She studied art in Paris and in the 60s moved to London. During this period she got to know the most prominent designers, musicians and artists belonging to the artistic circles she frequented. Her preferences were predominantly for the Surrealist movement and for bodily expression, since she has also studied the art of mime. The meeting with Dali changed her life.
In the following 15 years she became the only woman friend, the muse and confidant of the great artist and his wife Gala. She lived in their house in Cadaquès (Spain) and accompanied them when they moved to New York and Paris in the winter. Although he had declared that a woman should never paint, Dali became her mentor, allowing her to work alongside him and teaching her all she knows about art and its techniques.
He took her to visit all the great museums of the world, acting as her guide in the discovery of artists from his own highly individual point of view. Famous throughout the world as a pop singer, she soared to celebrity when her first song entered the international hit parades, but this not lead her to neglect the passion of her life: painting.
In 1975, disillusioned by a shallow but surprisingly conservative fashion industry and encouraged by boyfriend David Bowie, who paid for singing and dancing lessons, Lear decided to launch a career in music. Bowie recommended her a Hungarian voice coach Florence Wiese-Norberg, with whom he also worked.[16] She would record a demo song called "Stars" with him, however, the track still remains unreleased
In 1980 she had her first show in Rotterdam. Encouraged by the success of this and the publicity generated by the media, she went on to display in Paris, Berlin, Milan and Geneva, attracting the attention of the European collectors. She likes to recall the fact that she waited 20 years before having the chance to show her paintings and she is grateful to Dali for having been her friend and teacher. Pop icon Amanda Lear has recorded 15 studio albums and has released some 60 singles to date and has so far sold approximately 15 million albums and 25-30 million singles worldwide.
2012 saw the release of a new album "I Don't Like Disco", from which a few single were taken including La bete et la belle and I Don't Like Disco.
Her latest news can be read on her official site: www.amanda-lear.com.
The Sphinx
Amanda Lear Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Who said to his people: my friends
This is now the end
If we loose the battle
We shall live forever.
The people of the sun will remember this day
And give us immortality
Long after I've gone
I want to be like this king
But I can't stand the pain
My friends
And I keep looking for all the faces I had
Before the world began.
I've only know desire and my poor soul will burn
Into eternal fire
And I can't even cry
A sphinx can never cry.
I am standing in the sun
I wish that I could be
A silent sphinx eternally.
I don't want any past
Only want things which cannot last
And I can't even cry
Through God knows how I try
A sphinx can never cry
And sphinxes never die.
I'm famous or am I infamous ?
It doesn't matter much any more
Phony words of love or painfully truth
I've heard it all before
Appraisal or critics and even politics
A conversation piece
A woman or a priest
It's all a point of view.
I am standing in the sun
The song "The Sphinx" by Amanda Lear is a reflection on the desire to have the eternal life and fame of a king, but also an acknowledgement of the pain and suffering that comes with it. The opening lines express the desire to be like a king who accepts the possibility of dying in battle, knowing that he will be remembered by future generations for his valor. However, the singer notes that she cannot handle the pain and suffering that comes with such a life. She wishes she could go back to the time before her desires took hold of her, but knows that her soul will burn in eternal fire. The image of the sphinx, a creature that is both timeless and unable to cry or show emotions, represents the singer's own struggle with mortality and the ephemeral nature of fame.
The middle section of the song deals with the singer's ambivalence towards love, truth, and human relationships in general. She notes that she has heard all the phony words of love and painfully truthful criticisms before, and that they are all just different opinions. Whether she is seen as a conversation piece, a woman, or a priest, it does not matter to her, as all of these labels are just ways of categorizing and limiting her. In the end, she wishes to be like the silent sphinx, free from the constraints of time and emotion.
Overall, "The Sphinx" is a complex meditation on mortality, fame, and the limitations of human relationships. The lyrics use the image of the sphinx as a symbol of timelessness but also of emotional and physical constraints. The desire to be like a king who lives on forever is contrasted with the pain and suffering that comes with such a life. Ultimately, the singer wishes to be free from the constraints of human existence and to embrace the timeless qualities of the sphinx.
Line by Line Meaning
I wish I could be like the king
I desire to embody the king's fortitude and vision.
Who said to his people: my friends
The king addressed his people as friends.
This is now the end
The king was aware that this battle would have been his last.
If we lose the battle
The king acknowledged the possibility of failure.
We shall live forever.
Through immortalization by future generations, their name and legacy will persist.
The people of the sun will remember this day
Their victory would be memorialized by the descendants of the sun people.
And give us immortality
Their triumph would confer eternal fame and renown on them.
Long after I've gone
Their place in history would outlive their own mortal lives.
Long after the sun.
Their name and deeds will endure beyond the lifetime of the sun.
I want to be like this king
Amanda Lear aspires to have the determination and acumen of the king.
But I can't stand the pain
The challenges and hardships of attaining such a state are unbearable to her.
And I keep looking for all the faces I had
She is searching for a sense of identity and purpose.
Before the world began.
A time before her arrival in the world.
I've only known desire and my poor soul will burn
Amanda Lear feels that her only experience in life so far is desire, which has left her aching and vulnerable.
Into eternal fire
Her soul is consumed by a perpetual flame.
And I can't even cry
Her circumstances are so dire that even crying is no longer possible.
A sphinx can never cry.
As a sphinx, she is forever trapped in a state of stoicism and detachment.
I am standing in the sun
She is currently exposed to the brightness of sunlight.
I wish that I could be
Amanda Lear longs for a different life.
A silent sphinx eternally.
Being transformed into a sphinx without a voice or emotion, lasting for eternity, is her ideal state.
I don't want any past
She wishes to cut all ties with her past.
Only want things which cannot last
She desires only fleeting pleasures rather than anything permanent because of her disillusionment with life.
Through God knows how I try
She has attempted to suppress her emotions repeatedly.
And sphinxes never die.
Sphinxes are mythical creatures, symbolizing immortality and perpetuity.
I'm famous or am I infamous ?
She is questioning whether she is renowned for good or notorious reasons.
It doesn't matter much any more
The impact of people's perception of her has decreased over time.
Phony words of love or painfully truth
People can either be insincere or truthful, and either can be hurtful.
I've heard it all before
She has grown weary of hearing hollow words.
Appraisal or critics and even politics
Opinions on her can come from her supporters, critics or politicians, regardless of their biases.
A conversation piece
She has become a topic of interest for others, rather than a person with feelings and emotions.
A woman or a priest
Regardless of her gender or profession, she remains under scrutiny.
It's all a point of view.
How people perceive her is a matter of perspective.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ANTON MONN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind