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
Shape Of You
Beverley Knight Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When I think about life without you
Even if it's for the best, regardless
It's the hardest thing to do
Looking at the path that we've taken
We didn't leave a stone unturned
But don't you believe that this won't slay me
Even if I act unconcerned
With a smile, I'll face the world
Though my eyes reflect the truth
I'm moving on
But you know I do.
With a hole in my heart in the shape of you.
With a hole in my heart in the shape of you.
I step into unchartered water
And I'm afraid of what I've done
See I can't head toward my future
Reminicing on how just far we had come
Maybe we could find redemption
Maybe then it all could make sense
Until then I must believe these words
Even though I think you know
That I'm unconvinced
[Chorus]
In Beverley Knight's song Shape Of You, the lyrics express the pain and difficulty of moving on from a past relationship. The opening line, "This woman's eyes ain't got no colour," sets the tone for the song - the singer feels empty and lacks any sense of joy. The lyrics describe the challenge of letting go, even when it's the right thing to do. The singer acknowledges that they've thoroughly explored the relationship ("We didn't leave a stone unturned"), but still struggles to accept that it's over. The pain is so intense that it's left a "hole" in their heart that's shaped like the person they're leaving.
The second verse introduces a sense of fear and uncertainty about the future. The singer feels like they're stepping into "unchartered water," and is afraid of what comes next. They reveal that they're struggling to let go of the past, even though they know it's necessary to move forward. The singer suggests that maybe there's a chance for redemption or understanding in the future, but for now, they need to believe that it's best to part ways. The chorus repeats the idea that the singer is moving on, with a sense of determination ("With a smile, I'll face the world"), but the pain of the breakup remains ("With a hole in my heart in the shape of you").
Overall, the lyrics of Shape Of You convey a sense of heartbreak and the difficulty of letting go of a past relationship. The song acknowledges that even when a breakup is for the best, it can still be incredibly painful and leave a lasting impact.
Line by Line Meaning
This woman's eyes ain't got no colour
I feel lost and empty without you and it's reflecting in my eyes.
When I think about life without you
The mere thought of living without you scares me.
Even if it's for the best, regardless
I understand that moving on is the right thing to do, but it's still hard.
It's the hardest thing to do
Letting go of you is the most difficult task I've ever faced.
Looking at the path that we've taken
Reflecting on our journey together.
We didn't leave a stone unturned
We explored every avenue in our relationship.
But don't you believe that this won't slay me
Moving on won't be easy and it will hurt me deeply.
Even if I act unconcerned
I might pretend that I'm not affected, but deep down, I am.
With a smile, I'll face the world
I'll put on a brave face and pretend that everything is okay.
Though my eyes reflect the truth
Even though I'm smiling, my eyes reveal the pain I'm feeling inside.
I'm moving on
I'm trying to let go and move forward with my life.
But you know I do.
You know that it's not easy for me.
With a hole in my heart in the shape of you.
Your absence has left a permanent void in my heart.
I step into unchartered water
I'm entering unknown territory without you by my side.
And I'm afraid of what I've done
I'm scared that I've made a mistake by letting you go.
See I can't head toward my future
I can't move forward without dealing with the emotions of losing you.
Reminiscing on how just far we had come
Remembering how much we've been through together.
Maybe we could find redemption
Perhaps we can find a way to mend our relationship.
Maybe then it all could make sense
If we work things out, it will all be worth it.
Until then I must believe these words
For now, I have to tell myself that it's over and try to move on.
Even though I think you know
Even though you probably understand how difficult this is for me.
That I'm unconvinced
It's hard for me to fully believe that moving on is the right thing to do.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: BEVERLEY KNIGHT, J. JEAN, JERRY DUPLESSIS, NEL WYCLEF JEAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind