In 2006 Knight starred in BBC1 music TV show, Just The Two Of Us, and is the host of the Radio 2 show Beverley's Gospel Nights, which explores the origins and impact of gospel music. Now in its second season, the show has featured interviews with stars such as Destiny's Child and Shirley Caesar.
Knight is an ambassador for many charities such Christian Aid and has travelled to areas affected by disease and poverty to help raise awareness. She is an active campaigner for anti-Aids organisations such as the Stop AIDS Campaign and The Terrence Higgins Trust and is also a vocal campaigner against homophobic lyrics in urban music. She became an MBE in 2006, the only musician to be granted such an honour in the Queen's eightieth birthday honours list.
In February 2006 Knight consolidated her move into the mainstream audience by appearing on BBC1 music show, Just The Two of Us. The show, featuring celebrities who duet with established singers, ran for two weeks and proved to be a relative disappointment in terms of audience figures – averaging between fifteen and twenty-five percent audience shares.[17] Nevertheless it provided a platform for Knight to reach out to a bigger audience and demonstrate her talent by performing a different array of songs than she would otherwise be known for. Reaching out to new audiences was also a driving force behind Knight’s decision to join Take That on their reunion arena tour. Take That - The Ultimate Tour 06, which ran from April to July 2006, sold 270,000 tickets in less than four hours on sale at the box office and featured Knight as a support act.
In March 2006 Beverley released her fifth album, a compilation set featuring the majority of her top forty UK singles entitled Voice - The Best Of Beverley Knight. The album, which was certified Gold less than a month after its release,[19] became her second highest charting of her career when it entered the UK albums chart at number ten and rose to number nine a month later. It was preceded by the single "Piece of my Heart" – a cover of the Erma Franklin classic made famous by Janis Joplin and entered the singles chart at number sixteen, spending eleven weeks inside the UK top 75 singles chart and becoming her longest-running chart single to date.
In October 2006, Knight recorded her fifth studio album, Music City Soul, in Nashville. Completed in less than five days, the album was released on 7 May 2007 and features collaborations with musicians such as Ronnie Wood and Scotty Moore. It has spawned three singles thus far, "No Man's Land", released on 16 April 2007, "After You", released on 2 July 2007 and "The Queen of Starting Over", released on 15 October 2007.
Beverley will be releasing her next album in spring 2009.
Sites: YouTube
AWOL
Beverley Knight Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I never see you anymore, you're absent without leave
In life I learned a lot of things and what it brings to ya
And how it's good to be alone sometimes
I should've known you'd get an itch and you would switch on me
And runaway when day turned into night
'cause you're a good time sister, always out for something better
Just when I need a friend, you're absent without leave
Good time brother, called you friend when I knew better
Ain't got no time to spend, you're absent without leave
So many people that I found say they're down with ya
Then like a ship they sail on with a breeze
See in the sun, they get a touch and it's too much for 'em
They fall around you like the winter leaves
A little rain and they would run for cover (I can still remember)
When no one else could see the need to shelter (How could I forget?)
And knowing better times were round the corner (O I can still remember)
So now when summer skies turn into grey, here's what I say
Chorus (x2)
I never hear I never see you
I never hear I never see you no more (x3)
Chorus (x3)
In Beverley Knight's song A.W.O.L., the lyrics describe the absence of a person in the singer's life. The person was someone the singer considered a friend, but this friend always seemed to be preoccupied with finding the next best thing, always out for something better. Despite the singer's attempts to be there for this friend, they always seemed to be absent without leave. The singer has come to the realization that sometimes it's good to be alone, and although they were let down by this friend's actions, they have learned to move on and not dwell on it.
The lyrics are poignant, reflecting the pain of losing someone who was supposed to be a friend. The song touches on themes of friendship, loyalty, and the importance of being present in someone's life. It can be interpreted as a message to this friend, letting them know that their absence has not gone unnoticed, but also acknowledging that the singer has learned to let go and move on.
Line by Line Meaning
I never see you anymore, you're absent without leave
I don't see or hear from you anymore, and you're not where you're supposed to be
In life I learned a lot of things and what it brings to ya
I've learned a lot in life, including the benefits of being alone sometimes
And how it's good to be alone sometimes
Being alone can be beneficial for personal growth and reflection
I should've known you'd get an itch and you would switch on me
I should have realized that you would become restless and leave me
And runaway when day turned into night
You tend to flee when the sun sets
'cause you're a good time sister, always out for something better
You're someone who constantly seeks new and exciting experiences
Just when I need a friend, you're absent without leave
You're never around when I need you to be there as a friend
Good time brother, called you friend when I knew better
I referred to you as a friend, even though I knew you were always seeking new adventures and not there for support
Ain't got no time to spend, you're absent without leave
You're too busy seeking excitement to make time for me
So many people that I found say they're down with ya
I've met many people who claim to be loyal to you
Then like a ship they sail on with a breeze
But they quickly abandon you when something better comes their way
See in the sun, they get a touch and it's too much for 'em
When things are going well, they can't handle the pressure
They fall around you like the winter leaves
They may initially stick around, but they eventually leave like leaves falling in the winter
A little rain and they would run for cover (I can still remember)
At the first sign of trouble, they quickly abandon you (and I still remember this)
When no one else could see the need to shelter (How could I forget?)
Even when others didn't see the danger, I knew you needed protection (and how could I forget this)
And knowing better times were round the corner (O I can still remember)
I believed that things would get better soon (and I still remember this)
So now when summer skies turn into grey, here's what I say
Now when things get difficult, I say this
Chorus (x2)
Repeating the refrain twice
I never hear I never see you
I never hear or see you anymore
I never hear I never see you no more (x3)
I never hear or see you anymore (repeated three times)
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BEVERLEY KNIGHT, CARL G. MCINTOSH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind