worth in my life
I never could before, now I want nothing more
I took you for granted in the past and now I realize how much I need you
When I close my eyes
Even when I can't physically see you, I feel your presence
Wishing you were here, wishing you were here
I long for you to be here with me, always
Wishing you were here, wishing you were here
I can't stress enough how much I wish you were by my side
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Downtown Music Publishing
Written by: ALISON MOYET, PETER WILFRED GLENISTER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@dikkensmozambikkens633
I can't begin to tell you how it feels It's a clear blue sky
Out here my heart so full it's fit to burst
Just counting the hours
Home, such a long way gone
How to share a day
Here's my only way
Send myself to you
Wishing you were here
I can't begin to tell you where I've been
It's a world behind
And if we are to find our heaven here We just have to look harder
Now I can see you I never could before
Now I want nothing more
When I close my eyes
Wishing you were here
Home such a long way gone
How to share a day
Here's my only way
When I close my eyes
Wishing you were here
I can't begin to tell you how it feels
@PJChgo1
Phenomenal track. With the late great Kirsty MacColl on backing vocals! One of my all time favorites of all of her solo music.
@Gaetano-fh5pc
Ancora oggi la sua voce fa si che io mi commuova ancora.
Donna con una voce pari alla sua bravura, alla sua bellezza e alla sua classe.
Un ragazzo del '73
@joshuajoshua2067
E come che ti do ragione. 🙏👋
@holgerniermann8887
I love Alison Moyets Voice since the 80´s. This one is her Best. I love this Song sooooo much !
@chriswinwood6501
One of the most glorious songs from one of the best singers there is. She’s just wonderful.
@JD-bm1sm
this voice is one of the world's greatest treasures
@juliewright5287
Certainly is
@joebloggs832
One of my favourite songs from this incredible artist - beautiful.
@jamesmcgee6689
Just warm words of love delivered on musical staffs and measures. Love this woman.
@sebastian242
Timeless ❤