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
Whatever's Clever
Beverley Knight Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Better let me know
Are you ready for me?
Better let me know
Are you ready for me?
Better let me know
You'd better, you'd better do whatever's clever baby
How can you be down?
You gotta do whatever's clever
So that I will stick around
You gotta do whatever's clever
And you don't want to waste your time
You gotta do whatever's clever
You gotta go somewhere you gotta do whatever's clever
If you want to step to me
You gotta do whatever's clever
So I'll listen carefully...
You gotta do whatever's clever
You gotta say whatever, hear whatever, mean whatever, hear whatever
Feel whatever, think whatever do whatever's clever
So you want to roll with me
Here's advice that you should heed
Common sense is all you need
To avoid my thunder
First of all talk to my face
Not the view below my waist
How we gonna conversate
While your head's down under?
Stop where are you going
If you were in my shoes, what would you say?
Stop, this is worth knowing
So a brother can't lose if he steps my way.
Stop where are you going
If you were in my shoes, what would you say?
Stop, this is worth knowing
So a brother can't lose if he steps my way
[Chorus:]
Here's a very simple truth
"Monkey see is monkey do"
So you're never getting through
If your boys are busters
Finally please understand
All I have is by my hand
On my own I'm making ground
I am my own woman
Stop where are you going
If you were in my shoes, what would you say?
Stop, this is worth knowing
So a brother can choose if he steps my way.
Stop where are you going
If you were in my shoes, what would you say?
Stop, this is worth knowing
So a brother can't lose if he steps my way
[Chorus:]
Are you ready for me?
Better let me know
Are you ready for me?
Better let me know
Are you ready for me?
Better let me know
You'd better, you'd better do whatever's clever baby
Are you ready for me?
Better let me know
Are you ready for me?
Better let me know
Are you ready for me?
Better let me know
You'd better, you'd better do whatever's clever baby
In Beverley Knight's song "Whatever's Clever", she is challenging a potential suitor to prove that he is ready to be with her. She repeats the phrase "Are you ready for me?" several times, emphasizing the importance of communication and honesty in any potential relationship. She emphasizes that the other person needs to do "whatever's clever" to win her over, meaning that he needs to be creative and authentic in his actions if he wants her to stick around.
The chorus reinforces this message, stating that one must do "whatever's clever" in order to avoid wasting time and losing her interest. Beverley also offers some specific advice for potential suitors, advising them to have common sense, talk to her face rather than staring at her body, and avoid being influenced by "busting" friends. In essence, she is looking for someone who is genuine, respectful, and able to communicate effectively.
One interpretation of the song could be that Beverley's lyrics are directed at men who objectify and pursue her solely based on her appearance. She is challenging them to step up and prove that they are worthy of her time and attention, rather than assuming that their interest alone is enough to win her over.
Line by Line Meaning
Are you ready for me?
Do you have what it takes to handle me?
Better let me know
Tell me before you try to step to me.
You'd better, you'd better do whatever's clever baby
Be smart and think before you act when it comes to me.
How can you be down?
Are you really ready to handle a woman like me?
So that I will stick around
I need someone who can keep up with me and my expectations.
And you don't want to waste your time
Don't even try to waste my time if you're not serious about me.
You gotta go somewhere you gotta do whatever's clever
If you want to be with me, you have to step up and be creative.
If you want to step to me
If you want to approach me, you have to be clever.
So I'll listen carefully...
If you want me to pay attention, you better be smart about it.
You gotta say whatever, hear whatever, mean whatever, hear whatever
You have to communicate with me and understand what I mean.
Feel whatever, think whatever do whatever's clever
Be open-minded and creative in how you approach me.
Here's advice that you should heed
Listen to what I'm about to say, it's important.
Common sense is all you need
Use your head and be smart about how you approach me.
To avoid my thunder
To avoid my wrath or anger.
First of all talk to my face
Respect me enough to look me in the eye when you speak to me.
Not the view below my waist
Don't objectify me or treat me like a sexual object.
How we gonna conversate
How are we going to have an intelligent conversation?
While your head's down under?
While you're thinking with your genitals instead of your brain?
So a brother can't lose if he steps my way.
If you approach me the right way, you won't be disappointed.
Here's a very simple truth
A basic fact I want you to understand.
"Monkey see is monkey do"
People imitate what they see, so don't hang out with losers.
So you're never getting through
You can't get to me if you surround yourself with bad influences.
If your boys are busters
If your friends are not good people or are a bad influence.
All I have is by my hand
Everything I've gotten in life, I've earned myself.
On my own I'm making ground
I'm making progress without anyone's help.
I am my own woman
I don't need anyone else to define or support me.
Are you ready for me?
Do you think you can handle me?
Better let me know
Tell me before you try to approach me.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: TAXMAN, BEVERLEY KNIGHT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind